Brave Smash Tops Stablemate in Futurity Stakes
Japanese-bred runners finished 1-2 in the Italktravel Futurity Stakes (G1) at Caulfield in Melbourne, one of a trio of top-level events on the day's program.
Bob Kieckhefer
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Local Favorite Turns Back Global Field in Emir's Trophy
Local favorite The Blue Eye (GB) swept by pacesetting American invader Money Multiplier in the stretch of the H. H. the Emir's Trophy (G1) Feb. 24 at Al Rayyan Racecourse in Doha to win the event for the second time in three years.
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Old and New to Clash in Pair of Hong Kong Group 1s
The Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup (G1), at 2,000 meters (about 10 furlongs), drew a field of nine including 2016 Hong Kong Horse of the Year Werther (NZ). The card also features the Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup (G1).
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Money Multiplier Sharp for Emir's Trophy
The $1 million H.H. The Emir's Trophy, Presented by Longines, a group 1 in Qatar, has attracted an international field for the Feb. 24 renewal at Al Rayyan Racecourse in Doha—a group locals see as formidable.
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South African Stars Brighten Dubai Carnival Card
Some of South Africa's brightest recent exports are prominent on the two featured races Feb. 22 at Meydan as the Dubai World Cup Carnival rolls along.
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Nonkono Yume Upsets Gold Dream in February Stakes
Nonkono Yume and Gold Dream both missed the break in the February Stakes (G1) Feb. 18 at Tokyo Racecourse but, after a furious stretch run, it was Nonkono Yume a neck in front of the favored Gold Dream at the finish.
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Sumahama Earns Japan's Spot in the KY Derby
Sumahama scored his third straight win in the Hyacinth Stakes Feb. 18 at Tokyo Racecourse and earned first dibs on Japan's spot in the May 5 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1).
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Kentucky Derby Slot on Line in Tokyo's Hyacinth Stakes
The Hyacinth Stakes at Tokyo Racecourse Feb. 18 is the third and final leg of the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby and Ruggero (JPN) has the inside track to get the guaranteed slot in the Run for the Roses.
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Gold Dream Heads February Stakes
Japan's best dirt horse of 2017, Gold Dream (JPN), returns to action for his specialty in the Feb. 18 February Stakes (G1), a Breeders' Cup Challenge event that offers a guaranteed spot in the Nov. 3 Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) at Churchill Downs.
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Gold Town Has Sterling Run in UAE Two Thousand Guineas
Godolphin unleashed another budding star in the UAE Two Thousand Guineas Sponsored by Al Tayer Motors (G3) Feb. 15 at Meydan, as Gold Town kicked away from the field in the stretch to win by 10 1/2 lengths.
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Street Cry Colt Prominent in UAE Two Thousand Guineas
Gold Town (GB), a Street Cry colt running in Godolphin blue, will stretch out to a mile for the first time in the UAE Two Thousand Guineas Sponsored by Al Tayer Motors Feb. 15 at Meydan.
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Hartnell Wins C.F. Orr, Sets Sights on Winx
Hartnell (GB) has never defeated Winx (AUS) in seven tries but, after his victory in the Ladbrokes C.F. Orr Stakes (G1) at Caulfield Feb. 10, his trainer thinks the planets may be aligned for the eighth time to be the charm.
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Siblings Lead 'Home' Team During Dubai Carnival
Group 1 winner Thunder Snow (IRE) and his half sister Winter Lightning (IRE) produced a double victory for the Godolphin "home team" Feb. 8 at Meydan Racecourse.
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Hartnell, Black Heart Bart Face Off in C. F. Orr
A month of top-class racing in Melbourne will get a flying start Feb. 10, with the likes of Hartnell and Black Heart Bart in a field of 14 for the Ladbrokes C. F. Orr Stakes (G1) at Caulfield.
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'Thunder' and 'Lightning' Highlight Dubai Carnival Card
The Al Maktoum Challenge Round II (G2), featuring Thunder Snow (IRE), Heavy Metal (GB), and Second Summer, is the marquee race as the 2018 Dubai World Cup Carnival hits the midway point Feb. 8 at Meydan Racecourse.
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Stronach Group Considers Changes to Gulfstream Facility
The Stronach Group is studying improvements and expansion plans designed to keep the $16 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1) at Gulfstream Park.
