Chukyo

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 Saturday running at Chukyo. Also of note in Japan over the weekend is a debuting Deep Impact (Jpn) colt out of GI Kentucky Oaks winner Princess of Sylmar, while the weekend's action at group level features the progressive Potager (Jpn) (Deep Impact {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 Chukyo and Nakayama Racecourses: Saturday, January 15, 2022 4th-CKO, ¥11,400,000 ($100k), Newcomers, 3yo, 1400m ELUCIDATOR (c, 3, Hard Spun--Empire City {Jpn}, by Empire Maker) is out of an unraced half-sister to the outstanding dual Group 1-winning Japanese dirt horse Espoir...

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 and Monday running at Chukyo and Nakayama Racecourses, with a pair of newly turned 3-year-old fillies taking a step up into Group 3 competition off maiden-breaking victories: Sunday, January 9, 2022 3rd-CKO, ¥9,900,000 ($86k), Maiden, 3yo, 1900m THE KING (JPN) (c, 3,...

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. The first weekend of racing for the new year takes place at Chukyo and Nakayama, featuring a pair of Group 3 tests over a mile for newly turned 3-year-olds and each featuring one American-bred. Those horses will appear in Saturday's TDN, in the meantime, here are the runners of interest for...

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 Wednesday's first JRA meetings of 2022 at Chukyo and Nakayama Racecourses: Wednesday, January 5, 2022 4th-NKY, ¥11,400,000 ($99k), Newcomers, 3yo, 1800m WONDERFUL HEAVEN (f, 3, Hard Spun--Couture Cat, by Storm Cat), a half-sister to SP High Fashion Diva (Girolamo), is out of a winning...

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 Chukyo, Nakayama and Hanshin Racecourses. With the season winding down, this year's 2-year-old crop get their crack at Group 1 glory beginning with this weekend's Hanshin Juvenile Fillies. The boys get their chance in next Sunday's Asahi Hai Futurity: Saturday,...

Favoured to become the first Group 1 winner for his sire in the G1 Champions Cup, T O Keynes (Jpn) (Sinister Minister) followed the money and crossed the wire six lengths to the good of 2020 winner and Japanese Champion Dirt Horse Chuwa Wizard (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}) at Chukyo on Sunday. Priced at 2-1, the 4-year-old colt rated kindly in sixth as Group 1-winning white mare Sodashi (Jpn) (Kurofune {Jpn}), making her dirt bow, opened up to lead past the winning post and into the first turn. Positions were...

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 Nakayama and Chukyo Racecourses. American-bred Cafe Pharoah and the American-sired Danon Pharaoh (Jpn) are among a field of 16 for Sunday's G1 Champions Cup at Chukyo, a group led by the rail-drawn 3-year-old filly Sodashi (Jpn) (Kurofune). Click here for...

The world's best-known--not to mention most-talented--white Thoroughbred, Sodashi (Jpn) (Kurofune) gets a different sort of test when she tries the dirt for the first time in Sunday's G1 Champions Cup (ex Japan Cup Dirt) at Chukyo Racecourse, a race won in scintillating fashion by her sire 20 years ago. Named the champion of her generation when capping a perfect freshman campaign in the G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies last December, Sodashi resumed with a victory in the G1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) over the metric mile Apr. 11, but did...

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 Chukyo and Nakayama Racecourses. A trio of American-bred runners takes their place in a field of 18 for Sunday's Sprinters' S. at the latter venue as Group 1 racing returns to Japan for the first time since late June: Saturday,...

The once-beaten Lei Papale (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and reigning G1 Tokyo Yushun hero Shahryar (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) each return to begin their autumn preps in Group 2 events Sunday in Japan. Carrot Racing's Lei Papale worked her way through the grades in under-the-radar fashion, missing the 3-year-old filly Classics while running the table in five starts, including a breakthrough success at group level as the lone female in a field of 11 in the G3 Challenge Cup at Hanshin last December. Connections could scarcely have selected a more...

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 Chukyo and Nakayama Racecourses: 1st-CKO, ¥9,680,000 ($87k), Maiden, 2yo, 1400m DUGAT (c, 2, Practical Joke--Untraveled, by Canadian Frontier) faces straight maidens for the first time at career start number three, having finished a good third in allowance company on debut...