Japan

From the first time he first set foot on the racetrack in late 2020, Lemon Pop (Lemon Drop Kid) has always hinted at top ability, and the beautifully bred 5-year-old scooped the first major prize of his career with a hard-fought victory in Sunday's G3 Negishi S., a stepping-stone to the G1 February S. in three weeks' time. Away awkwardly from the 13 hole, the $70,000 Keeneland November weanling purchase on behalf of Godolphin improved to race in the second flight of horses about three away from the inside for...

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 Chukyo and Tokyo Racecourses. Sunday's headliner at headquarters is the G3 Negishi S. over 1400 meters, the local lead-up into the G1 February S. going a mile on Feb. 19. The talented Lemon Pop (Lemon Drop Kid) leads a four-pronged...

Just days after his son Equinox (Jpn) was named both champion of his generation and Horse of the Year in Japan, Kitasan Black (Jpn) could well have another player on this year's Classics trail in the form of Sol Oriens (Jpn), who took his record to two-from-two with a convincing victory in Sunday's G3 Keisei Hai at Nakayama. The slight second choice in the wagering behind Seven Magician (Jpn) (Just a Way {Jpn}), the Shadai homebred was void of early speed and raced with about three rivals behind into the...

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 Chukyo and Nakayama Racecourses, including the first foal from a big-figure Keeneland November purchase: Saturday, January 14, 2023 4th-CKO, ¥11,850,000, Newcomers, 3yo, 1400m LA LA BELLEVILLE (f, 3, Union Rags--Divine Praises, by Medaglia d'Oro) is the latest to make the...

Grade I winner Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow--Indian Miss, by Indian Charlie) will stand at Shadai Stallion Station in Japan beginning in 2023. The GI Pennsylvania Derby hero and half-brother to Eclipse Champion Sprinter Mitole (Eskendereya) will stand for ¥2,000,000. Eisuke Tokutake of Shadai Stallion Station said, "Hot Rod Charlie has only one [Grade I] win, but he is running steadily, and his pedigree background is a stallion that is definitely a Japan stallion [in the making] with a champion sprinter as his half-brother, [Mitole]." Purchased for $17,000 as a short...

To a degree, when it comes to the Japanese sires' championship of 2022, one could resort to that old saying 'the more things change, the more they stay the same'. It holds good for now, as in the last three years the names filling the top three spots in the list have remained the same, in an unchanged order: Deep Impact (Jpn), Lord Kanaloa (Jpn), and Heart's Cry (Jpn). But all things change eventually and, as we know, two of those stallions are no longer active, with Deep Impact gaining...

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 Saturday running at Chukyo and Nakayama Racecourses: Saturday, January 7, 2023 3rd-NKY, ¥11,850,000, Newcomers, 3yo, 1200m HARDWIRED (c, 3, Hard Spun--Season Maker, by Pioneerof the Nile) is the first foal out of an unplaced daughter of the late French SW & MGSP Season's...

6th-Hanshin, ¥14,250,000 ($106,284), Allowance, 2yo, 1800m, 1:53.9, ft. YUTTITHAM (JPN) (c, 2, Justify--Zipessa {GISW, $783,550}, by City Zip) improved for a debut second at Sapporo Aug. 27 to graduate by eight lengths when last seen over this course and distance Dec. 3 and was a warm item to put them back-to-back in this seasonal finale. Beaten for speed, the flashy chestnut was content to punch the breeze three wide and was poised to strike from the position as they neared the straight. Asked for his best by premiership-winning jockey Yuga...

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 Wednesday running at Hanshin Racecourse, featuring a pair of first-crop runners by Justify. The final day of the JRA calendar for 2022 also includes the G1 Hopeful S. for 2-year-olds at Nakayama. Read our preview here: Wednesday, December 28, 2022 1st-HSN, ¥9,900,000, Maiden, 2yo,...

Five years after his sire clinched a second consecutive Horse of the Year title in Japan with a victory in the G1 Arima Kinen, Equinox (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) stated his case for top year-end honours for 2022 with a dominating display in front of a pandemic-restricted, but boisterous crowd of roughly 47,000 fans Christmas Day at Nakayama Racecourse. The firming 13-10 favourite in the fan-voted affair, Equinox left without incident from gate nine and landed in midfield on the back of defending champion and reigning Horse of the Year...

Sunday's G1 Arima Kinen offers fans of international racing the ultimate Christmas gift, as a field of 16--largely selected by the public--will face the starter in one of the world's most valuable Group 1 races not held in a desert environment. Titleholder (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}) was the leading votegetter and looks to atone for his speed-and-fade 11th-place effort in that boggy-ground renewal of the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at ParisLongchamp Oct. 2. He'd earned the right to contest Europe's weight-for-age championship, having defeated fellow Arc runner Deep Bond...

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 Saturday running at Nakayama Racecourse. The highlight of the weekend and one of the year's main events, the G1 Arima Kinen (Grand Prix) has attracted most every top galloper in Japan. Tune in Sunday morning at 1:40 a.m. ET if still setting out...