Copano Kicking

Coolmore America's Mendelssohn, a son of the much-missed sire of sires Scat Daddy, was represented by his first Japanese winner and 16th overall from his first crop when the 2-year-old filly Celadonite (Jpn) turned in a professional debut effort over 1400 meters on the dirt Saturday at Chukyo Racecourse. Drawn widest in a field of 10 in a rare sex-restricted event for first-time starters, the early April foal jumped alertly and was part of the early mix, then eased back to sit a midfield trip in the clear while racing...

Godolphin jockey William Buick, who was slated to ride the Jan. 21 G2 Al Fahidi Fort hero Naval Crown (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the G3 1351 Turf Sprint on the Saturday of the Saudi Cup meeting, has tested positive for Covid and will be off his mounts in Riyadh on Saturday. Also due to ride Siskany (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the G3 Longines Red Sea Turf H., Noble Truth (Fr) (Kingman {GB}) in the G3 Saudi Derby and Copano Kicking (Spring At Last) in the G3 Riyadh Cup Sprint, Buick...

In the fall of 2018, Torie and Jimbo Gladwell, owners of the Ocala-based Top Line Sales, welcomed into their training program a colt by Curlin out of the stakes-winning Marion Ravenwood (A.P. Indy). Some 2 1/2 years later, the bay colt--now named Idol--is a Grade I winner, having flown home down the center of the track to take out the prestigious Santa Anita H. Mar. 6. The victory was the second leg of a unique triple for Top Line graduates over the last few weeks. Idol was bred by Len...

by Alan Carasso One of three Japanese raiders, Copano Kicking (Spring At Last) came with a stinging final-furlong rally in Saturday's Saudi Arabian Airlines Riyadh Dirt Sprint and was up on the wire to defeat Matera Sky (Speightstown), who dropped a similarly gut-wrenching decision to New York Central (Tapit) in the inaugural running of the event in 2020. The locally based Faz Zae (KSA) (Mizzen Mast) finished best of the rest. The fleet-footed Matera Sky jumped straight into the bridle from gate one and led along the inside, as recent...

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 Kokura, Kyoto and Tokyo Racecourses, the latter of which hosts the G3 Negishi S. and has attracted its defending champion Copano Kicking (Spring At Last) and G1SW Mozu Ascot (Frankel {GB}) making his dirt debut: Saturday, February 1, 2020 2nd-KYO,...