#Gran Alegria

Essential Quality, shown winning the Grade I Travers, is among the favorites in a Breeders' Cup Classic field announced this week. Photo courtesy of New York Racing Association Oct. 29 (UPI) -- It's a week for looking forward as horse racing around the globe nears its annual champion-making events and youngsters get in final licks to make a case…

Triple Crown winner Contrail looks tailor-made for the Osaka Hai over his favoured trip but faces a speedy rival in Gran Alegria The growing sense of anticipation among Flat racing fans in Britain this weekend is felt just as keenly in Japan where the season is also ready to burst into life. The first Grade 1 race of the turf season, the…

Loves Only You and Marche Lorraine changed the storyline on a glorious Saturday afternoon in Southern California. Jockey Yuga Kawada, one of the premier riders on the Japan Racing Association circuit (currently No. 2 in wins and overall earnings in 2021, trailing only Christophe Lemaire in both categories) guided 5-year-old Loves Only You, the…

Channel Cat, shown winning the Grade I Man o' War in May, is among the favorites for Saturday's Grade II Red Smith Stakes at Aqueduct. Photo courtesy of New York Racing Association Nov. 19 (UPI) -- High-class graded stakes racing is spread across North America this weekend, with a turf showdown in New York, a tough mile event for fillies and mares…

Ikezoe credited trainer Toru Hayashi and other support staff for putting Songline, who entered the race from stall No. 13, in position to contend for a victory on Sunday. "It was a tight schedule for the filly but the staff at the stables prepared her remarkably," he told reporters. "She broke well and I decided to settle her behind Salios, who…

Almond Eye: could not reach Gran Algeria Tokyo: Yasuda Kinen (Grade 1) Less than 24 hours after Pinatubo suffered a shock defeat in the 2000 Guineas, international superstar Almond Eye could only finish second in the Yasuda Kinen behind Gran Alegria (Kazuo Fujisawa/Kenichi Ikezoe). Almond Eye was once again red-hot favourite for the…