While the scratch of Epicharis (JPN) impacted the amount of money wagered, the Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets (G1) June 10 at Belmont Park still became the first United States classic simulcast into Japan.
Total handle for the Belmont Stakes day card June 10 at Belmont Park was down 5.8% to $93,666,832 although handle for the three-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival increased 1.6% to $124,740,193.
Epicharis, who traveled from Japan to contest the Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets (G1), was a vet scratch the morning of the race June 10, after he failed to train several days in a row at Belmont Park.
Martin Panza pioneered recruiting Japanese horses to the American Oaks at Hollywood Park last decade, and he's doing the same thing at NYRA as Epicharis follows Lani as a Belmont Stakes entrant
Japanese-bred colt covered five furlongs in 1:06, but ran the last three in :37 on the Belmont Park training track.
Carrot Farm's Japanese-bred multiple stakes winner Epicharis arrived at Belmont Park June 1 ahead of his North American debut in the $1.5 million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets (G1) June 10.
Hong Kong horsemen have not been shy about targeting rich races elsewhere in Asia and the June 4 Yasuda Kinen (G1) at Tokyo Racecourse is no exception.
Carrot Farm's UAE Derby Sponsored by the Saeed & Mohammed Al Naboodah Group (G2) runner-up Epicharis is one step closer to his bid in the Belmont Stakes (G1) June 10, as he emerged from a May 24 breeze in good order and entered isolation in Japan.
Soul Stirring solidified her place among the top fillies in Japan after taking the grade 1 Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) for 3-year-old fillies May 21 at Hanshin Race Course while also giving her sire his first classic winner.
Churchill Downs Inc. officials say they'll try again next year to get a Japanese horse in the starting gate for the Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands (G1)—with hopes to add to the international draw and revenues of its signature event.
Sent off as the favorite, Fan Dii Na was unable to maintain the lead she briefly gained while Al Ain prevailed by a neck over Persian Knight in the 2,000 meter (almost 1 1/4-mile) event at Nakayama Racecourse April 16.
Katsumi Yoshida's 4-year-old Gold Dream held off Best Warrior by a neck to win the one-mile, February Stakes (G1) Feb. 19 at Tokyo Racecourse.
The bay filly, bred by trainer Mike Ferraro and Blue Star Stable, was born at Waldorf Farm
The New York Racing Association has announced a $1 million bonus to any Japan-based Thoroughbred who competes in and wins the 149th running of the $1.5 million Belmont Stakes (G1) June 10 at Belmont Park.
Soul Stirring solidified her place atop Japanese racing with a 1 1/4-length score in the Dec. 11 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies (Jpn-I) and became her sire's first grade I winner.
Nuovo Record made a triumphant Del Mar debut Nov. 24 with an exciting nose victory over even-money favorite Arles in the featured $100,000 Red Carpet Handicap (gr. IIIT).
In front of a huge Tokyo crowd, Japan's 2015 Horse of the Year Maurice surged to a clear victory over Dubai Turf Sponsored by DP World (UAE-I) winner Real Steel in the Oct. 29 Autumn Tenno Sho (The Emperor's Cup, Jpn-I).
The 13-year-old son of Forestry has sired nine graded stakes winners.
Coming into her own over the summer, Vivlos struck for a classic victory Oct. 16 when taking the Shuka Sho (Jpn-I), the third jewel in Japan's Triple Crown for fillies, at Kyoto.
Creator, the 3-year-old colt by Tapit who won the 2016 Belmont Stakes (gr. I) and Arkansas Derby (gr. I), has been sold by WinStar Farm and Bobby Flay to the Japan Bloodhorse Breeders' Association.
Tokyo Horseracing Co.'s Red Falx ran down pacesetter Mikki Isle late for a narrow win in the Sprinters Stakes (Jpn-I) at Nayakama.
Sunday Silence has more than $21 million in '16 progeny earnings
Last week, it was reported that King Glorious had died in Japan at the age of 30, having been pensioned since 2010 due to declining fertility.
