Danon Scorpion overcame an outside post in a field of 18 to win Sunday’s Grade 1 NHK Mile for 3-year-olds at Tokyo Racecourse in Japan.
Danon Scorpion ($15.60) closed from the middle of the field to prevail by a neck over 6-1 Matenro Orion, who was a neck in front of Kawakita Reverie, who was 228-1 in Japan. Serifos, the 5-2 favorite, led in the stretch, but faded to finish fourth.
“It was a close victory,” winning rider Yuga Kawada told Japan Racing Association publicists.
The Kentucky-bred gelding French War had an attractive career debut in Australia last September, winning a maiden race at a mile.
Three starts later, French War has yet to record a second win, but has performed well enough of late to indicate such an achievement is imminent. On Tuesday, at Sale Racecourse, French War will be favored to win a handicap at 1 3/8 miles on turf.
French War has experience at the same course and distance. Sale is located east of Melbourne.
Talladega Knight returned from a four-month layoff to finish third in a seven-furlong handicap at Nowra Racecourse in Australia on April 26. He seems to have bounced out of the race in fine condition.
Less than two weeks later, Talladega Knight is back in a one-mile handicap at Taree Racecourse on Monday. A 7-year-old gelding trained by Wayne Austin, Talladega Knight has won just twice in 38 starts, both times at a mile, but one of the victories was at Taree last July on heavy turf. Similar conditions are likely for this start.
A half-length loss in the Grade 1 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes last December kept Serifos from claiming the title as Japan’s champion 2-year-old male of 2021.
Nearly five months later, Serifos will have his 3-year-old debut in Sunday’s Grade 1 NHK Mile at Tokyo Racecourse. Serifos has a chance to show on Sunday that he belongs among Japan’s top 3-year-olds as he was with 2-year-olds.
Three races into his 2022 season in Australia, the 4-year-old gelding Namakwa is back at marathon distances he clearly prefers.
Namakwa won for the first time this year in the Stawell Cup at 1 1/4 miles at Stawell Racecourse on April 17 and starts at the same distance in a turf handicap at Ballarat Racecourse on Sunday.
Trained by the powerful stable of Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, Namakwa has won 4 of 12 starts, with three of the wins at 1 1/4 miles or farther.
Overmatched in Hong Kong’s lucrative series for 4-year-olds earlier this year, Ima Single Man is better suited to sprints, such as a seven-furlong Class 2 handicap at Sha Tin Racecourse on Saturday. All he needs now is a clean trip.
The Australian filly September Run won three consecutive stakes in September and October of 2020, culminating in the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne.
As impressive as she was that season, the 2021 year was a bust, with nine losses in stakes.
Of the 15 runners in Friday’s Wagga Wagga Gold Cup at the racecourse of the same name in Australia, two starters have experience over the track – the outsider Roman, and the intriguing longshot Spirit Ridge, who was second in the same race last year.
Run at 1 1/4 miles, the Wagga Wagga Gold Cup is a handicap without a heavy favorite. Course experience could be an asset for Spirit Ridge, who has a pedigree with ties to American racing.
Of the 15 runners in Friday’s Wagga Wagga Gold Cup at the racecourse of the same name in Australia, two starters have experience over the track – the outsider Roman, and the intriguing longshot Spirit Ridge, who was second in the same race last year.
Run at 1 1/4 miles, the Wagga Wagga Gold Cup is a handicap without a heavy favorite. Course experience could be an asset for Spirit Ridge, who has a pedigree with ties to American racing.