Sunday Racing

Sunday Racing's Mitilini (Jpn) (f, 3, Tapit--Midnight Bisou, by Midnight Lute) came with a sustained run from from far back to graduate in her first try going two turns on the dirt in Saturday's opening race over 1700 meters at Kokura Racecourse. Once second from two tries going 1400 meters on turf to begin her career, the Feb. 24 foal never landed a blow when trying the dirt for the first time going that same distance Nov. 16. Despite being ridden for a bit of early speed from a double-digit...

Tickets for Kentucky Derby Week and the entire Spring Meet at Churchill Downs Racetrack are set to go on sale Thursday at noon with an added day of racing to celebrate this year's Derby Week. For the first time since 2010, Churchill Downs will return its meet opener and kickoff to Derby Week to the afternoon rather than running at night under the lights as was the case from 2011-25, the track announced Wednesday. Post time for Opening Day powered by LG&E and KU will be Saturday, April 25, at...

International superstar Forever Young has been named the Japanese Horse of the Year after the selection committee for the 2025 Japan Racing Association (JRA) Awards met on Tuesday. The son of Real Steel is the first dirt horse to be honoured with the Horse of the Year award. Racing in the silks of Susumu Fujita, he was also honoured as the Japanese Best Older Male and Japanese Best Dirt Horse. During 2025, Forever Young prevailed in an epic showdown with Hong Kong Horse of the Year Romantic Warrior (Acclamation) in the...

Museum Mile eased the pain of last year's agonising defeat for jockey Cristian Demuro when producing an irresistible late burst to win Sunday's Arima Kinen, the fan-voted 'Grand Prix' of Japan. Returning to Nakayama, the scene of his Classic victory in April's Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2,000 Guineas), Museum Mile was settled towards the rear of the 16-strong field in the early stages. Shadowing Danon Decile (Epiphaneia) for much of the race, the son of Leontes swung wide around the final two corners and began to pick off his rivals one...

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 Racecourse: Saturday, December 27, 2025 6th-HSN, ¥14,250,000 ($91k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1800m AMERICAN CALL (JPN) (c, 2, American Pharoah--Evening Call, by Tapit) is the second foal to the races for his dam, a $385,000 purchase by Katsumi Yoshida at the...

Two-time Japanese Horse of the Year Gentildonna has died at the age of 16. The news was announced by Sunday Racing, who raced the daughter of Deep Impact throughout her 19-start career. Bred by Northern Racing, and trained by Sei Ishizaka, the bay won at two and would go on to become the fourth Triple Tiara winner at three, as well as champion sophomore filly and Horse of the Year. After winning her first G1 Japan Cup in 2012, she ran second in the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic in 2013...

Last year's Arima Kinen heroine Regaleira returned to winning ways in Sunday's Queen Elizabeth II Cup at Kyoto, justifying short odds with the minimum of fuss to register the third top-level success of her career. Trained by Tetsuya Kimura for owners Sunday Racing, Regaleira and jockey Keita Tosaki travelled wide in mid-division through the early stages of this 2,200-metre contest and still had plenty of ground to make up on long-time leader Erika Express (Epiphaneia) as the 16 runners entered the home straight. Paradis Reine (Kizuna), who finished one place...

After losing his unbeaten record when second in April's G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas), Croix Du Nord was on something of a recovery mission, and he delivered when it counted, running out a three-quarter length winner of the G1 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) on Sunday. Masquerade Ball (Duramente), third in the Satsuki Sho, charged home second, 1 1/2 lengths to the good of Shohei (Saturnalia). The betting public felt the 2400 metres of the G1 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) was well within the son of Kitasan Black's scope, and...

Ascoli Piceno made a triumphant return to Japan after her international exploits when coming out on top in a blanket finish to Sunday's Victoria Mile at Tokyo. The Group 1 is a 'Win and You're In' for the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf. At the line the first four were separated by just half a length, with race favourite Ascoli Piceno ultimately getting the verdict by a neck, having made her supporters sweat when still at the rear of the field entering the straight, before flashing home to...

The Sunday Racing silks were carried to a famous one-two at Nakayama on Sunday, but not in the order expected as Museum Mile (Jpn) (Leontes {Jpn}) toppled the unbeaten Croix du Nord (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) to claim the first leg of the Japanese Triple Crown, the G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2,000 Guineas). It was a blistering performance from Museum Mile as he lowered the course record for the 2,000-metre distance at Nakayama in a time of 1:57.00, passing the post with a length and a half to spare over...

Croix Du Nord (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) maintained his unbeaten record with a two-length victory in the G1 Hopeful Stakes at Nakayama on Saturday. The heavy 4-5 favourite defeated Giovanni (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}), who was 1 1/4 lengths to the good of 302-1 longshot Faust Rasen (Jpn) (Mozu Ascot). Fairly keen through the first turn, the dark bay settled in seventh behind Jun Asahi Sora (Jpn) (Isla Bonita {Jpn}) and Jet Magnum (Jpn) (Henry Barows {Jpn}), who battled through fractions of :23.70, :48.70, and 1:13.40. Swooping up into third entering...

Regaleira (Jpn) (Suave Richard {Jpn}) became the first three-year-old filly to win the G1 Arima Kinen for 64 years as she led home a one-two for owners Sunday Racing, narrowly getting the better of Shahryar (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) after a pulsating duel the length of the Nakayama straight. The fifth betting choice to double her Group 1 tally in the Arima Kinen, the fan-voted 'Grand Prix' of Japan, Regaleira was winless since her victory in the G1 Hopeful Stakes, also at Nakayama, in December last year. Without the services...