Makahiki and Leontes, the first two finishers of a Grade 2 race last month, are among 18 colts in Sunday’s $1,986,389 Japanese 2000 Guineas at Nakayama Racecourse.
Makahiki is unbeaten in three starts and won his graded stakes debut in the Grade 2 Hochi Hai Yayoi Sho against Leontes at 1 1/4 miles on turf March 6. Makahiki is by Deep Impact. The colt is owned by Kaneko Makoto Holdings Co. and trained by Yasuo Tomomichi.
Foundation, who is as low as 12-1 in antepost betting for the English 2000 Guineas next month and a general second choice for the Epsom Derby in June, makes his first start at age 3 Thursday at Newmarket in the Group 3 Craven Stakes.
Jeweler won the first stakes of her career in Sunday’s $1,840,800 Japanese 1000 Guineas at Hanshin Racecourse, the first leg of the Triple Crown for 3-year-old fillies in that country.
Jeweler’s win was a milestone for the stallion Victoire Pisa, his first Grade 1 winner from his first crop to race. A two-time champion in Japan, Victorie Pisa is best known internationally for winning the 2011 Dubai World Cup.
Rule the World, a 9-year-old gelding who began his career in Irish point-to-point amateur races, won the $1.4 million Grand National steeplechase at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool, England, on Saturday.
The grueling race at 4 1/4 miles and 30 fences was the first win over fences in a professional race for Rule the World, who races for Michael O’Leary’s Gigginstown House Stud and trainer Mouse Morris of Ireland.
Major Emblem, the Japanese champion 2-year-old filly of 2015, tries to win the second Grade 1 race of her career in Sunday’s $1,840,800 Japanese 1000 Guineas at Hanshin Racecourse.
Major Emblem is part of a field of 18 in the Grade 1 Japanese 1000 Guineas, run at a mile on turf on a right-handed track. Trained by Yasuhito Tamura for Sunday Racing Co., Major Emblem, by Daiwa Major, has won 4 of 5 starts in her career. She finished her 2-year-old season with a victory in the Grade 1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies last December, a race that plays a pivotal role in championship voting.
Many Clouds tries to become the first horse to win consecutive runnings of the Grand National in more than 40 years when the $1.4 million steeplechase marathon is held at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool, England, on Saturday.
Bettors expect Many Clouds to oblige. As of Thursday, the 9-year-old Many Clouds was the 8-1 favorite in future-book betting to win the Grand National, run at 4 1/4 miles over 30 fences. Post time is 12:15 p.m. Eastern.
Zhukova, a minor stakes winner at Galway, Ireland, last summer, scored an upset win in Sunday’s $53,500 Alleged Stakes at The Curragh in Ireland, spoiling the 2016 debut of Found, the winner of the $3 million Breeders’ Cup Turf at Keeneland last October.
Found, the 9-10 favorite, finished third in a field of five, beaten 7 3/4 lengths. Ridden by Ryan Moore, Found was third with a quarter-mile to go, but could not keep pace with 6-1 Zhukova. Success Days, last of 12 in the 2015 English Derby, finished second, 4 3/4 lengths behind Zhukova, and three lengths in front of Found.
Found, unraced since winning the $3 million Breeders’ Cup Turf at Keeneland last October, is expected to be an odds-on favorite for her 4-year-old debut in Sunday’s $53,500 Alleged Stakes at The Curragh in Ireland.
Found is part of a field of seven in the Alleged Stakes, run at 1 1/4 miles on turf, and was listed as a 10-11 chance on Friday by the European bookmaker Coral, which is sponsoring the race.
Mike de Kock, who trains in South Africa, Dubai, and England, is sending two of his best dirt horses, the 4-year-old Mubtaahij and Vale Dori, a 4-year-old filly on Northern Hemisphere time, to U.S. trainers for summer campaigns. Mubtaahij goes to Kiaran McLaughlin and Vale Dori to Bob Baffert.
