Tag: hideyuki mori

The Friday Show Presented By Woodbine: Japan’s Strength In Numbers

French-based Karakontie scored a breakthrough victory in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Mile in 2014, becoming the first horse bred in Japan to win a championship day race. There is yet to be a Breeders' Cup victory by a horse trained in Japan, though Japanese horsemen have successfully sent runners to Europe, Dubai, Hong Kong, Australia and the U.S. for Grade 1 triumphs.

In this week's edition of the Friday Show, Kate Hunter – Breeders' Cup field representative in Japan – joins Ray Paulick and bloodstock editor Joe Nevills to talk about the seven Japanese horses expected to participate this year – the largest group ever. (An eighth Japanese runner, Jasper Krone, has been withdrawn.)

Hunter points out that Hideyuki Mori, arguably the most internationally minded Japanese trainer, is leading by example, having sent over the most horses and demonstrating – while yet to win a Breeders' Cup race – that it is well worth trying. Mori has been testing the international waters all the way back to 1995, when he sent Ski Captain from Japan for a run in the Kentucky Derby. Mori will have four entered this year.

Is the year for a Japanese victory? “If you consider that horse racing is a numbers game, we've got the numbers this year,” Hunter said. “I hope it goes in our favor.”

Watch this week's Friday Show, presented by Woodbine, below:

The post The Friday Show Presented By Woodbine: Japan’s Strength In Numbers appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Breeders’ Cup: Japanese Runners Confirmed For Dirt Mile, Imperador Out Of Turf

The connections of Jasper Prince and Pingxiang confirmed Thursday morning that the runners will compete in the $1 million Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) on Nov. 6 instead of the $2 million Qatar Racing Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1).

Both Jasper Prince, owned by Kazuo Kato, and Pingxiang, owned by Naoya Fuji, are trained by Hideyuki Mori. The Dirt Mile was the first preference of both at pre-entry.

Four horses are not traveling to Del Mar for next weekend's World Championships:

La Joconde (IRE), owned by Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier and Westerberg is not traveling for the $2 million Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1). That moves the first also-eligible, Juddmonte's Acanella (GB) into the race for trainer Ger Lyons.

Bonne Chance Farm and Stud R D I's Imperador (ARG) is not coming for the $4 million Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1). That moves the first also-eligible, Masaaki Matsushima, Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier and Michael Tabor's Japan (GB) into the race for trainer Aidan O'Brien.

Peter Stokes and Scott Krase's Crazyland (GB) is not shipping for the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1).

Kazuo Kate's Jasper Krone is not shipping from Japan. He was pre-entered in both the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1), his first preference, and the $2 million TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance.

The post Breeders’ Cup: Japanese Runners Confirmed For Dirt Mile, Imperador Out Of Turf appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Practical Joke Represented By First Japanese Winner

Coolmore America's successful first-crop sire Practical Joke (Into Mischief) was represented by his first Japanese winner and 15th overall when Dugat validated even-money favoritism in a 1200-meter turf maiden Saturday afternoon at Hanshin Racecourse.

Bred in Kentucky by Erv Woolsey and Ralph Kinder, the son of the mutiple stakes-placed Untraveled (Canadian Frontier) was knocked down to trainer Hideyuki Mori for $190,000 from the McKathan Bros. draft at this year's OBS March Sale after the Mar. 31 foal breezed an eighth of a mile in the bullet time of :9 4/5. So highly though-of was the colt that he made his career debut in allowance company, finishing third in testing conditions at Kokura Racecourse Aug. 14. Dugat just missed the placings in the G3 Kokura Nisai S. when making his second trip to the races Sept. 5 and was returning to the turf Saturday after finishing unplaced in a seven-furlong dirt maiden Sept. 25.

The heavy favorite bounced well from gate nine beneath Yutaka Take and crossed and cleared his rivals, covering the opening quarter mile from a standing start in :23.3 and the first 800 meters in :45.6 while well in hand. Under no urging whatsoever, Dugat widened his advantage in upper stretch and was gathered up in the final 50 yards, scoring by four lengths in 1:09.3 (see below).

Dugat is the only of his sire's first-crop runners to have started to date in Japan. Mori also paid a sales-topping $750,000 for a Practical Joke filly out of Peruvian champion Valiant Emilia (Per) (Pegasus Wind) at OBS March. The filly, from the family of GII Tampa Bay Derby hero Helium (Ironicus) and now named Clos de Mesnil, is in steady training and is likely to debut before the end of 2021. Dugat is the third of Mori's eight OBSMAR purchases–seven of which have started–to salute this fall.

 

WATCH: Dugat graduates easily at Hanshin

The post Practical Joke Represented By First Japanese Winner appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Japan Expected To Send Six Breeders’ Cup Contenders To Del Mar

A total of six contenders from Japan are expected for this year's Breeders' Cup World Championships at Del Mar, reports the Thoroughbred Daily News. Four are from the barn of trainer Hideyuki Mori, while the other two are conditioned by Yoshito Yahagi.

The Mori contingent includes:

  • Jasper Great (Juvenile) – This 2-year-old son of Arrogate won on debut over 1 1/8 miles at Hanshin on Oct. 9.
  • Jasper Prince (Dirt Mile) – A 6-year-old son of Violence who contested the pace in last year's Sprint at Keeneland, and won the listed Enif Stakes at Chukyo on Sept. 11.
  • Pingxiang (Dirt Mile) – The 4-year-old son of Speightstown traveled to the U.S. last year but did not draw into the Sprint. He has won several allowance races this year.
  • Matera Sky (Sprint) – A 7-year-old son of Speightstown who ran eighth in the Sprint at Santa Anita in 2019, and has run second in the G1 Golden Shaheen and two editions of the Saudi Sprint.

Yahagi's contenders are:

  • Loves Only You (Filly & Mare Turf) – A 5-year-old daughter of Deep Impact, this mare owns victories in the the 2019 G1 Japanese Oaks and this year's G1 FWD QE II Stakes.
  • Marche Lorraine (Distaff) – A 5-year-old daughter of Orfevre, winner of the Empress Hai.

Read more at the Thoroughbred Daily News.

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