#Yuga Kawada

Cheval Grand, shown winning the 2017 Japan Cup, returns seeking a repeat victory in Sunday's renewal. Photo courtesy of Japan Racing Association Nov. 22 (UPI) -- Weekend horse racing action stretches from Tokyo to Bahrain with a stop in England and a quick look at Hong Kong's preparations for its big weekend two weeks down the calendar. The Grade 1…

Knicks Go capped a Horse of the Year season late Saturday afternoon, winning the $6 million Breeders Cup Classic by 2¾ lengths over provisional Kentucky Derby champion Medina Spirit in the finale of the two-day event at Del Mar. Former Del Mar riding champion Joel Rosario guided the third choice in the field of eight to his third Grade I win of the…

Six runners from the fans' top choices, including Titleholder, Efforia and Equinox, plus Queen Elizabeth II Cup (G1) winner Geraldina are expected to also be the most popular betting options Sunday in the Grade 1, $6.5 million Arima Kinen, the 67th annual Grand Prix of Japan. Staged at Nakayama, the 1 9/16-mile race boasts Japan's top purse, which…

A Group One winner in Hong Kong and third in the Sheema Classic in Dubai, connections were further rewarded for their globetrotting when she showed a devastating turn of foot to go between War Like Goddess and My Sister Nat. Trained by Yoshito Yahagi and ridden perfectly by Yuga Kawada, who had a brief spell in Britain in 2018, she looked beaten…

Racing's most eloquent ambassadors are frequently the jockeys and it is they who take centre stage at Ascot in the Dubai Duty Free-sponsored Shergar Cup, an annual team competition in which the stardust is sprinkled on the riding talent rather than necessarily on the handicappers that they must pilot. In particular, the Rest of the World line-up…

The Group 1 Lexus Melbourne Cup Runner By Runner Guide Tuesday 5:00pm | Flemington Race 7 Not sure who to back with your annual punt on the Melbourne Cup? Maybe you've got no idea what you've just drawn in the office sweepstake? The TAB's runner-by-runner guide has all you need to know about the strengths and the weaknesses of all the horses in the…

California Spangle holds off Golden Sixty in Group 1 Longines Hong Kong Mile Photo courtesy of Hong Kong Jockey Club HONG KONG, Dec. 12 (UPI) -- A super day for Hong Kong highlighted weekend horse racing with action-starved fans emerging from pandemic lockdowns to cheer on some new heroes from the Sha Tin Racecourse grandstand. Two-year-old filly…

Flip a coin when deciding which was more surprising Saturday at Del Mar - Japanese trainer Yoshito Yahagi winning two Breeders' Cup races or his 5-year-old mare, Marche Lorraine, scoring a shocking 49-1 upset in the $2 million Distaff. The Distaff, traditionally one of the most formful of the Breeders' Cup races, was hardly that on this day as…

There was no stopping Contrail once his burst of speed propelled him to the front with about 200 meters remaining. With a few hundred meters remaining, Contrail, Shahryar and Authority all appeared to have a shot at outsprinting the rest of the field to claim the marquee victory. As Kiseki disappeared from the front, Contrail zoomed past Authority,…

It was an amazing finish to an extraordinary career. A storybook finish, a finish that seemed predestined to happen as the year marched on. And when the favorite Almond Eye, guided with supreme confidence by the brilliant Gallic equine conductor Christophe Lemaire, stormed past a field of 14 other horses in the 40th Japan Cup at Tokyo Racecourse on…

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…

The 2000-meter Dubai World Cup concluded the day's festivities at Meydan Racecourse, with American trainer Bob Baffert's Country Grammer, ridden by Italian Frankie Dettori, securing a 1¾-length victory over Hot Rod Charlie in 2 minutes, 4.97 seconds. Country Grammer returned to competition after a nine-month layoff following the Saudi Cup in…

The Yokoyama family's success in high-profile races was also in the spotlight just a few months ago. At last year's Tenno Sho (Autumn), Takeshi Yokoyama, Kazuo's younger brother, won the October 31 race by a length over Contrail at Tokyo Racecourse. Bursting out of the 16 gate aboard second favorite 4-year-old bay colt Titleholder, Yokoyama led…

Stars On Earth (No.8) clings on to win the Oka Sho at Hanshin Stars On Earth prevailed in a driving finish to the Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) at Hanshin on Sunday, the Yuga Kawada-ridden filly taking out the Classic by a nose from Water Navillera. There was half a length back to the third, Namura Clair, with the margins back to favourite Namur,…

This year's LONGINES IJC will also be the first time that the two leading female jockeys in the world ride on the same card - Australia's Jamie Kah who makes her debut, while Hollie Doyle returns for a third time. Kah, 26, is the most successful female jockey in Australian racing history with eight Group 1 wins and over 1100 wins overall. In…

Crack chaser Oju Chosan and the legendary Yutaka Take will tackle the Arima Kinen In 2017 Japanese punters placed more than ¥44 billion - around £312 million/€346m - on the outcome of the Arima Kinen, once again making it by some way the world's biggest betting race. To put that into context, turnover for the most popular contest with punters in…

This Sunday, Nov. 28, Tokyo Racecourse hosts the Grade 1 Japan Cup, the iconic invitational gala that has been instrumental in boosting Japan's horses and horsemen to the heights of international competitiveness they now enjoy. Some JPY 648 million, over USD 6 million, is up for grabs. Japan's horses have monopolized the winner's circle for the…

DEL MAR, Calif. (AP) - The opposition knew Knicks Go would charge out of the starting gate. Yet, none of his rivals went after him. He had it all his own way in setting an uncontested lead and winning the $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic by 2 3/4 lengths on Saturday at Del Mar. Knicks Go ran 1 1/4 miles in 1:59.57. He earned his fourth straight…

DEL MAR, Calif. (AP) - Knicks Go set the early pace and kicked away to a 2 3/4-length victory in the $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic on Saturday at Del Mar. Ridden by Joel Rosario, 5-year-old Knicks Go squared off against a trio of top 3-year-olds - controversial Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit, Belmont Stakes winner Essential Quality and…

Punters are predicting a Frankie Dettori masterclass riding Torquator Tasso for back-to-back wins in the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. No horse has taken the autumn highlight from a stall wider than 16 in recent years, but the top jockey and reigning champion start from 18. Sustained support has led to Ladbrokes dropping Torquator Tasso's odds…