Tokyo

Mandarin Hero (Jpn) (Shanghai Bobby), a winner of four of five career starts in Japan, will make his next start in the GI Santa Anita Derby Apr. 8 at Santa Anita. Mandarin Hero races on the National Association of Racing (NAR) circuit, comprised of regional tracks predominantly offering dirt racing and widely considered to be a cut below the Japan Racing Association circuit. Mandarin Hero will be the first NAR horse to compete in the U.S., though Marche Lorraine (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}) was a four-time black-type winner at NAR tracks...

With soon-to-be-retired jockey Yuichi Fukunaga at the controls, Perriere (Jpn) (Henny Hughes) came to life entering the final furlong of Sunday's Listed Hyacinth S. at Tokyo Racecourse and proved far too strong for his rivals in picking up 30 points on the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby. Winner of his first two trips to the races, Perriere was made the 11-10 favorite for the Hyacinth in his first start since a third to G3 Saudi Derby hopeful Derma Sotogake (Jpn) (Mind Your Biscuits) in the second leg of the...

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. Click here for our preview of Sunday's first Group 1 of the new year, the February S., featuring US-breds Lemon Pop (Lemon Drop Kid), Shirl's Speight (Speightstown) and Jasper Prince (Violence): Saturday, February 18, 2023 7th-HSN,...

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 Tokyo Racecourse: Saturday, February 11, 2023 2nd-TOK, ¥11,850,000 ($90,463), Newcomers, 3yo, 1400m ERIKA BONITA (f, 3, Justify--Caledonia Road, by Quality Road) is the first foal out of her dam, whose upset victory in the 2017 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies...

From the first time he first set foot on the racetrack in late 2020, Lemon Pop (Lemon Drop Kid) has always hinted at top ability, and the beautifully bred 5-year-old scooped the first major prize of his career with a hard-fought victory in Sunday's G3 Negishi S., a stepping-stone to the G1 February S. in three weeks' time. Away awkwardly from the 13 hole, the $70,000 Keeneland November weanling purchase on behalf of Godolphin improved to race in the second flight of horses about three away from the inside for...

Yakushima (GB), the first and only runner in Japan for his 2022 European, British and Irish Champion Sire, became the sixth stakes winner for Havana Grey with a speedy score in the Listed Crocus S. at Tokyo on Saturday. Third choice in the field at 3-1, the Godolphin colourbearer was part of the early pace discussion and shadowed From Dusk (Bolt d'Oro) and Smooth Velvet (Jpn) (Discreet Cat) through splits of :23.50 for the quarter and :47.30 for the half mile. He remained in shouting distance of the leaders and...

Charles Fipke's Grade I winner and 'TDN Rising Star' Shirl's Speight (Speightstown) will become the first foreign horse to ever run in Japan's G1 February S., Fipke's advisor Sid Fernando confirmed to the TDN Thursday afternoon. Set for Feb. 19, the race is over a mile on the dirt, and trainer Roger Attfield and Fipke are both set to travel to the Tokyo showpiece. "He's going," Fernando said of the 2022 GI Maker's Mark Mile hero. "He's doing well with Roger Attfield down in Florida." The February S. is one...

The first of four legs of the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby, the $220,717 Cattleya S. (allowance), was staged Saturday afternoon over Tokyo's one-turn mile and for the second year in a row, a son of successful young stallion and former U.S. Eclipse Award winner Drefong drew first blood in the series. Drawn one from the outside in afield of 10, Continuar (Jpn) broke alertly, but was ultimately beaten for speed and settled in the second flight of horses while racing three off the inside and with cover down...

In the first 11 runnings of the G1 Longines Japan Cup, foreign raiders were successful no fewer than nine times, with winners from America, Australia, France, Ireland and New Zealand. But not since Alkaased (Kingmambo) defeated Heart's Cry (Jpn) (Sunday Silence) in 2005 for Frankie Dettori and Luca Cumani has any overseas-based galloper managed to land a winning blow. The locals will be favoured to take that current streak to 17 when a full field loads the gate at Tokyo Sunday afternoon, but Europe has strength in numbers--and class--to make...

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. With plenty of interest from an American-bred perspective this weekend, here are the runners for Saturday's programs at Tokyo and Hanshin Racecourses. A pair of juveniles will be features in this space in Sunday's TDN: 4th-TOK, ¥13,400,000 ($96k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1400m GREAT SAND SEA (c, 2, Into Mischief--Game for More, by...

Fresh off a winning debut over this trip at Chukyo versus newcomers on Sept. 24, Obamburumai (Jpn) (Discreet Cat) stunned the G2 Keio Hai Nisai S. field at Tokyo on Saturday, winning by a length at odds of 50-1. Noticeably lathered on his shoulders in the preliminaries, the bay stalked from third along the backstretch as From Dusk (Bolt d'Oro) was pressed by Speed Of Light (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}). Saving every inch of ground against the rail on the bend, he was asked for his bid inside the final...

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 Hanshing Racecourses. Group 1 racing in Japan takes the week off, but four events at Group 2 and Group 3 level are programmed, including the stakes debut of an expensive and promising OBS March acquisition: Saturday, November 5,...