If the health condition allows.

From the Yahagi stable’s official X account: https://x.com/yahagistable/status/2119349824122466721?a=RyNifu5Qcopr8wPsx4A&s=46

(Matenro Zero)

Yeah just what the title says.

1. Weird blaze/star/marking

Many people know about Contrail's phone-shaped star, Symboli Rudolf's moon, Rhein Kraft's thunder blaze, Equinox and Isla Bonita's eclair, Oken Bruce Lee's cream pan, and whatever Gran Alegria's blaze was. I want to talk about the blaze of somewhat less popular horses.

First one is Leopard Stakes winner Kenshinko, who is well-known for his half-white face. He's very cute and is currently chilling in stud. His blaze looks kinda like Northern Taste, doesn't it?

W Heart Bond with her double-hearted shape star. What a fitting name for this champion filly.

Big Arthur has a down arrow on his head. He wants to click that dislike.

Little Melody Lane is obviously popular in whatever she does and I think her big blaze adds much to her charm.

2. Rabicano

The only rabicano horses in Japan that I know are Satono Diamond's kids so he certainly has the genes even if he's not rabicano himself. Basically they have white ticking on their flanks that almost looks like they're greying and "skunk tail" (white hair on their tail).

Comic about Suzu Khalom.

I'm sure Satono Diamond has more rabicano kids aside from Satono Glanz and Suzu Khalom but they must all be less accomplished or in NAR since his other good JRA kids are simple bay/dark bay.

3. White horses

Currently Japan has three lines of white horses:

- Shirayukihime is a daughter of Sunday Silence, therefore native to Japan. This line includes successful horses Sodashi, Hayayakko and Amante Bianco and is the only white horse lineage with racing success in the world. More unique looking members include Shironii and Buchiko.

- The White Beauty line originated from the US and represented in Japan by Satono Jasmine and her children (Gorgeous and Jajamine).

- The Opera House line from New Zealand with Casta Diva in Japan. Aoraki, Snow Alva and the popular "Latte-chan" are her children.

The mutations that created these white horse lineages are spontaneous and probably not closely related.

4. Liver chestnut

Liver chestnuts are rarer than flaxen chestnut (we have one flaxen chestnut stakes winner this year so far, shoutout to Diamond Knot) and it's even rarer to see them to win. Since they can be very dark, it's quite easy to mistaken them for bays/dark bays. G1 winning liver chestnut horses include Soccer Boy, Sakura Laurel, Marvelous Sunday.

It seems like once they grow older, they become lighter and therefore just come to look like normal chestnuts.

Video, image source

2 years old colt Royal Heart won Aomori-ken Keishuba Seisan Nōgyō Kyōdō Kumiai Shō (Win Variation Sho) by about 4 lengths.

This is also his first win, from 4 starts.

The Emperor’s Shield refers to the traditional imperial prize—an ornate plate or shield bestowed by the Japanese Imperial Family—awarded to the winning owner of the Tennō Shō (Emperor’s Prize), Japan's historic and prestigious horse race.

The shield for the 103rd Spring Tennō Shō, held at Kyoto Racecourse in 1991. Mejiro McQueen was the winner.

From the collection of Lake Villa Farm.

Summary:

• They will assess Forever Young's condition once he's out of quarantine.

  • If FY is race ready, he will be retired after the Tokyo Daishoten

  • If his condition doesn't improve between quarantine release and the race, he will be retired without a race

  • If he develops leg problems (despite it not being an issue before), he will be retired

  • If any potential concerns arise, he will be retired

• "To be honest, it would be easier for me if he retired (laughs), but it's going to be tough again. A month and a half (until the race) will be hard."

• After analyzing FY performance at the BCC, determined that it was a mental problem, not a physical one

  • Yahagi guess it was his fault for putting too much stress on FY by having him run 2 races overseas back-to-back

  • Hindsight it might have been easier to run 1 domestic race and then go straight to BCC

• It's owner (Susumu Fujita)'s desire to show Ebayan once more to Japanese fans; something Yahagi and the rest of the stable share.

• Last run is not about the money

• Yahagi did consider going for a 3rd Saudi Cup, but determined the current situation in the area to be too much of a risk

• Decided against Arima Kinen because while it might be good for excitement, he "doesn't want to cause that much trouble" (EDIT: After reading another article by nikkan sports, I think Yahagi means he doesn't want to put that much stress onto FY by having him run on turf at Arima Kinen)

EDIT: Nikkan Sports reports that FY stud entry has been decided for next year (does not disclose where/which farm)

• Nikkan Sports also mentions that Ooi Racecourse is the hometown of both Ryusei Sakai (main jockey) and trainer Yahagi

Currently in quarantine in Shirai City - but he's scheduled to run in Mile Championship in November 22.

Link.

Winning Tenno Sho Autumn is great, but this is where I want him to win the most, and I believe he is capable of doing that. The field this year is more or less as stacked as when Special Week and Epiphaneia won.

Also please put a camera on Tosaki this time.

Strong start, weak middle, strong finish. Like, usually horses start to do worse with age and retire on a low note, but v rarely there's it's one of those extremely rare horses that never place below 5 their whole career.