King Glorious, a California-bred multiple grade I winner and successful sire, passed away at the age of 30 in Japan, Kate Hunter of Paca Paca Farms shared via Twitter July 2.
The Breeders' Cup and the Japan Racing Association announced the addition of three Japanese group I races to the 2016 Breeders' Cup Challenge series schedule.
U. Carrot Farm's Marialite upstaged heavy favorite Duramente and became just the third female to capture the Japan Racing Association's spring all-star race, the Takarazuka Kinen (Jpn-I), June 26 at Hanshin Racecourse.
I'll Have Another, a United States champion and classic winner who stands in Japan, gained his first winner June 25 when Un Autre won his debut at Tokyo Racecourse.
Lani will become the latest Belmont Stakes (gr. I) runner with ties to Japan after Sunday Break ran third in 2002 and Casino Drive loomed large before scratching in 2008.
U.S. champion and dual classic winner I'll Have Another will have his highly anticipated first starters June 5 in Japan, where he launched his stallion career in 2013 at Big Red Farm.
Third choice Makahiki bested a strong field of 3-year-olds in the Tokyo Yushun (Jpn-I, Japanese Derby) to claim his first top-level win by a nose May 29 at Tokyo Racecourse.
Japan Racing Horse Association sale will be July 11-12
Sinhalite wins her first grade I in the Japanese Oaks
Yutaka Take has a robust resume bursting at the seams, which should be considered when examining his impact on the Kentucky Derby (gr. I) this year.
Keeneland, Santa Anita, Aqueduct, Woodbine, Oaklawn Park, Japan, Australia & More
Japan's UAE Derby (UAE-II) winner Lani arrived at Churchill Downs April 3 following a 5 1/2-hour van ride from Chicago and was bedded down in Barn 17.
A son of first-crop sire The Factor, who previewed with a furlong work in :09 4/5, brought $460,000 to top the Barretts select 2-year-old sale at Del Mar March 30.
Dubai, Fair Grounds, Japan, Santa Anita, Oaklawn Park, Australia, Laurel Park & More view slideshow
Dubai, Fair Grounds, Japan, Santa Anita, Oaklawn Park, Australia, Laurel Park & More
Gulfstream Park, Santa Anita, Sunland, Turf Paradise, Japan, Australia & More
Timber Country, the champion 2-year-old male of 1994 and 1995 Preakness Stakes (gr. I) winner who went on to a successful stallion career in Japan, died Feb. 24 at Lex Stud in Hokkaido at age 24.
Fair Grounds, Santa Anita Park, Turf Paradise, Japan, Australia, Turfway Park & More
Moanin, a New York-bred son of Henny Hughes, unleashed a quick turn of foot at the top of the stretch and continued his momentum for a 1 1/4-length victory in the February Stakes (Jpn-I) at Tokyo Racecourse Feb. 21.
The Japan Racing Association has suspended jockey Luis Contreras for the use of the painkiller oxycodone, according to a Feb. 11 report from Sports Hochi.
Gov. Brereton Jones' Lovely Maria, winner of the 2015 Longines Kentucky Oaks (gr. I), has been sold to Japanese interests, it was confirmed by Jones son, Bret.
Pensioned stallion Fuji Kiseki, sire of a number of good runners in Japan and elsewhere, including four champions, has died at the age of 23 at Shadai Farm.
A Deep Impact half brother to 2011 U.S. champion 3-year-old male and Central Kentucky stallion Animal Kingdom won his Dec. 27 debut at Nayakama Racecourse in Japan in the day's fourth race.
Favored Gold Ship was upstaged in his career finale Dec. 27 when lightly regarded Gold Actor captured his first group I race and capped a four-race win streak in the Arima Kinen (Jpn-I) at Nakayama Racecourse.
Fair Grounds, Los Alamitos, Gulfstream Park, Japan, Sunland, Zia Park & More! view slideshow
Fair Grounds, Los Alamitos, Gulfstream Park, Japan, Sunland, Zia Park & More
Race favorite Major Emblem stamped herself Japan's champion 2-year-old filly of 2015 in capturing the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies (Jpn-I) Dec. 13 at Hanshin Racecourse.
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