Ryusei Sakai

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...

Race favourite Lemon Pop (Lemon Drop Kid) ran out a determined winner of Sunday's G1 Champions Cup at Chukyo Racecourse to become the first horse to defend the title for over a decade. It was the perfect way to bow out for Lemon Drop, who now retires to Darley Japan as the winner of 13 of his 18 career starts, with his other notable victories including the G1 February Stakes in 2023 when he was crowned the JRA Best Dirt Horse. The 16-strong field also included the latest winner of...

Making his first start in his home country since last December and racing for the first time since finishing a tough-luck third to Mystik Dan (Goldencents) and his family relation 'TDN Rising Star' Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) in the GI Kentucky Derby, Susumu Fujita's Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}) cemented his status as one of the favorites for the Nov. 2 GI Breeders' Cup Classic with a tough victory in the $817,292 Listed Japan Dirt Classic at Ohi Racecourse Wednesday evening. Sent off the $1.70 (7-10) favorite despite the...

Japan's top two older dirt horses, Ushba Tesoro (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}) and Derma Sotogake (Jpn) (Mind Your Biscuits), were on trial for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic last Wednesday, finishing second and fifth, respectively, in the Listed Nippon TV Hai at Funabashi Race Track. The country's most-accomplished 3-year-old is Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}), who preps for a likely appearance at Del Mar in just over four weeks' time in Wednesday's final leg of the Japanese dirt Triple Crown, the $828,597 Listed Japan Dirt Classic at Ohi Racecourse. A...

Tyler Gaffalione has been fined $2,500 for his ride aboard Sierra Leone in Saturday's Kentucky Derby "for touching a rival with his left hand", according to a ruling issued by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC) Friday. Gaffalione's agent Matt Muzikar declined to comment on the ruling and said that Gaffalione has also decided to not comment on the situation. "After a hearing before the board of stewards, Tyler Gaffalione is hereby fined $2,500 for touching a rival with his left hand nearing the finish line while aboard Sierra Leone...

Veni, vidi, vici. He came, he saw, he conquered. Like Julius Caesar, Susumu Fujita's Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}--Forever Darling, by Congrats) came prepared for battle and lived up to the hype, stamping himself as a potential superstar and giving Japan a third consecutive victory--and fourth since 2016--in the $1-million G2 UAE Derby at Meydan Racecourse on Dubai World Cup Day. The pacesetter Auto Bahn (Arg) (Asiatic Boy {Arg}) held second, while the sole U.S. representative, Pandagate (Arrogate), was third. The UAE Derby offers GI Kentucky Derby points on...

Mad Cool (Jpn) (Dark Angel {Ire}--Mad About You {Ire}, by Indian Ridge {Ire}) climbed the Group 1 heights with a head victory in the 1200-metre ¥329,400,000 G1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen at Chukyo on Sunday. Namura Clair (Jpn) (Mikki Isle {Jpn}) was runner-up for the second consecutive year, with the duo three lengths ahead of Hong Kong raider and G1 Centenary Sprint Cup scorer Victor The Winner (Aus) (Toronado {Ire}) in third. It was a dogfight for pacesetting duties between Mad Cool and Victor The Winner from the bell, with the former...

Godolphin's Lemon Pop (Lemon Drop Kid) has been the best dirt horse in Japan this year at distances up to a mile, but the 5-year-old faces a stamina-stretching test from a horrible draw when he faces 14 others in Sunday's G1 Champions Cup (1800m) at Chukyo Racecourse. A $70,000 Keeneland November weanling purchase, the chestnut won the G3 Negishi S. over 1400 metres at Toyko in January and silenced those who questioned his ability to stay an extra furlong when running out a comfortable winner of the G1 February S....

The GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile is one of three options for Godolphin's Lemon Pop (Lemon Drop Kid) following a barnstorming gate-to-wire victory in Monday's $823,000 Listed Mile Championship Nambu Hai at Morioka Racecourse on the National Association of Racing circuit in Japan. Having already secured a Breeders' Cup berth courtesy of his biggest win to date in the G1 February S. at Tokyo this past February, the 5-year-old was having his first run since finishing an outpaced 10th, beaten six lengths, in the G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen over six...

Had the distance for the G3 1351 Turf Sprint Presented By STC been set just a few metres longer, Casa Creed (Jimmy Creed) may well have been recording his second victory in the race for Bill Mott on Saturday, but it was the front-running Bathrat Leon (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) who clung on from the fast-finishing runner-up to open the floodgates for the Japanese raiders on Saudi Cup night. Trained by Yoshito Yahagi, who would go on to win the Saudi Cup with Panthalassa (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}), Bathrat Leon was...

Stepping up to the top level for the first time in what has already been a productive career, Godolphin's Lemon Pop (Lemon Drop Kid) ran a strong 1600 metres and comfortably held a final-furlong rally from the classy Red le Zele (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) to land Sunday's February S. at Tokyo Racecourse. A fourth consecutive American-bred winner of the 'Win and You're In' qualifier for the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic, Lemon Pop will remain over shorter trips and holds an invitation to the G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen in...

Japanese trainer Yoshito Yahagi has had quite the year on the international stage and his next target is this Saturday's G1 Darley July Cup with King Hermes (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}). The 3-year-old colt, winner of the GII Keio Hai Nisai S. last season, arrived in Newmarket on June 24 with his stablemate Bathrat Leon (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}), who is set to run in the G1 Qatar Sussex S. at Goodwood. King Hermes got his first taste of the July Course on Tuesday morning when working five furlongs under jockey...