Exclusive Topics for Horse Racing in Japan– Summer Edition –August 2024
The Japan Racing Association

While the overseas efforts by Japanese contenders in the first half of this season ended without asingle G1 title, they did manage six runner-up finishes in Saudi Arabia, UAE and Hong Kongcombined, as well as notable performances by Forever Young (JPN, C3, by Real Steel) and T O
Password (JPN, C3, by Copano Rickey) in the Kentucky Derby (G1, dirt, 2,000m), a U.S. Triple
Crown race, in which the former finished third and the lightly favored latter came in fifth.
Forever Young was undefeated in five starts since his two-yearold debut, including this year’s Saudi Derby (G3, dirt, 1,600m) andthe UAE Derby (G2, dirt, 1,900m), earning himself an invitation
to the Kentucky Derby. In the race, the Real Steel colt, despite aslow break and a loss of ground from circling wide into thehomestretch, closed in on the leader with a powerful drive.
Although he was bumped on the outside by the eventual runner-up
Forever Young,winner of 2024 UAE Derby
to finish a nose-and-nose third, it was a significant improvement
over Japan’s previous best in the race, sixth, but also a frustrating missed opportunity as the colt cameso close to winning. Forever Young is expected to resume racing after a break upon his return to Japan.
He will kick off his fall campaign with the Japan Dirt Classic (Listed, dirt, 2,000m) on October 2 before
returning to the USA for the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1, dirt, 2,000m) at Del Mar on November 2.
Ushba Tesoro (JPN, H7, by Orfevre), who last year won theDubai World Cup (G1, dirt, 2,000m), was fifth in the Breeders’ Cup
Classic at Santa Anita Park and won his second consecutive Tokyo
Daishoten (G1, dirt, 2,000m), kicked off his seven-year-old
campaign this year in the Saudi Cup (G1, dirt, 1,800m), where hecharged from behind in the homestretch to overtake the leader in the
Ushba Tesoro,
last strides, only to be beaten by a head on the outside by thewinner of 2023 Dubai World Cup
eventual winner. The son of Orfevre also showed great effort frombehind in a bid to defend his title in the following Dubai World Cup, but the bay had too much groundto catch the winner, who was far ahead of the field, and finished second by 8-1/2 lengths.

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Derma Sotogake (JPN, C4, by Mind Your Biscuits), who won
the 2023 UAE Derby and capped off his three-year-old season with
an impressive runner-up effort by a length in the Breeders’ Cup
Classic, kicked off the 2024 season in the Saudi Cup, where hefailed to sustain his bid in the last 200 meters and dropped fromthird to fifth. In the following Dubai World Cup, a last-minute rider
Derma Sotogake
winner of 2023 UAE Derbychange was required when Christophe Lemaire was injured in afall. Under Oisin Murphy, the colt stood on his hind legs inside the starting stall and did not racesmoothly, disappointing to sixth. Both Derma Sotogake and Ushba Tesoro are expected to returnfrom their breaks for the Nippon TV Hai (Listed, dirt, 1,800m) on September 25 and then fly to the
USA for the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
Shahryar (JPN, H6, by Deep Impact), winner of the 2022 Dubai
Sheema Classic (G1, 2,410m), will make his second challenge inthe Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1, 2,400m). The 2021 Tokyo Yushun(Japanese Derby, G1, 2,400m) champion, after finishing fifth inlast year’s Dubai Sheema Classic, was heavily defeated to 11th in
his comeback start in August, the Sapporo Kinen (G2, 2,000m).
Following surgery for an epiglottis entrapment, he was a solid third
Shahryar,winner of 2022 Dubai Sheema Classic
in the Breeders’ Cup Turf. Then, after capping off last season witha fifth in the Arima Kinen (G1, 2,500m), he made his comeback this year in his third Dubai Sheema
Classic, where he sat in third behind the eventual winner before advancing to second and holding off
the rest of the stellar field by a length. The six-year-old dark bay will start in the Sapporo Kinen on
August 18, as he did last year, prior to travelling to the USA.
Ten Happy Rose (JPN, M6, by Epiphaneia) earned a berth in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare
Turf (G1, 2,200m) following her upset victory in the Victoria Mile (G1, 1,600m) as the 14th favorite.
Considering that the Epiphaneia mare has never raced over a mile, she will run in the Centaur Stakes(G2, 1,200m) on September 8 and then aim for the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1, 1,600m).
Alice Verite (JPN, F4, by Kizuna), winner of the Mermaid Stakes (G3, 2,000m), will run in the
Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Del Mar. The Kizuna filly will commence her fall campaign
with the Niigata Kinen (G3, 2,000m) on September 1.
Don Frankie (JPN, H5, by Daiwa Major), winner of the Procyon Stakes (G3, dirt, 1,400m) and theTokyo Hai (Listed, dirt, 1,200m) in 2023, finished second in his last start, the Dubai Golden Shaheen(G1, dirt, 1,200m) in March this year. The son of Daiwa Major is hoped to start in the Breeders’ Cup
Sprint (G1, dirt, 1,200m), prior to which he scored a 1/2-length victory in the Cluster Cup (Listed,
dirt, 1,200m) at NAR’s Morioka Racecourse on August 14. Remake (JPN, H5, by Lani), the Riyadh
Dirt Sprint (G3, dirt, 1,200m) victor, may also fly to USA for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint after
attempting to defend his Korea Sprint (G3, dirt, 1,200m) title on September 8.
2Ten Happy Rose,winner of 2024 Victoria Mile