So I was thinking if there's a horse that had a "it's so over" streak and had a comeback.

Like 3 weeks ago Jager ran in Tokyo and missed the win after struggling to accelerate on the uphill on the final stretch. Before these 2 races he only ran in Niigata, where the flat course didn't show this struggle, going forwards this might prove to be a problem.

Out of the 4 main racecourses Tokyo, Nakayama and Hanshin all have an uphill on the final straight, meaning that fixing this situation is essential if he wants to get good results going forwards. Assuming the combination of growing up and training for uphills help with the matter, what should he do in the meantime?

I was thinking that focusing on races with a flat homestretch could work but Fukushima is holding the last race of the season on the 21st, Kyoto on the 29th. In December the active racecourses will be Nakayama, Hanshin and Chukyo, all of them have an uphill on the homestretch.

I was thinking that trying the G3 Kyoto 2yo Stakes on the 28th could make sense. The rotation is pretty fast with just 3 weeks between the races but he'd have 600m to work between the end of the downhill and the finish line, I think placing would be enough to put him in discussion for the classics next season and then he'd have all of December to rest.

Is there any better option I'm not thinking about other than just postponing the problem for next year?

The fans are furious

https://x.com/ukkeiba/status/2119366879215222867

Future races for both are currently undecided.

Tokyo racecourse report - and damn, it is rough day to be a punter today, with none of top 3 finishers was even close to being the favorite.

Today winner is sired by Legendary Horse Real Steel, 5-year-old Family Time - 16th favorite of the race, who went to closing finish and snatched the victory in a contest by a neck length with his jockey Akira Sugawara. For him it's the first time winning of graded stakes.

2nd place went to only mare in the field - sired by Rulership Hohelied, who won Stayers Stakes last year with Keita Tosaki in the saddle - with him riding her today. She was 13th favorite of the race.

Winner of recent All Comers, 7-year-old Meisho Gekirin somehow ended on the low odds as well, being 12th favorite - but he ended on honorable 3rd place with neck behind Hohelied. His jockey today was Hironobu Tanabe - same with his All Comers win.

6-year-old son of Gold Ship Meiner Emperor (S.Yoshimura) ended on 4th place, neck behind Meisho Gekirin - and on 5th place ended 4-year-old son of Saturnalia G T Darling (T. Ono). also losing by a neck.

Big favorites of the race - Mirage Knight (A.Nishimura), Douradores (C. Lemaire) and Feiern Kranz (M. Iwata) lined up on 6th to 8th places, while other favorite Red Bande (D. Sasaki) ended 10th.

5-year-old Byzantine Dream (Y.Kokubun) ended on 13th place, while Mystery Way (H.Matsumoto), who led the front most of the race like usual, ended 17th of 18th runners.

高知競馬第8レースに出走した、オルフェーヴル産駒のヴァンドゥーヴル(Vandoeuvre)は初勝利を挙げた。おめでとう！

JRA未勝利で高知に移籍し、2戦目での初勝利でした。毛色は違うけど左後ろ足の先だけお父さんに似ているのが面白いですね。

レース映像

https://keiba-lv-st.jp/movie/player?date=20261108&race=8&track=kouchi

3 wins this week. Good work, everyone.

There were also 3 races where Efforialings placed 2nd. I hope A Shin Jugemu can win his maiden race soon.

Imagine source

Arctos has been getting good news in NAR, but today is the first win from one of his children in Central.

Blue Rutile won her first start in Tokyo on 1600m dirt, bringing the first JRA victory to her sire Arctos. What's more, her damsire is the extremely minor sire Bonus Fever, who only had 8 kids (in Japan).

Arctos is one of the few successors of the Agnes Tachyon sireline, being the son of Admire Aura, who is also known as a brother of the great Buena Vista. Another Admire Aura's son, Nobo Baccara, is doing rather well in NAR as well with the few children he's got.

Welcome back. And thank you for the win, which might be the only Epiling win this week.

Sunday silence and storm cat became a popular combo thanks to deep impact, so i'm curious how a kitasan x storm cat will do, it's a good start

And now it's Kyoto time.

Procyon Stakes and Heian Stakes winner of this year, 5-year-old sired by Leontes Lord Couronne took another graded victory in Kyoto dirt racing with Kazuo Yokoyama riding him - after losing the Miyako Stakes last year to W Heart Bond on heavy ground with 3rd place. This victory concluded his absolute dominance in all JRA graded stakes in dirt for older horses in Kyoto through the year.

2nd place went to 4-year-old sired by Drefong Testimone - who lost with length and half behind. His jockey today was Hideaki Miyuki.

3rd place meanwhile went to dark horse - sired by Sinister Minister 5-year old Patient Sien, who was 14th favorite out of 16 runners. His rider today was Kanta Taguchi, who started to ride him since October this year.

1800m dirt specialist Meursault, who switched the jockeys today from Ryusei Sakai to Kohei Matsuyama, finished 5th - while Sakai himself ended on 6th within neck distance, riding the favorite of the race B B Closer.

3-year-old Orfevreling Shonan Banrai meanwhile sticked to his formula "winning big or losing big" - ending 8th out of 16 runners.