Jun Light Bolt shows blistering turn of foot to land Champions Cup at Chukyo

In the G1 Champions Cup, one of two elite-level races on dirt on the JRA circuit, wide barriers are almost always the kiss of death. Drawn 15 of 15 for Sunday's 1800-metre event, Godolphin's Lemon Pop (Lemon Drop Kid) not only had that to overcome, but also lingering questions as to his ability to stay a trip this far. After all, his trainer…

1 of 2 | Equinox, shown winning last weekend's Japan Cup, has been retired from racing and will go to stud in Japan. Photo courtesy of Japan Racing Association Dec. 1 (UPI) -- The Grade I Hollywood Derby and Matriarch Stakes and the Grade II Cigar Mile, a continent apart, top the weekend's U.S. horse racing agenda, while some accomplished…

Belmont Park Barn Notes: Angel of Empire Could Make History in Belmont Stakes (Angel of Empire / Photos by Holly M. Smith) From the NYRA Media Team / Ryan Martin: The last time a Pennsylvania-bred horse won the "Test of the Champion," there was no Triple Crown and Belmont Park did not yet exist. But that could all change when Keystone State native…

In one of the most fascinating conclusions to a first season sire Championship across the Atlantic Ocean last year, it was third time lucky for Bolt d'Oro (Medaglia d'Oro) who enacted his revenge on Triple Crown victor Justify in the race to Champion First Crop Sire. In two meetings on the track, Justify had the measure of his rival but when the…

You can use our 2023 Dubai World Cup trends to help find the best profiles based on past winners. There are 15 Dubai World Cup runners heading to post for Saturday's $12m race, but hopefully the Meydan stats can help pinpoint the horses with the best chances. Since the Dubai World Cup was staged at Meydan (2010), we've got the key trends and stats…

The one certainty in Saturday's $12 million Dubai World Cup is that Sheikh Mohammed will not be winning back his own money. Godolphin have won three of the past four renewals of the Emirates Airline-sponsored showpiece - and 11 times in total since the first running in 1996 - but this time they have no runner. The only previous time that Sheikh…

The 2023 Dubai World Cup runners are spearheaded by the current champ Country Grammer. The Bob Baffert runner will be looking to successfully defend his title in Saturday's lucrative $12 race, with Frankie Dettori riding again and hunting a record-breaking fifth win in the Meydan contest. The Bob Baffert-trained Country Grammer landed the Dubai…

Draw: xx. Rating (out of 10): Best odds: xx. The British challenger made little impact in the Godolphin Mile on World Cup night last year, when a 25/1 outsider, but he's looked a different horse at the Carnival this year - romping home in the first two rounds of the Maktoum Challenge. Seeks to emulate Thunder Snow, who won Round 2 before taking…

The Saudi Cup 2023 runners will be fighting it out for a huge payday this Saturday, with the'first-past-the-post' set to win $10 million. The Saudi Cup will be run at 12:35pm (ET) as all eyes will be last year's shock winner Emblem Road to see if he can follow up. Did You Know? ALL Three past Saudi Cup winners have been aged 4 years-old. Trainer…

Country Grammer and Frankie Dettori take the San Antonio (Ernie Belmonte/Past The Wire) By Amber Joyce Likely fields for the two-day USD$35.35M Saudi Cup program have been revealed. 16 races will be contested over the turf and dirt surfaces at King Abdulaziz Racetrack in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The prestigious Feb. 24-25 meeting will feature runners…

Yakushima (GB), the first and only runner in Japan for his 2022 European, British and Irish Champion Sire, became the sixth stakes winner for Havana Grey with a speedy score in the Listed Crocus S. at Tokyo on Saturday. Third choice in the field at 3-1, the Godolphin colourbearer was part of the early pace discussion and shadowed From Dusk (Bolt…

Regal Glory winds up her career with a victory in Sunday's Grade I Matriarch at Del Mar. Benoit photo, courtesy of Del Mar Turf Club Dec. 5 (UPI) -- Mind Control and Regal Glory wound up their careers with Grade I victories a continent apart in weekend racing, while the another name popped up on the "Road to the Roses" Kentucky Derby 2023…

Jun Light Bolt unleashed a furious closing rally and snatched victory from front-runner Crown Pride in the final strides in the $2254000 Champions Cup (G1) Sunday at Chukyo Racecourse in Japan. The 5-year-old King Kamehameha bay switched to dirt racing this year after winning four of 21 starts on turf and registered his first Grade 1 win Sunday in…