Alice Verite,
winner of 2024 Mermaid Stakes

Don Frankie,
winner of 2023 Procyon Stakes

Awesome Result (USA, F4, by Justify) remained undefeated by winning this year’s Empress Hai(Listed, dirt, 2,100m) in May, her sixth career start. After racing in the Breeders’ Gold Cup (Listed,
dirt, 2,000m) at NAR’s Mombetsu Racecourse on August 27, she will aim to become only the second
Japanese female to claim the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1, dirt, 1,800m), which Marche Lorraine wonin 2021.
While the aforementioned Japanese horses are listed to start in the USA, only three have been
nominated for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (G1, 2,400m) on October 6, as announced in mid-May.
Shin Emperor (FR, C3, by Siyouni), a full brother to 2020 Arc
victor Sottsass, came off a graded victory in the Kyoto Nisai Stakes(G3, 2,000m) and finished second in the Hopeful Stakes (G1,
2,000m) as a two-year-old. The French-bred colt, whose pedigreesuggests that Japan’s firm ground may not be his ideal surface, wasfifth in an exceptionally fast Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas,
Shin Emperor,
G1, 2,000m), just 0.4 second behind the winner, who broke thewinner of 2023 Kyoto Nisai Stakes
race record by 0.7 second. In addition, he was third by just 0.6 second in his following race, the Tokyo
Yushun, after which his connections immediately expressed their desire to challenge the Arc. The
plan is to fly Shin Emperor to Europe in late August and run him first in the Irish Champion Stakes(G1, 2,000m) at Leopardstown, known for its uphill course, as a prep start.
Do Deuce (JPN, H5, by Heart's Cry), fifth in this year’s theDubai Turf (G1, 1,800m) in March, came back in the Takarazuka
Kinen (G1, 2,200m) in late June, where he was forced to run on
bad footing on the inside stretch and failed to show his usual turnof speed, finishing sixth. The son of Heart’s Cry will pass up asecond Arc challenge after an unsuccessful attempt in 2022.
Do Deuce,
Instead, he will concentrate on the three autumn G1 events—thewinner of 2023 Arima Kinen
Tenno Sho (Autumn) (G1, 2,000m) on October 27, the Japan Cup(G1, 2,400m) on November 24 and the Arima Kinen (G1, 2,500m) on December 22—before retiringin the end of the season.

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2023 Hopeful Stakes victor Regaleira (JPN, F3, by Suave
Richard), instead of competing in the first two fillies’ Triple thisspring, ran against male three-year-olds in the Satsuki Sho and theTokyo Yushun, finishing sixth and fifth respectively. Her
connections, having ruled out the possibility of an Arc challenge,
will start the Suave Richard filly in the Rose Stakes (G2, 2,000m)
on September 15, one of the trial races towards the Shuka Sho (G1,
2,000m), the final leg of the Triple Tiara.

Regaleira,winner of 2023 Hopeful Stakes

Three-time G2 winner Prognosis (JPN, H6, by Deep Impact), runner-up in Hong Kong’s Queen
Elizabeth II Cup (G1, 2,000m) in both 2023 and 2024, has been nominated to run in Australia’s G1
Cox Plate (2,040m) on October 26 after his attempt to defend his Sapporo Kinen title in August. If he
stays in Japan, he’ll likely run in the Tenno Sho (Autumn), where he finished third last year. Alsonominated for the Cox Plate are Killer Ability (JPN, H5, by Deep Impact), winner of the 2021
Hopeful Stakes, and Hishi Iguazu (JPN, H8, by Heart’s Cry), two-time runner-up at G1 level.
Meanwhile, nominations for the Caulfield Cup (G1, 2,400m) on October 19 include two Japanesehorses, Shonan Bashitto (JPN, C4, by Silver State), winner of the Sapporo Nikkei Open (Listed,
2,600m) in August, and Warp Speed (JPN, H5, by Drefong), fifth-place finisher in the Tenno Sho(Spring) (G1, 3,200m) in April.

