Tokyo

American Horse of the Year Bricks And Mortar (Giant's Causeway) sired his first stakes winner when his first-crop son Gonbade Qabus (Jpn) ran out a two-length winner of the G3 Saudi Arabia Royal Cup at Tokyo on Saturday. A winner over this course and distance on his debut in June, the 8-1 chance jumped well and floated back through the field to race at the tail down the backstretch as Reve Genial (Jpn) (Maurice {Jpn}) cut out fractions of :23.30 for the first 400 metres and :46.90 for the half-mile....

Mick Fire (Jpn) (Sinister Minister) came with an irresistible run down the center of the course and drew clear in the final 70 metres to defend his home turf and remain perfect in six starts in Wednesday's Japan Dirt Derby at Oi Racecourse. In defeating 42-1 outsider Kirinji (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) by a decisive 2 1/2 lengths, the bay colt was becoming just the third horse in the last 13 runnings based on the National Association for Racing (NAR) circuit to prevail over the typically more-fancied runners that ship in...

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 Hanshin and Tokyo Racecourses. The weekend's main event takes place Sunday at Hanshin, where the world's top-rated racehorse Equinox (Jpn) returns in the G1 Takarazuka Kinen: Saturday, June 24, 2023 4th-HSN, ¥10,480,000 ($73k), Maiden, 3yo, 1800m TOMODACHI (c, 3, Mendelssohn--Grace...

A deluge of some 270 ml of rain--that's better than 10 inches for those of us less acquainted with the metric system--fell over the Tokyo Racecourse Friday and into early Saturday, leaving the turf course officially soft for the first of the two days of weekend racing. Sunday dawned with perfect weather and by the time the field entered the gates for the G1 Yasuda Kinen, the course had been upgraded to good-to-firm, and that played right into the hands of Sunday Racing's Songline (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}), who came storming...

Having gone excruciatingly close in the last two renewals of the G1 Yasuda Kinen, Sunday Racing's Schnell Meister (Ger) (Kingman {GB}) takes a third crack at Japan's premier spring mile event, a 'Win and You're In' challenge race for the GI FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile at Santa Anita in early November. The bay, one of 10 elite-level winner in the field, defeated Songline (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) in the age-restricted G1 NHK Mile Cup over this course and distance two years ago and was narrowly beaten by champion Gran Alegria (Jpn)...

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 Hanshin Racecourses: Saturday, June 3, 2023 5th-TOK, ¥13,720,000 ($98k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1600mT BUSHIN (c, 2, Into Mischief--Flawless, by Mr. Greeley) is a full-brother to 2020 Horse of the Year Authentic, whose dam was offered two months after the...

Carrot Farm's Tastiera (Jpn) (Satono Crown {Jpn}), who fell victim to a stinging late rush from Sol Oriens (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) in the G1 Satuski Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) Apr. 16, got first run on that favoured foe in the long Tokyo straight and found the wire a neck to the good, dashing any hope for a Triple Crown for 2023. Heart's Concerto (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) was a strong third at longshot odds, but the race was marred by the death of Carrot Farm's second betting choice Skilfing...

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....

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 Sunday running at Kyoto and Tokyo Racecourses: Sunday, May 28, 2023 2nd-KYO, ¥10,480,000 ($75k), Maiden, 3yo, 1800m CHRYSO GRAND CHAT (c, 3, Bolt d'Oro--D'cats Meow, by D'wildcat), whose stakes-placed dam was purchased for $52,000 with this colt in utero out of the 2019...

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 Kyoto, Niigata and Tokyo Racecourses. The 3-year-old Classics resume this Sunday with the running of the G1 Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) at headquarters, led by the very talented Liberty Island (Jpn). Click here for our race preview: Saturday, May 20,...

Some six weeks have passed since Liberty Island (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}) came storming down the centre of the Hanshin turf course from near last to take the G1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) and the daughter of rags-to-riches Australian standout Yankee Rose (Aus) (All American {Aus}) figures a long odds-on selection to add Sunday's G1 Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) to her increasingly imposing resume. The Oaks has proved a favourites' race over the last decade or so. Were she to prove successful in her first go over the metric mile...

10th-Tokyo, Seiryu S. (Allowance), ¥34,530,000 ($253,726), 5-14, 3yo, 1600m, 1:35.8, gd. YUTTITHAM (JPN) (c, 3, Justify--Zipessa {GISW, $783,550}, by City Zip), dropped his career debut to future SW Perriere (Jpn) (Henny Hughes) last August and was a warm item in his 3-year-old debut off victories in his final two starts of 2022 last December. The 9-10 favorite was forwardly placed after an uneventful beginning and sat a handy fourth into the turn. Traveling very nicely in the hands of Yuga Kawada, the athletic chestnut was pulled out into the long...