Yanks get nine Japan invitations

Breeders' Cup favorites Pleasantly Perfect and Kitten's Joy head the list of nine American-trained horses who have been invited by the Japan Racing Association to run in Tokyo Racecourse's two multimillion-dollar races on Nov. 28.

Pleasantly Perfect, winner of this year's Dubai World Cup and Pacific Classic, is one of eight American horses invited to the Grade 1, $2.32 million Japan Cup Dirt, a 1 5/16-mile race that was won last year by Fleetstreet Dancer. Dynever, Ghostzapper, Roses in May, and Perfect Drift, like Pleasantly Perfect all set to run in Saturday's Breeders' Cup Classic, were named along with Lundy's Liability, Saint Liam, and Total Impact.

Kitten's Joy, winner of the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic in his first try against older horses, is the lone American invitee to the Grade 1, $4.45 million Japan Cup at 1 1/2 miles on turf. The Dale Romans trainee has a prior engagement in the Breeders' Cup Turf on Saturday.