Deep Bond

It's a childish game but I've long amused myself by seeing how many song titles can be weaved into headlines and this weekend's results provided an open goal for a Neil Young classic, not once but twice.  Two hurricanes blew across Town Moor on Saturday at the opposite ends of the distance spectrum. Hurricane Ivor (Ire) (Ivawood {GB}) is an admirable sprinter who has bounced back from a blistering debut for Fabrice Chappet and subsequent illness that ruled him out of much of his juvenile season. He has been creeping...

Leading Japanese owner Koji Maeda of North Hills is planning a European raid for last weekend's GI Tenno Sho runner-up Deep Bond (Jpn}) (Kizuna {Jpn}). The 4-year-old, who won the GII Hanshin Daishoten in March for trainer Ryuji Okubu, will be campaigned with the G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe as his major target, with the aim of running in the G2 Qatar Prix Foy in the build up. Maeda said, "It was vey brave effort from Deep Bond in the Tenno Sho, which is very tough race. While...

The G1 Tenno Sho (Spring), first run at Hanshin in 1938, was subsequently moved to Kyoto, but returns to Hanshin for the 2021 renewal as Kyoto undergoes extensive renovation this spring. Among this season's likely favorites, Aristoteles (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}) finished runner up behind 2020 Japanese Triple Crown hero Contrail (Jpn) in last fall's G1 Kikura Sho (Japanese St. Leger) before taking the 2,200-meter G2 American Jockey Club Cup at Nakayama Jan. 24. Heavily favored in his latest start in the G2 Hanshin Daishoten over 3,000 meters Mar. 21, the...