Third pick Jun Light Bolt demonstrated an impressive late charge to win this year's Champions Cup at Japan's Chukyo Racecourse,registering his first Grade 1 win in his only fourth dirt start. The 5-year-old King Kamehameha bay was raced over turf from his debut in July of his 2-year-old season until his 4-year-old season last year, during which he…

Horse for the course T O Keynes (Jpn) (Sinister Minister) appears a very tough nut to crack in Sunday's G1 Champions Cup (ex Japan Cup Dirt) at Chukyo Racecourse, a race in which he bolted up by a half-dozen lengths over the classy Chuwa Wizard (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}) twelve months ago. The 5-year-old earned a berth in the 2022 G1 Saudi Cup…

Zandon, shown winning the Grade I Blue Grass Stakes, runs in Saturday's Grade I Cigar Mile at Aqueduct. Photo courtesy of Keeneland Dec. 2 (UPI) -- Triple Crown contenders from the past three seasons will battle it out in a field of seven for one of this weekend's top races, the Grade I Cigar Mile at Aqueduct, where 2023 Kentucky Derby hopefuls…

Zandon, shown winning the Grade I Blue Grass Stakes, runs in Saturday's Grade I Cigar Mile at Aqueduct. Photo courtesy of Keeneland Dec. 2 (UPI) -- Triple Crown contenders from the past three seasons will battle it out in a field of seven for one of this weekend's top races, the Grade I Cigar Mile at Aqueduct, where 2023 Kentucky Derby hopefuls…

Spendthrift Farm has announced its stud fees for the roster of 27 stallions set to stand at the Lexington-based farm for the upcoming 2023 breeding season, led again by North America's reigning three-time leading sire Into Mischief who holds steady at $250000. Spendthrift has added four new stallions including 2022 multiple Grade 1 winners Jackie's…

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.- Jockey Dylan Davis secured his first graded win at Saratoga Race Course when John C. Oxley and Breeze Easy's Boppy O staved off a late bid from Battle of Normandy to capture Wednesday's Grade 3, $175000 With Anticipation. Trained by Hall of Famer Mark Casse, the Bolt d'Oro colt made his grass debut in the 1 1/16-mile inner…

Jockey Dylan Davis secured his first graded win at Saratoga Race Course when John C. Oxley and Breeze Easy's Boppy O staved off a late bid from Battle of Normandy to capture Wednesday's Grade 3, $175000 With Anticipation in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Trained by Hall of Famer Mark Casse, the Bolt d'Oro colt made his grass debut in the 1 1/16-mile inner…

Jockey Dylan Davis secured his first graded win at Saratoga Race Course when John C. Oxley and Breeze Easy's Boppy O staved off a late bid from Battle of Normandy to capture Wednesday's Grade 3, $175000 With Anticipation. Trained by Hall of Famer Mark Casse, the Bolt d'Oro colt made his grass debut in the 1 1/16-mile inner turf test for juveniles…

It's nearly time for, which is the jewel in the crown of flat racing and here are three match-ups that could light up the week. If the ball had hopped a little more kindly for Coroebus last season, he would still be unbeaten. After easily landing a novice stakes at Newmarket's July Course last August on his racecourse debut, the Godolphin colt was…

For the second time in as many weeks, Kyoto Racecourse staged a race in which the final leg of a Triple Crown triumph was accomplished. Contrail, ridden by Yuichi Fukunaga, won the Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger) by a neck on Sunday, October 25, edging jockey Christophe Lemaire and Aristoteles, while Satono Flag, also a son of Deep Impact, placed…

Satono Flag (green and yellow) and Yutaka Take land the odds Second favourite Satono Flag (Sakae Kunieda/Yutaka Take) gained a length and three-quarters verdict over market leader Wakea in the Grade 2 Hochi Hai Yayoi Sho Deep Impact Kinen at Nakayama on Sunday. Satono Flag raced in midfield in the mile-and-a-quarter turf race before moving to the…

In looking for back-to-back victories in the $20m Saudi Cup on Saturday, its Emblem Road at $15 with Betr that has his doubters are eyeing the Bob Baffert stable. Again ridden by Alexis Moreno, who decided to ride the fourth placed Making Miracles last year, he'll jump from 8, having last won over 1600m at Riyadh, and an unplaced start in…