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The consistent Lugal (Jpn), by the much lamented reigning Japanese Champion Sire Duramente (Jpn), has never contested a Group 1 race, but that is all about to change in Sunday's G1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen at Chukyo over 1200 metres. Bearing the burden of favouritism in this fully subscribed 18-strong affair, the 4-year-old will leave from stall six. Never worse than fourth in his past 10 trips to the post, Lugal ran second in the G3 Keihan Hai to Toshin Macau (Jpn) (Big Arthur {Jpn}) in his sophomore finale in November, with...

by Alan Carasso, Heather Anderson & Adam Houghton With G1 Al Maktoum Challenge winner Kabirkhan (California Chrome) missing from the entries and instead training up to the G1 Dubai World Cup in four weeks, the 'Super Saturday' meeting at Meydan is deprived of one of its star attractions. But a challenging nine-race program awaits, with no fewer than five of the contests offering free passes into the corresponding race on Mar. 30. RRR Racing's Clapton (Brethren) should prove a handful in his second start since finishing down the field in...

A 16-strong field sporting several Group 1 horses will fill the stalls at Tokyo on Sunday for the ¥233,160,000 G1 February S. over the metric mile on dirt. The race is a Breeders' Cup "Win And You're In" qualifier for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar in November. One of the leading fancies is Wilson Tesoro (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}), winless on turf, but a seven-time scorer on the main track from 1500m to 2100m. The three-time listed winner lines up for his 5-year-old bow off of back-to-back...

Three-time stakes winner Home Brew (Street Sense), who races in the colours of Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, is the highest-rated horse in Saturday's AED700,000 G3 Jebel Ali Mile Sponsored by Shadwell. Trained by Michael Costa, who has been enjoying a successful season in the UAE, the 5-year-old entire won the Bourbon Trail S. at Churchill Downs in his final start for breeders Gary and Mary West. He resurfaced in these new colours at Meydan in November, but ran unplaced that day. Saturday is his first start back and...

Friday's AED850,000 G2 Cape Verdi presented by DP World GCC run over 1600 metres on the grass has attracted a field of eight, with a pair of Euro raiders in Mystic Pearl (Fr) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) and Stenton Glider (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}) signed on for trainers William Haggas and Hugo Palmer, respectively. The duo ran one-two in the Listed Coral Distaff S. last year. After her July score over Stenton Glider at Sandown, the then-3-year-old was a close third in the G3 Prix de Lieurey, just two heads behind...

A fully subscribed field of 18 lines up for Sunday's G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies over 1600 metres, and the unbeaten Ascoli Piceno (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}) carries the burden of favouritism for trainer Yoichi Kuroiwa in the ¥125,160,000 contest. Normally based at the Miho Training Centre, her trainer is taking every precaution to give his Sunday Racing-owned filly an edge and shipped the G3 Niigata Nisai S. victress to Ritto in the middle of November to reduce her stress from travel. "Thanks to moving her early, her appetite has stabilized...

Whether or not connections of Via Sistina (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) allow the G1 Pretty Polly S. heroine to run in Friday's G1 Tattersalls Falmouth S. at Newmarket, the elephant in the room is the supplemented Nashwa (GB) (Frankel {GB}) who could just be ready for a reinvention at the July Festival. Not seen at this trip since the 6 1/2-length Haydock novice success that earned her TDN Rising Star status, the apple of Imad Al Sagar's eye has been as far as 12 furlongs when a creditable third in...

With the retirement of both Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) and Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil), Letruska (Super Saver) stands head and shoulders above the older mare division and is currently ranked second behind only Knicks Go (Paynter) among all runners in the country on the latest NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll. She'll look to put her raw brilliance on display over her home track Sunday in Keeneland's GI Juddmonte Spinster S., a "Win and You're In" qualifier for the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff. The powerful 5-year-old bay beat both Monomoy Girl and Swiss Skydiver...

A field of 14 juveniles look to sort themselves out in Sunday's GII Castle & Key Bourbon S. at Keeneland, a "Win and You're In" qualifier for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf. Tiz the Bomb (Hit It a Bomb) is one of two stakes-winning juveniles in the field, following up a spectacular 14 1/4-length off-the-turf maiden special weight at Ellis Park July 2 with a hard-fought score in the Kentucky Downs Juvenile Mile S. Sept. 6. As a $330,000 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky yearling, he remains the highest-priced yearling--by nearly $200,000--by...

Freshly minted Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher sends GI Belmont Oaks Invitational S. runner-up Con Lima (Commissioner) to target the GIII Saratoga Oaks Invitational S., the middle jewel of NYRA's Turf Tiara Series and upgraded in its third edition this year to graded status. At 1 3/16 miles, Sunday's Saratoga Oaks is just a hair shorter than the July 10 Belmont Oaks, in which Con Lima led but yielded in the final strides to Santa Barbara (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), who hailed from the powerful Aidan O'Brien barn with Group 1...

A field of nine maiden special weight winners--eight of them at first asking--line up in search of their first black-type win in the GII Adirondack S. going 6 1/2 panels Sunday at Saratoga. Both Mainstay (Astern {Aus}) and Saucy Lady T (Tonalist) are exiting the July 15 GIII Schuylerville S. over the track, where they finished one-two, respectively, while Ontheonesandtwos (Jimmy Creed) and Wicked Halo (Gun Runner) filled the same spots in the June 26 Debutante S. at Churchill Downs. Morning-line favorite is Deuce Greathouse, Cindy M. Hutson, Madaket Stables...

The Curragh takes centre stage on Sunday, with the G3 Weld Park S. the feature as Angel Palm (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}) bids to put her 2-year-old peers in the shade. Last seen winning by three lengths in a Leopardstown maiden over this seven-furlong trip Aug. 13, Khalid Abdullah's relative of Showcasing (GB) and Camacho (GB) has the look of one of Ger Lyons's burgeoning stars. She meets the Sept. 12 Listed Ingabelle S. No Speak Alexander (Ire) (Shalaa {Ire}), with Ballydoyle's Ingabelle winner Monday (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) a late...