Hideyuki Mori

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 and Sapporo Racecourses: Saturday, August 14, 2021 9th-KOK, ¥30,720,000 ($278k), Allowance, 2yo, 1200mT DUGAT (c, 2, Practical Joke--Untraveled, by Canadian Frontier) takes on winners in this first trip to the races. The Mar. 31 foal is the first produce...

Japan's France Go de Ina (Will Take Charge) put in his final breeze for Saturday's GI Belmont S. Wednesday, going five furlongs over Big Sandy in 1:02.62 (5/9). Under exercise rider Masaki Takano, he hit the track, clocking splits of :13.12, :25.78 and :49.23. Trainer Hideyuki Mori was on site to watch his charge, who was last seen finishing seventh in the GI Preakness S. "He moved really well. We were really happy with the work this morning," Mori said through translator Kate Hunter. "The extra time between this race...

Yuji Inaida's France Go de Ina (Will Take Charge) visited Belmont's main track for the first time Friday to begin preparations for a start in the June 5 GI Belmont S. Trained by Hideyuki Mori said the Kentucky-bred was settling in well to his new surroundings after arriving at Belmont last Monday following his seventh-place finish in the GI Preakness S. "It's been 15 years since I've been here," said the 62-year-old with a laugh Saturday morning on the Belmont backstretch via translator Kate Hunter.  "I forgot how big it...

Classic hero Rombauer (Twirling Candy), who races for John and Diane Fradkin, shipped in to Belmont Park around 10 a.m. Monday ahead of an intended start in the June 5 $1.5-million GI Belmont S. presented by NYRA Bets. The colt earned a 102 Beyer for his GI Preakness S. heroics at Pimlico Saturday for trainer Michael McCarthy. He will be stabled with trainer Jonathan Thomas. Groom Leonel Orantes Aguilar reported that Rombauer had vanned to New York "very well". "It seems like he's in good physical shape," McCarthy said, who...

Japan-based GI Preakness S. contender France Go de Ina (Will Take Charge) arrived at Pimlico Race Course Saturday night. The chestnut colt, trained by Hideyuki Mori, is set to become the first horse from Japan to compete in the Preakness since Lani in 2016 and the first Japanese horse to compete in a Triple Crown race since Master Fencer ran in the 2019 GI Belmont S. He arrived in California Wednesday to quarantine, left California Saturday afternoon and made a stop in Newark, N.J. before arriving in Baltimore and Pimlico...

A filly from the first crop of multiple Grade I winner Practical Joke (hip 311) shot to the leader board at OBS when selling for $750,000 to Hideyuki Mori Wednesday in Ocala. Consigned by Top Line Sales, the bay filly is out of Peruvian champion Valiant Emilia (Per) (Pegasus Wind) and is from the family of recent GII Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby winner Helium (Ironicus). The bay filly, who RNA'd for $65,000 as a Keeneland November weanling, sold for $120,000 to Down the Stretch at the 2020 Keeneland September...

by Alan Carasso Making his first afternoon appearance on the dirt at career start number seven, Pink Kamehameha (Jpn) (Leontes {Jpn}) provided his home country and trainer Hideyuki Mori with a second victory in as many runnings in the Al Rajhi Bank Saudi Derby at King Abdulaziz Racecourse Saturday. Cowan (Kantharos) made up a stack of ground after blowing the break to just miss and won a photo for second from New Treasure (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}). Full Flat (Speightstown) won for Japan last year. When entries were taken Saturday,...