Tokyo

In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this weekend running at Tokyo and Fukushima Racecourses: Saturday, April 20, 2024 6th-TOK, ¥14,880,000 ($96k), Allowance, 3yo, 1600m ASSURBANIPAL (c, 3, Arrogate--Georgie's Angel, by Bellamy Road) makes a much-anticipated return to the races, having graduated at first asking over this course and distance back...

With the cream of the Japanese dirt crop readying for next weekend's G1 Saudi Cup, Sunday's G1 February S. presented a golden opportunity for gallopers perhaps just a cut below the very best to shine, with a trip to the GI Breeders' Cup Classic on the line. When the dust had settled, the majority of the market leaders faltered and it was the unheralded Peptide Nile (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}) that proved the chief beneficiary at boxcar odds. Away cleanly from stall nine, Peptide Nile raced prominently through the early...

Koji Maeda, whose homebred Lani (Tapit) finished ninth to Nyquist in the 2016 GI Kentucky Derby, could have another Classics contender on his hand after Ramjet (Jpn) (Majestic Warrior) turned on the afterburners in the final 300 meters to post a convincing victory in Sunday's Listed Hyacinth S. at Tokyo Racecourse. Having earned 30 Derby points as a result, the dark bay now leads the Japanese series with one race remaining. Clearly last away from the stalls, Ramjet had only one rival behind as he came under a ride at...

A field of 11--ten males and a single American-bred filly--head to the post for Sunday's $243,343 Listed Hyacinth S. going a one-turn 1600 meters at Tokyo Racecourse. The race serves as the third of four legs on the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby and will award the winner 30 points towards a berth in the field at Churchill Downs on the first Saturday in May. Sheikh Mohammed's worldwide Godolphin operation won the 2022 Hyacinth with their homebred Combustion (Jpn) (Discreet Cat) and is represented Sunday afternoon by that colt's...

In this continuing series, Alan Carasso takes a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this weekend running at Kyoto and Tokyo Racecourses. Group 1 racing returns to Japan this weekend with Sunday's running of the G1 February S., whose defending champion Lemon Pop (Lemon Drop Kid) swerves the race in favor of next weekend's G1 Saudi Cup....

Sunday Racing's Queen's Walk (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) rallied to victory in the 1600-metre G3 Daily Hai Queen Cup in Tokyo on Saturday. She was just a neck to the good of Epiphaneia (Jpn)'s Arsenaal (Jpn). Stranded widest of all when breaking from gate 13, the filly soon perched well off the inside third from the rear as Morino Red Star (Jpn) (Declaration Of War) set a solid pace on the front end through an opening quarter in :23.80 and a half-mile in :47.10. Sweeping out into the centre of the...

In this continuing series, Alan Carasso takes a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this Saturday running at Kyoto and Tokyo Racecourses: Saturday, February 3, 2024 4th-KYO, ¥11,850,000 ($81k), Newcomers, 3yo, 1800m AIR SAMSARA (c, 3, Nyquist--Yuzuru, by Medaglia d'Oro) is the latest to the races out of this stakes-winning dam, whose daughter Yuugiri (Shackleford) pieced together...

In this continuing series, Alan Carasso takes a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this weekend running at Tokyo Racecourse: Saturday, January 27, 2024 4th-TOK, ¥14,880,000 ($101k), Allowance, 3yo, 1600m SONIC STAR (c, 3, Into Mischief--Carolina Bertie, by Speightstown), a $300,000 Keeneland September purchase by Katsumi Yoshida, was a handy winner of his 1800-meter debut at Hanshin...

At no time has the issue of welfare within the horseracing industry been more of an important topic, and that includes what happens to horses beyond their racing careers. Encouragingly, there is much work being done around the world to ensure that retired racehorses are homed and utilised in a range of ways, from being companion horses through to competing at the highest level in other disciplines.  With a leaning towards the latter option, the Japan Racing Association (JRA) hosted a clinic with leading event rider Boyd Martin in the...

For the third time in the last six years, the colours of Silk Racing Co. Ltd. were carried to victory in the G1 Japan Cup, this time by the world's top-rated racehorse Equinox (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) following the dual success of Almond Eye (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) as a 3-year-old in 2018 and again two years later. It was a sixth Group 1 tally on the trot for the beautifully conformed son of the 2016 Japan Cup hero and Group 3 winner Chateau Blanche (Jpn) (King Halo {Jpn}), just...

Carrying the recognizable colors of Silk Racing and leading jockey Christophe Lemaire--the same pairing that will be represented by Equinox (Jpn) in Sunday's G1 Japan Cup--the white 2-year-old colt Amante Bianco (Jpn) (Henny Hughes) found clear sailing two furlongs from home and ran out a 3/4-length winner of Saturday's $206,819 Cattleya S. at Tokyo Racecourse. The 1600-meter allowance is the first leg on the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby, and the winner earned 10 points towards a start in the Run for the Roses. Amante Bianco, a debut winner...

A field of 16 horses--14 colts and a pair of 2-year-old fillies--will head to the gate for Saturday's $206,819 Cattleya S., a 1600-meter allowance test going a single left-handed turn at Tokyo Racecourse that serves as the first of four legs on the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby. Trainer Tetsuya Kimura, who will tighten the girth around favored Equinox (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) in Sunday's G1 Japan Cup, sends out American-bred Sonic Star (Into Mischief). Bred in Kentucky by Nancy Shuford, the dark bay was a $300,000 Keeneland September...