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Oh Susanna Bests Elders to Take Sun Met
Youth was served in the Sun Met Celebrated with G.H. Mumm (G1) at Kenilworth Jan. 27, as Oh Susanna, the only 3-year-old and the only filly in the 18-horse field, prevailed by a half-length.
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South African Stars Line Up for Sun Met
Many of South Africa's established stars will line up alongside a few aiming to shoulder them aside in the Sun Met Celebrated with G.H. Mumm (G1) Jan. 27 at Kenilworth.
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Global Sprint Challenge Suspended for 2018
The Global Sprint Challenge has been suspended for 2018 because of recently imposed restrictions on horse movement between Australia, where the series was to start with the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes (G1) Feb. 17, and Hong Kong.
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Time Flyer Arrives in Hopeful Stakes at Nakayama
Time Flyer emerged from the back of the field and into the picture for next year's Japanese classics with a sweeping victory in the Hopeful Stakes (G1) Dec. 28 at Nakayama Racecourse.
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Kitten's Joy Colt Gendarme in Japan's Hopeful Stakes
The final grade 1 event of the Japanese season, the Hopeful Stakes at Nakayama Dec. 28, is a 2,000-meter test for 2-year-old prospects for the 2018 Classics that has attracted Gendarme, by Kitten's Joy; and Lucas, a full brother to Maurice.
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Kitasan Black Goes Out a Winner in Arima Kinen
In the final start of his stellar career, Kitasan Black (JPN) led from the first strides, was in control all the way, and won the Arima Kinen (G1) by a comfortable 1 1/2 lengths Dec. 24 to the delight of a roaring Nakayama Racecourse crowd.
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Kitasan Black Swan Song in Arima Kinen
In the final start of his career, six-time grade 1 winner Kitasan Black will try to land one of Japan's top prizes: the grade 1 Arima Kinen (Grand Prix), Dec. 24 at Nakayama.
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Danon Premium Wins Asahi Hai Futurity
Danon Premium (JPN) remained undefeated with a dominating, 3 1/2-length victory in the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes (G1) Dec. 17 at Hanshin Racecourse.
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Le Vent Se Leve Earns Derby Points in Japan
Le Vent Se Leve won the second leg of the "Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby," the Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun, Dec. 13 at Kawasaki, earning 10 points toward a potential start in the 2018 Run for the Roses.
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Lucky Lilac Takes Hanshin Juvenile Fillies
Lucky Lilac (JPN) circled the leaders into the stretch run in the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies (G1) Dec. 10, grabbed the lead and held off Lily Noble (JPN) by three-quarters of a length, giving her sire, Orfevre (JPN), his first grade 1 winner.
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Hong Kong Runners Dominate HK International Races
Time Warp (GB) capped a stunning day for the local team in the Longines Hong Kong International Races Dec. 10 at Sha Tin, leading all the way to an easy victory in the Longines Hong Kong Cup (G1).
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Highland Reel Goes Out a Winner in Hong Kong Vase
Making the final start of his globetrotting career, Highland Reel reversed the order of finish from the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T) a month earlier, defeating Talismanic in the Longines Hong Kong Vase (G1) Dec. 10 at Sha Tin by 1 3/4 lengths.
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HKJC to Host Racing on Chinese Mainland in 2019
The Hong Kong Jockey Club plans to stage "showcase racing carnivals" starting in 2019 at its new training center at Conghua on the Chinese Mainland, HKJC CEO Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges said Dec. 7.
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Fields Set for Longines Hong Kong International Races
Top-level winners from around the globe are set to contest four Longines Hong Kong International Races Dec. 10 at Sha Tin, with foreign horses looking especially strong in this year's renewal.
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Purton Claims International Jockeys Championship
Zac Purton, representing Hong Kong, claimed the Longines International Jockeys Championship title for the first time courtesy of two wins in the first and third legs of the series.
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Cheval Grand Reels in Kitasan Black in Japan Cup
Cheval Grand (JPN) reeled in defending champion Kitasan Black (JPN) with 100 meters to go and ran on to win the Japan Cup in association with Longines (G1) at Tokyo Racecourse Nov. 26.
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Ruggero Takes Cattleya Sho at Tokyo
Ruggero, a grandson of Sunday Silence, won the first of three races comprising the "Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby" Nov. 25 at Tokyo Racecourse and his trainer says he could be a candidate for the first Saturday in May in Louisville.
