Japanese horse racing

Three Chimneys Farm's GI Belmont S. hero Palace Malice (Curlin) and WinStar Farm's versatile multiple Grade I winner Yoshida (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) are bound for 2024 Japanese stud duty, Darley Japan said in a release late Wednesday. On the heels of the announcement that Adayar (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) and Hukum (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) will stand at Darley in Japan next year, Palace Malice and Yoshida add even more star power as they accrued four Grade I wins and 10 black-type wins between them. Palace Malice was a...

Sunday Racing's group winner Songline (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) was up to the scrutiny on the world stage and delivered the G3 1351 Turf Presented By STC 1351 to Japan by a neck over American hopeful Casa Creed (Jimmy Creed) in Riyadh on Saturday. It was the second win on the night for jockey Christophe Lemaire and the Japanese contingent. The Listed Kobai S. went to Songline last January, and, after an unplaced run in the G1 Japanese 1000 Guineas that April, she improved to second in the G1 NKH Mile...

Sunday's G1 Shuka Sho will mark the first time since February that limited fans will be permitted to attend a Group 1 race in Japan, and it is fitting that it coincides with a fillies' Triple Crown bid by Daring Tact (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}). Daring Tact is unbeaten in four runs including the G1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) over a mile and the G1 Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) at 2400 metres. There is little that appears to be causing fear for connections-she recorded the fastest-ever final three furlongs in...

Racing has been permitted to continue in Japan-albeit under stricter measures--despite Prime Minister Shinzo Abe declaring a state of emergency earlier this week due to a spike in COVID-19 cases in the nation. Japan Racing Association meetings have been held behind closed doors since late February, but there will now be further restrictions put in place. According to Racing Post, jockeys will have to serve their usual pre-race quarantine in isolation rather than in communal quarters, and from Apr. 18 they will not be permitted to ride at more than...

Sunday's G1 February S. marks the return of Group 1 action to Japan, and while the February-one of just two dirt Group 1s in the country-is missing last year's G1 Champions Cup winner and Dirt Horse of the Year Chrysoberyl (Jpn) (Gold Allure {Jpn}), who will fly the flag in Saudi Arabia next weekend, the 1600-metre contest sees Inti (Jpn) (Came Home) look to go back to back in a race that offers automatic entry into the $6-million GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Keeneland on Nov. 7 as part of...

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 Kyoto and Tokyo Racecourses: Saturday, February 15, 2020 3rd-Kyoto, ¥9,680,000 ($88k), Maiden, 3yo, 1400m A SHIN EMBARR (c, 3, Carpe Diem--Ambling, by Chester House), a $270K Keeneland September purchase, turned in a promising debut effort to be second over this...