Kawasaki

In the last two years in particular, the $468,241 Listed Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun--the second of four legs on the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby--has been won by horses that went on to become significant players on the world stage. The 2022 renewal was taken by Derma Sotogake (Jpn) (Mind Your Biscuits), subsequent winner of the G2 UAE Derby, a participant in the 2023 GI Kentucky Derby and cracking second in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic at season's end. Last year's running was won by Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel...

With one Japanese raid on America just completed, another looks set for the fall, as Awesome Result (Justify) will be pointed towards the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff at Del Mar in November after making virtually all the running in Wednesday's Listed Empress Hai at Kawasaki Racecourse. The victory, the first black-type success for the 4-year-old filly, takes her record to a perfect six-from-six. Contested over 2100 metres (about a mile and five-sixteenths), Awesome Result bounced well from gate 10 beneath Yutaka Take and was initially taken in hand to sit...

Real Steel (Jpn) gave the theretofore relatively unknown Yoshito Yahagi a first victory on foreign soil when taking out the G1 Dubai Turf at Meydan in 2016. There has been a stack of overseas success since then--including Real Steel's full-sister Loves Only You (Jpn) in America and Hong Kong--and Susumu Fujita's Forever Young (Jpn) stands an excellent chance to add to the colorful conditioner's record following a smashing victory in the Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun at Kawasaki, 20 miles south of Central Tokyo. Drawn widest in a field of 12, the...

Jockey Fuma Matsuwaka conjured up one final late surge from third favorite Derma Sotogake (Jpn) (Mind Your Biscuits) and was up on the wire to take out Wednesday's Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun at Kawasaki Racecourse, earning 20 points to go to the head of the class on the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby. Settled in mid-division and well off the inside for the run up the backstretch, the chestnut still had several lengths to find as 6-5 favorite Perriere (Jpn) (Henny Hughes) went for home. The latter began to look...

Breaking quickly from post 11 in Wednesday's Zennihon Nisai Yushun at Kawasaki, the second leg in Japan's Road to the Derby, Alain Barows (Jpn) (Henny Hughes) sped to the front, easing his way over to the rail as the field raced into the first turn. Building a comfortable advantage over his rivals down the backstretch, the bay continued to run freely heading into the final turn. Well clear of Ranryo-Oh at the head of the stretch, Alain Barows rolled home a commanding five-length winner over Ranryo-Oh, who outpaced Luce d'Oro....