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Strong Lineup of Shippers Await Japan's Top Runners
Japan's finest will face an unusually strong lineup of foreign rivals in the Japan Cup in association with Longines (G1) Nov. 26 at Tokyo Racecourse.
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Persian Knight Lands Mile Championship
Persian Knight rallied from far back in an 18-horse field to win the Mile Championship (G1) Nov. 19 at Kyoto Racecourse, catching Air Spinel in the final jump to win by a nose.
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Mile Championship: Japan's Year-End Honors Up For Grabs
Japan's Autumn Festival of group 1 events centers on Kyoto Nov. 19, where a rather wide-open field tackles the Mile Championship with year-end honors on the line.
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Mozu Katchan Captures Queen Elizabeth II at Kyoto
Facing older rivals for the first time, Mozu Katchan caught Crocosmia in the final jumps to take the Queen Elizabeth II Cup (G1) by a neck Nov. 12 at Kyoto Racecourse.
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Redzel Rolls Again in Darley Classic
Redzel followed up his victory in the TAB Everest Stakes by taking command early in the Darley Classic (G1) at Flemington Nov. 11 and holding off longshot Terravista for his sixth straight win.
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Illinois Horsemen Sue State for $11M in Purse Money
Illinois horsemen, after failing to get traction with lawmakers during the recently concluded legislative session, are suing to force the state to pay some $11 million directly to purse accounts.
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Queens Ring Back to Defend Her QEII Cup Title
A month-long extravaganza of Japanese Group 1 races begins with a full field set for the Queen Elizabeth II Cup for fillies and mares Nov. 12 at Kyoto.
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Ace High Trumps Rivals in Victoria Derby
Ace High went to the post a solid favorite in the AAMI Victoria Derby at Flemington Nov. 4 and, despite some early concerns, justified his backers' faith, winning by two lengths with an impressive show of stamina.
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Four Top-Level Races Highlight Flemington Card
Australians eagerly awaiting the Melbourne Cup (G1), "The Race That Stops a Nation," will start coasting to the standstill with four enticing group 1 events on the Nov. 4 Victoria Derby Day card at Flemington.
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Saint-Cloud Cancels Card due to Protest
The Oct. 29 race meeting at Saint-Cloud, including a pair of group 1 juvenile events featuring prominent cross-Channel runners, was abandoned after the first race because of a protest over cuts in funding.
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Kitasan Black Holds on to Win Tenno Sho Autumn
Kitasan Black held off a determined rally by Satono Crown to eke out a narrow victory in the grade 1 Tenno Sho (Autumn) Oct. 29 on a rainy day at Tokyo Racecourse.
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Saxon Warrior Denies Roaring Lion in Racing Post Trophy
Saxon Warrior battled back to slay a menacing Roaring Lion in the final yards of the Racing Post Trophy (G1) Oct. 28 at Doncaster, giving trainer Aiden O'Brien his record 26th top-level win of the year.
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O'Brien Abundance Spills Over Into France
The impressive depth of the Aidan O'Brien stable will be on display this weekend when the trainer, who is enjoying a memorable year even by his high standards, unleashes a promising group of juveniles first at Doncaster then Oct. 29 in France.
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O'Brien Pair Among Racing Post Trophy Favorites
Irish trainer Adian O'Brien has two of the favorites for the final group 1 race of the English flat season, the Oct. 28 Racing Post Trophy for 2-year-olds at Doncaster—a key early steppingstone to the Investec Derby (G1).
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Kitasan Black Faces Tough Field in Tenno Sho (Autumn)
Japan's reigning Horse of the Year, Kitasan Black (JPN), starts his race toward retirement in the Tenno Sho (Autumn) (G1) at Tokyo Racecourse Oct. 29—a 2,000-meter test where all but a handful of the nominees also are winners of graded stakes.
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Kiseki Lands Japanese St. Leger
Kiseki overcame a downpour from an approaching typhoon, soft turf, and 17 rivals to land his first top-level win in the Kikuka Sho (G1) or Japanese St. Leger Oct. 22 at Kyoto Racecourse.
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Ice Breeze Denies Vazirabad in Prix Royal-Oak
Ice Breeze held on gamely through the final 200 meters in the Oct. 22 Prix Royal-Oak (G1) at Saint-Cloud, turning back Vazirabad's bid to land the race for an unprecedented third straight year.
