Epiphaneia (Jpn)

Runner-up to T O Royal (Jpn) (Leontes {Jpn}) when tackling 3,200 metres in April's G1 Tenno Sho (Spring), Blow The Horn (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}) made full use of his staying power as he ran out an impressive winner of Sunday's G1 Takarazuka Kinen at Kyoto Racecourse, a 'Win and You're In' event for the GI Breeders' Cup Turf. With the victory, he defeated Sol Oriens (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) by two lengths to gain the first Group 1 success of his career. Blow The Horn was dropping back fully 1,000...

A late absentee from last month's G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2,000 Guineas) due to lameness, Danon Decile (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}) gained compensation with an emphatic victory in Sunday's G1 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) at Tokyo Racecourse, the second leg of the Japanese Triple Crown. The 17-strong field featured six of the first seven from the Satuski Sho, including the unbeaten winner Justin Milano (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}), runner-up Cosmo Kuranda (Jpn) (Al Ain {Jpn}) and sixth Regaleira (Jpn) (Suave Richard {Jpn}), who was attempting to become the first filly to win...

In a gutsy bounce back to form after only managing 13th place in the G1 Oka Sho, Cervinia (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}) found redemption in the G1 Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) on Sunday at Tokyo Racecourse when she ran down said Japanese 1,000 Guineas winner Stellenbosch (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}). Having made her debut in June of her juvenile season, Cervinia graduated from the maiden condition at second-asking in August 2023 and claimed her first Group victory two months later in the G3 Artemis S. Slated for the year-end championship-making G1 Hanshin...

In a wild upset of the G1 Victoria Mile on Sunday at Tokyo Racecourse, Ten Happy Rose (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}) rocketed home late to secure her first win at the highest level and an automatic berth into the GI Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf at eye-popping 208-1 odds. Having finished sixth in her most recent appearance on track in the G2 Sankei Sports Hai Hanshin Himba S. Apr. 6 and seventh before that Feb. 17 when trying the G3 Kyoto Himba S., her last time in the...

Stellenbosch (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}) reversed the form with her G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies conqueror, Ascoli Piceno (Jpn) Daiwa Major (Jpn), as she ran out an authoritative winner of Sunday's G1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1,000 Guineas) at Hanshin Racecourse, the first leg of the Japanese Triple Tiara. The hitherto unbeaten Ascoli Piceno was crowned champion Japanese two-year-old filly in 2023, though Stellenbosch didn't have much to find with the favourite on their Hanshin Juvenile Fillies running when she'd finished best of all from the rear of the field to be beaten...

2021 Japanese Horse of the Year Efforia (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}--Katie's Heart {Jpn}, by Heart's Cry {Jpn}) has been retired from racing and will take up stallion duty at Shadai Stallion Station, owner U Carrot Farm announced on their website. The 5-year-old was pulled up in Sunday's G2 Kyoto Kinen with atrial fibrillation, and, although a Monday morning electrocardiogram showed no abnormalities, the decision was made to retire the 2021 Japanese Champion 3-Year-Old Colt. Bred by Northern Farm, the colt won his two juvenile starts for trainer Yuichi Shikato in 2020,...

The Shadai Stallion Stallion roster was headed by Epiphaneia (Jpn) (Symboli Kris S {Jpn}), who will stand for ¥18,000,000 (approx. €123,762--1 JPY=0.00687568€--0.00708US) in 2023. A trio of stallions will stand for ¥12,000,000 (€82,490)-champion and leading sire Kizuna (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), multiple champion and Triple Crown hero Contrail (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and Lord Kanaloa (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}), the sire of Classic-winning filly Almond Eye (Jpn). Rounding out the eight figure sires, Kitasan Black (Jpn) (Black Tide {Jpn}) will command a ¥10,000,000 (€68,736) fee next season. The 2023 fee...

Dual Japanese Horse of the Year Almond Eye (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) delivered her first foal shortly after midnight on Jan. 13, Silk Racing Company Limited announced. The bay foal is a colt by Shadai Stallion Station's Epiphaneia (Jpn). Bred by Northern Farm and raced by Silk Racing, the 7-year-old claimed nine Group 1 victories throughout her career. Ridden all bar one race by Christophe Lemaire and trained by Sakae Kunieda, the bay won the 2018 Japanese Fillies' Triple Crown and G1 Japan Cup. Named the Champion 3-Year-Old Filly and...

Classic winner Efforia (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}), who was claiming his third Group 1 ring, took the lead in the lane and fended off a stubborn Deep Bond (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) to win the G1 Arima Kinen at Nakayama on Sunday. Last year's winner, Chrono Genesis (Jpn) (Bago {Fr}), who was making her final start, was third. The Carrot Farm-owned winner attracted the most votes to gain entry to the race, where the 10 horses that accrue the most votes from the public compete and the field is completed by horses...

Circle of Life (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}) became the third Group 1 winner for her sire in the G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies at Hanshin on Sunday. A third-generation homebred for Masatake Iida of Chiyoda Farm, the bay was also the race's 4-1 number three pick and likely sewed up 2021 Japanese Champion Juvenile Filly honours. Near the tail of the field as Dark Page (Jpn) (Dark Angel {Ire}) zipped through a solid half-mile in :46.40, she began to make up ground with 1000 metres remaining. Camped six deep as the field...

Following more Classic success, this time with his son Efforia (Jpn) in 2021, Epiphaneia (Jpn) (Symboli Kris S)'s fee has increased to ¥18,000,000 (£117,174/€139,172/$156,021), tops of the Shadai Stallion Station 2022 roster. The 11-year-old also celebrated group winners Aristoteles (Jpn) and Circle of Life (Jpn). Lord Kanaloa (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}), the sire of Japanese Horse of the Year Almond Eye (Jpn), remains at ¥15,000,000. Kizuna (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn})'s fee has been raised to ¥12,000,000 on the back of 11 2021 black-type winners including G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup...

In what would become the battle of the favorites, Efforia (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}) proved best on the day, winning Sunday's G1 Tenno Sho Autumn at Tokyo. With the victory in the 2000-meter test, the colt became the first 3-year-old to win the race since Symboli Kris S won the event in 2002. Sent off as the third betting choice, Efforia settled in a comfortable sixth early as longshot Kaiser Minoru (Jpn) led the way while second choice Gran Alegria (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and an overly-eager Tosu Surya (Jpn) (Lohengrin)...