Prognosis,
winner of 2024 Kinko Sho

Killer Ability,
winner of 2021 Hopeful Stakes

Hishi Iguazu,
winner of 2023 Nakayama Kinen

Other spring G1 winners scheduled to return this summer or fall include:• Peptide Nile (JPN, H6, by King Kamehameha) claimed his first graded victory in the February
Stakes (G1, dirt, 1,600m) as 11th pick and finished third in the Kashiwa Kinen (Listed, dirt,
1,600m) in May.
• Mad Cool (IRE, H5, by Dark Angel) notched his first G1 title this year in the Takamatsunomiya
Kinen (1,200m) in March but his second overseas challenge in the following Chairman’s Sprint
Prize (G1, 1,200m) resulted in 11th. The son of Dark Angel will head directly to the Sprinters
Stakes (G1, 1,200m) on September 29 in his bid for a second G1 title.
• Bellagio Opera (JPN, C4, by Lord Kanaloa), winner of the Osaka Hai (G1, 2,000m), fought
well to finish third after racing forwardly in the Takarazuka Kinen. He is expected to focus on
middle-distance races, such as the Tenno Sho (Autumn) and the Japan Cup, in his fall campaign.

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Peptide Nile,
winner of 2024 February Stakes

Mad Cool (right),
winner of 2024 Takamatsunomiya Kinen

Bellagio Opera,
winner of 2024 Osaka Hai• Stellenbosch (JPN, F3, by Epiphaneia) won the Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas, G1, 1,600m)
and then was a close second in the Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks, G1, 2,400m). She will headdirectly to the Shuka Sho on October 13 in a bid to become the first filly since Daiwa Scarlet in2007 and only the fourth overall to win the Oka Sho-Shuka Sho double. Based on her Shuka Sho
performance, the Epiphaneia filly may start in the Japan Cup.
• Irogotoshi (JPN, H7, by Vincennes), who defended his title in the Nakayama Grand Jump (J-G1,
4,250m), will go for another victory in the season’s other G1 steeplechase, the Nakayama
Daishogai (4,100m) on December 21.
• Justin Milano (JPN, C3, by Kizuna), this season’s Satsuki Sho champion, was two lengths shortof winning the Tokyo Yushun, the second jewel of the Triple Crown. The colt, who is considered
best at distances below 2,400 meters, will head for the Tenno Sho (Autumn) against older foes
instead of the Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger, G1, 3,000m).

Stellenbosch,winner of 2024 Oka Sho

Irogotoshi,
winner of 2024 Nakayama Grand Jump

Justin Milano,
winner of 2024 Satsuki Sho• T O Royal (JPN, H6, by Leontes), who claimed his fourth graded and first G1 title in the Tenno
Sho (Spring) (G1, 3,200m), was diagnosed with a chip fracture in his left foreleg and had surgery.
Following a three-month break, the son of Leontes will prepare for his autumn debut in the Kyoto
Daishoten (G2, 2,400m) on October 6.
• Jantar Mantar (JPN, C3, by Palace Malice), the 2023 Best Two-Year-Old Colt and victor in lastyear’s Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes, won his second G1 title in the NHK Mile Cup (G1, 1,600m) in
May. While he will continue to focus on the mile, targeting the Mile Championship (G1, 1,600m)
on November 17, he may instead step up in distance and aim for the Tenno Sho (Autumn) title.
• Cervinia (JPN, F3, by Harbinger) successfully bounced back from 13th in the Oka Sho to grab
the Yushun Himba title. The Harbinger filly will commence her autumn campaign with the Shuka
Sho, aiming to becoming the fifth filly since Mikki Queen in 2015 to claim both the Oaks and the
Shuka Sho.
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T O Royal,
winner of 2024 Tenno Sho (Spring)

Jantar Mantar,
winner of 2024 NHK Mile Cup

Cervinia,
winner of 2024 Yushun Himba• Danon Decile (JPN, C3, by Epiphaneia), after being withdrawn from the Satsuki Sho due to alame right foreleg, became a three-year-old champion in this year’s Tokyo Yushun. The new Derby
winner will commence his autumn campaign with the Kikuka Sho, aiming to become the third colt
to accomplish a Derby–St. Leger double.
• Blow the Horn (JPN, H5, by Epiphaneia), runner-up in the Tenno Sho (Spring), won his firstG1 title in the Takarazuka Kinen on yielding going. The five-year-old will focus on running inJapan this fall, starting with the Kyoto Daishoten and the Japan Cup, and then his main target, theArima Kinen on December 22.
Liberty Island (JPN, F4, by Duramente), winner of the 2023 Filly Triple Crown, was diagnosed
with a mild case of sesamoiditis in her right foreleg after finishing third in the Dubai Sheema Classic(G1, 2,410m) and was given the rest of the spring season to recover. Having progressed well and now
back in training, she is planned to make her comeback start in the Tenno Sho (Autumn).

Danon Decile,winner of 2024 Tokyo Yushun

Durezza,
winner of 2023 Kikuka Sho

Blow the Horn,winner of 2024 Takarazuka Kinen

Liberty Island,
winner of 2023 Shuka Sho

Durezza (JPN, C4, by Duramente), the 2023 Kikuka Shochampion, sustained a fracture in his right fore first phalanx aftera disappointing 15th in the Tenno Sho (Spring), leading his
connections to withraw his nomination for the Prix de l’Arc de
Triomphe. However, Durezza recovered fast enough in training to
be registered for the International Stakes (G1, 2,050m) at York
Racecourse in the United Kingdom on August 21, after which thecolt will return to Japan and take aim at the Japan Cup title.

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