Gran Aplauso

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 Hanshin and Fukushima Racecourses. Group 1 racing in Japan returns next weekend with the stayers center stage in the Tenno Sho (Spring) over two miles, but this Sunday's action sees the return of a pair of very exciting American-bred gallopers...

5th-Sapporo, ¥13,400,000 ($121,612), Newcomers, 2yo, 1200mT, 1:09.5, gd. GRAN APLAUSO (c, 2, Gun Runner--Fiducia {SW & GSP-Jpn, $1,425,976}, by Medaglia d'Oro) became the fourth winner for his freshman sire (by Candy Ride {Arg}) and his first on the turf with a smooth success on career debut. Drawn widest in a field of 16, the homebred raced deep on the course, but tugged his way up into second entering the turn. Poised to strike at the quarter pole, he was roused to the front outside the 200-meter mark and kept on...

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 Hanshin and Sapporo Racecourses, including the first Japanese runner for Horse of the Year Gun Runner: Saturday, June 19, 2021 11th-HSN, Yonago S.-Listed, ¥47.6m ($432k), 3yo/up, 1600mT The progressive LOTUS LAND (f, 4, Point of Entry--Little Miss Muffet, by Scat...