Mitsu Nakauchida

Having given the race a pass in 2022 after taking a thrilling renewal of the G1 Tenno Sho (Autumn), Silk Racing Co. Ltd.'s world's top-rated racehorse Equinox (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) looks to complete that particular double--most recently accomplished by the syndicate's two-time Horse of the Year Almond Eye (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) in 2020--as the warm favourite in Sunday's G1 Japan Cup at Tokyo Racecourse. It has been a meticulously managed preparation for the 4-year-old colt with the broad blaze, as his abilities were on display for all to...

by Jessica Martini & Christie DeBernardis OCALA, FL - With a pair of seven-figure colts leading the way, the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds produced a day of strong bidding Wednesday in Florida. During the session, 177 juveniles grossed $25,829,000 for an average of $145,927 and a median of $80,000. Through two sessions, 347 horses have sold for $48,388,000. The two-day average of $139,447 jumped 36% from last year's corresponding figure, while the median of $75,000 soared up 50%. The cumulative buy-back rate is 19.5%. With the...

Japanese trainer Mitsu Nakauchida went to $1.3 million to secure a colt from the first crop of Mendelssohn (hip 490) from the Scanlon Training and Sales consignment Wednesday at the OBS Spring sale. Out of Grace is Gone (Malibu Moon), the colt was purchased by Dave Scanlon for $235,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Fall Sale. Nakauchida, who had been shut out of previous attempts to buy in Ocala this week, had broken through just before the seven-figure purchase when he acquired a colt by Mendelssohn's half-brother Into Mischief (hip...