Kitasan Black

HOKKAIDO, Japan--In the bloodstock world, the battle for succession does not come down to unseemly squabbles in the boardroom. What matters first is what happens on the track, and even when all goes right there, success in the breeding shed is far from guaranteed. Smallish in stature but a Goliath in influence and reputation, the Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Northern Dancer gave the European breeding industry many stars including, crucially, Sadler's Wells, whose line holds strong predominantly through Galileo (Ire) and his heir apparent, Frankel (GB). Northern Dancer also...

Equinox (Jpn) was fractionally unlucky to not reel in Do Deuce (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) in the 2022 G1 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby), falling just a neck short after sustaining a long rally from near the end of the field. The flashy colt got the last laugh when named Japan's Horse of the Year, and his sire Kitasan Black (Jpn) has every chance to sire the quinella in this year's renewal at the Fuchu Racecourse Sunday afternoon. The two runners may be more closely matched than it appears on paper....

We are poised midway between Japan's Oaks (Yushun Himba), which took place last Sunday, and Derby (Tokyo Yushun) this coming Sunday. What is not in doubt in the country that has led the way at so many international meetings in recent years, is that those two races over 2,400m are still very much targeted and revered by owners and breeders. In Japan, there is no shortage of horses bred specifically for that distance, or further.  In any country, it takes a special horse to win the Triple Crown. For the...

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...

A formidable trio exiting this year's Japanese Triple Crown returns to the races in Sunday's G1 Tenno Sho (Autumn) at Tokyo Racecourse, but while each makes his first start since the G1 Tokyo Yushun in late May, the flashy Jack d'Or (Jpn) (Maurice {Jpn}) may have a slight advantage over his younger rivals--at least this time around. The recognizable chestnut, whose sire took this race back in 2016, made meteoric progress early on this season, winning in listed company over course and distance in January before besting the classy Lei...

The death of Deep Impact (Jpn) in July 2019 may have robbed Japan, and the wider breeding industry, of a phenomenally successful stallion but his dominance persists for now, with a tenth Japanese sires' championship going his way in 2021.  The most prolific son of Sunday Silence, who was just 17 when he died a few months after covering a final book of 24 mares, has held the title consecutively since 2012, the year in which his eldest runners were 4-year-olds. He had hit the ground running as the champion...