Through the Lens: Mares in Japan 2012

Fellow racing photographer and journalist Kate Hunter has the rare privilege of seeing some of the best horses, including mares and foals, from around the world.

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Around the Globe: Yoshida's 'Jewel Box'

Tucked away on a quiet corner of Shadai Farm on Japan's island of Hokkaido is a broodmare barn known as "Terry's Jewel Box."

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Broadway's Alibi Makes It Look Easy in Comely

Just as she did in her last start, E. Paul Robsham's homebred Broadway's Alibi went wire-to-wire, this time scoring by 3 1/2 lengths in the $250,000 Comely (gr. III) and perhaps punched her ticket to the May 4 Kentucky Oaks.

Don't Forget Gil Retired; In FT Mixed Sale

Don't Forget Gil, a graded stakes winner, has been retired from racing and has been entered in the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky fall mixed sale.

Seattle Smooth Seeks Shuvee Repeat in Return

Grade I winner Seattle Smooth, idle since last June, returns to action in the $150,000 Shuvee Handicap (gr. II) at Belmont Park May 15, a race she won last year as the odds-on favorite.

Touching Beauty Wins Not-So-Pretty Comely

Touching Beauty won a roughly run $100,000 Comely Stakes (gr. III) when odds-on choice She'll Be Doggone nearly went down after being shut off at the rail near mid-stretch at Aqueduct April 10.

She'll Be Doggone Heads Comely Field of Eight

She'll Be Doggone, unbeaten in her two starts, bids for her first stakes win April 10 as the 5-2 morning line favorite in the $100,000 Comely Stakes (gr. III) at Aqueduct.

Bambera Adds International Flavor to Rampart

Venezuelan star Bambera, who is expected to take on undefeated Zenyatta in the Apple Blossom Invitational next month, adds intrigue to the field of eight selected for the $150,000 Rampart Stakes (gr. III) at Gulfstream Park.

Athenia: Belle Allure Due for U.S. Stakes Win

Ronchalon Stable's Irish-bred Belle Allure looks for her first U.S. stakes win in the $100,000 Athenia (gr. IIIT) Oct. 21 going 1 1/16 miles over the Belmont Park turf course. Originally carded for Oct. 17, the race was moved when inclement weather forced racing off the grass in New York this weekend.

Gozzip Girl Battles Maram in Garden City

Gozzip Girl, freshened since her smashing win in the American Oaks (gr. IT) at Hollywood Park more than two months ago, returns to Belmont Park Sept. 12 as the filly to beat in the $300,000 Garden City Stakes (gr. IT).

THS: Del Mar Oaks (Video)

Jason, Evan, and James Scully of twinspires.com preview the Del Mar Oaks (gr. IT). Plus picks for the Alabama (gr. I).

Alabama: No 'Rachel,' But Still a Solid Field

There are two ways to look at the field for the $600,000 Alabama (gr. I): It could be a disappointment that the nation's top 3-year-old filly, Rachel Alexandra, is not included in the field. Or, a more optimistic view would be that many of the talented fillies entered for the prestigious race are only there because Rachel Alexandra is not in the field.

Funny Moon Picks 'em All Up in Coaching Club

Funny Moon came charging down the lane under Alan Garcia and outran a host of rivals in deep stretch to win the $300,000 Coaching Club American Oaks (gr. I) at Belmont Park July 25. It was the first graded stakes victory for the 3-year-old daughter of Malibu Moon.

Hightap Looking For More in Coaching Club

Hightap, a winner of consecutive graded stakes for Steve Asmussen, will take on seven 3-year-old filly rivals in the $300,000 Coaching Club American Oaks (gr. I) July 25 at Belmont Park.

Boiling Springs: 8 Seek First Graded Stakes

Dell Ridge Farm's Bluegrass Princess, third in her two graded stakes starts this season, may be in prime position to pick up her first black-type victory when facing seven rivals in the $150,000 Boiling Springs Stakes (gr. IIIT) June 27 on the Monmouth Park turf.

'Rachel' Faces Only Four in Mother Goose

Rachel Alexandra, who when last seen was making history by winning the May 16 BlackBerry Preakness (gr. I), will make her return to the racetrack in the $300,000 Mother Goose (gr. I) June 27 at Belmont Park. The Horse of the Year candidate will face only four rivals in the nine-furlong test for 3-year-old fillies.

'Rachel' Could Get Stiff Test in Mother Goose

Rachel Alexandra will make her first start since her historic Preakness (gr. I) victory June 27 at Belmont Park, but her presence in the $300,000 Mother Goose (gr. I) isn't scaring everyone away.

Justwhistledixie Seeks Grade I Win in Acorn

On a five-race win streak, Justwhistledixie doesn't figure to run into anyone like Rachel Alexandra in the one-mile Acorn, a $300,000 event that drew eight other 3-year-old fillies.

IEAH-Owned Laragh Wires Edgewood

Laragh, the only graded winner in the May 1 Edgewood Stakes, won the race in wire-to-wire fashion over favored Magical Affair.

Eight Belles Stakes Draws a Field of 10

A field of 10 was drawn for the $100,000 Eight Belles Stakes (gr. III) to be held on May 2 at Churchill Downs, a race for 3-year-old fillies renamed for last year's ill-fated Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) runner-up.

Laragh Returns to Turf in Edgewood

IEAH Stables and partners' Laragh tired to finish fifth in her 3-year-old debut last month, but the classy daughter of Tapit still has a big edge over the other 11 fillies in the $100,000 Edgewood Stakes on May 1 at Churchill Downs.

Dream Play Wires Comely On Sloppy Track

Favored Dream Play, left alone on the lead, exploded away from the field at the top of the lane under Eddie Castro to collect her first graded stakes win in the $147,000 Comely (gr. II) at sloppy Aqueduct April 11.

Grade I Winner Laragh Makes Season Debut

Laragh, who captured the Hollywood Starlet (gr. I) in December, makes her 3-year-old debut in the $150,000 Comely Stakes (gr. II) at one mile on the Aqueduct main track April 11.

Justwhistledixie On Top of Future Wager

The powerhouse duo of champion Stardom Bound and Rachel Alexandra figured to be the top stories in the only pool of Churchill Downs' Kentucky Oaks Future Wager of 2009, but it was rising star Justwhistledixie who stole the show and ended up as the favorite over that duo as four days of Oaks Future betting drew to a close Sunday evening.

Heart Ashley Zips to Cicada Victory

Zayat Stable's Heart Ashley took the lead out of the gate and never looked back as the 3-year-old daughter of Lion Heart ran away with the $107,300 Cicada Stakes (gr. III) at Aqueduct Racetrack on March 14.