Danon Pharaoh

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...

Omega Perfume (Jpn) (Swept Overboard), arguably the best Japanese dirt horse not named Chrysoberyl (Jpn) (Gold Allure {Jpn}), has drawn nicely in gate seven of 16 as he goes for a third consecutive victory in Tuesday's G1 Tokyo Daishoten, the final top-level event for 2020 and the lone race at group level held on the National Association of Racing (NAR) circuit. The 5-year-old gray defeated Nonkono Yume (Jpn) (Twining) by a length in defence of his title 12 months ago and won the G3 Keian Hai at Kyoto first off...

The bettors had it right--well, in a sense. They pounded the previously undefeated Cafe Pharoah (American Pharoah) into 1-10 favoritism for Wednesday's Japan Dirt Derby, but Danon Pharaoh (Jpn) (American Pharoah) had other ideas, as he put away pacesetting Daimei Corrida (Jpn) (Eskendereya) in the final 150 meters en route to a 1 3/4-length success. Kitano Octopus (Jpn) (Fenomeno {Jpn}) rounded out a longshot trifecta that returned better than 7,700-1. The victory was worth 40 points on the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby. Daimei Corrida jumped alertly from his...

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 Kyoto, Niigata and Tokyo Racecourses. The latter venue hosts the G1 Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) Sunday, and while there are no US-bred runners, among the field of 18 are daughters of GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies heroine Ria Antonia (Rockport...

Nakayama Racecourse played host to the $320,629 Fukuryu S. Saturday, an allowance race that serves as the fourth and final scheduled leg on the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby. With the Run for the Roses delayed to early September, there could be more Japanese points races to follow, but with his 26-1 upset in the 1800-meter test, Herrschaft (Will Take Charge) earned 40 points and--at least for the time being--the Japanese berth in the starting gate at Churchill Downs. Away fairly from gate two, Herrschaft led them under the...

American-conceived Danon Pharaoh (Jpn) (American Pharoah {Jpn}) has drawn the widest gate in a field of 13 for Saturday's ¥34.6 million ($320,253) Fukuryu S. (allowance) at Nakayama Racecourse, the final of four scheduled points race on the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby. A debut second to the talented Dieu du Vin (Jpn) (Declaration of War), the son of 2010 GI Santa Anita Oaks victress Crisp (El Corredor) was a sound fifth to that rival in the first leg of the series, the Nov. 23 Cattleya Sho (allowance) at Tokyo....