Chukyo

The world's best-known--not to mention most-talented--white Thoroughbred, Sodashi (Jpn) (Kurofune) gets a different sort of test when she tries the dirt for the first time in Sunday's G1 Champions Cup (ex Japan Cup Dirt) at Chukyo Racecourse, a race won in scintillating fashion by her sire 20 years ago. Named the champion of her generation when capping a perfect freshman campaign in the G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies last December, Sodashi resumed with a victory in the G1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) over the metric mile Apr. 11, but did...

In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this weekend running at Chukyo and Nakayama Racecourses. A trio of American-bred runners takes their place in a field of 18 for Sunday's Sprinters' S. at the latter venue as Group 1 racing returns to Japan for the first time since late June: Saturday,...

The once-beaten Lei Papale (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and reigning G1 Tokyo Yushun hero Shahryar (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) each return to begin their autumn preps in Group 2 events Sunday in Japan. Carrot Racing's Lei Papale worked her way through the grades in under-the-radar fashion, missing the 3-year-old filly Classics while running the table in five starts, including a breakthrough success at group level as the lone female in a field of 11 in the G3 Challenge Cup at Hanshin last December. Connections could scarcely have selected a more...

In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this weekend running at Chukyo and Nakayama Racecourses: 1st-CKO, ¥9,680,000 ($87k), Maiden, 2yo, 1400m DUGAT (c, 2, Practical Joke--Untraveled, by Canadian Frontier) faces straight maidens for the first time at career start number three, having finished a good third in allowance company on debut...

In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this weekend running at Chukyo Racecourse: Saturday, September 11, 2021 9th-CKO, ¥28,600,000 ($261k), Allowance, 3yo/up, 1800m SEREIN (f, 4, Uncle Mo--Tiz Miz Sue, by Tiznow), third in the 2020 G3 UAE Oaks, most recently returned from a January layoff to finish a respectable fifth...

In this continuing series, Alan Carasso takes a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this weekend running at Chukyo and Tokyo Racecourses, which stage the first juvenile races of the season on the JRA circuit, featuring the first-crop progeny of former US-based American Patriot (War Front) and Drefong (Gio Ponti) in addition members of the lone crop...

In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for Sunday running at Chukyo Racecourse, including the return of last-out Group 3 winner Shivaji (First Samurai). Over at Tokyo, a field of 17 is set for the world's richest Derby, the G1 Tokyo Yushun, headed by the undefeated Efforia (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}): Sunday, May...

In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Plenty of activity this weekend, so we'll begin with Saturday's runners at Tokyo and Chukyo, where the promising Careerism (Upstart) will try to build on an impressive maiden victory from three weeks ago: 4th-CKO, ¥9,680,000 ($88k), Maiden, 3yo, 1400mT ROARING (f, 3, California Chrome--Warbling, by Unbridled's Song) looks to become the...

In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this weekend running at Chukyo and Tokyo Racecourses. This week's Group 1 feature is the Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks), in which the popular white filly Sodashi (Jpn) (Kurofune) will attempt to protect her perfect five-for-five record while attempting the 2400-meter trip for the first...

In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this Sunday running at Chukyo, Niigata and Tokyo Racecourses. The weekend's feature takes place at headquarters, where champion Gran Alegria (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}--Tapitsfly) figures a firm favorite for the G1 Victoria Mile: Sunday, May 16, 2021 5th-TOK, ¥13,830,000 ($126k), Allowance, 3yo, 1600mT VANISHING...

In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Plenty of U.S.-bred activity, so we begin with Saturday's runners at Chukyo and Tokyo on what shapes up as a potentially productive weekend. Sunday's notable horses will appear in Saturday's TDN: 1st-CKO, ¥9,680,000 ($89k), Maiden, 3yo, 1800m CAREERISM (c, 3, Upstart--Out of Goodbyes, by Out of Place) has run too good...

Danon Co. Ltd.'s Danon Smash (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) makes a much-awaited 6-year-old debut in Sunday's G1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen at Chukyo Racecourse, as he goes in search of a top-level victory on home soil. The son of Spinning Wildcat (Hard Spun), whose sire won this event back in 2013 for trainer Takayuki Yasuda, was only 10th behind the promoted Mozu Superflare (Speightstown) in last year's yielding-turf renewal, but would go on to win a pair of races at group level before finishing second to the outstanding Gran Alegria (Jpn) (Deep...