Romantic Warrior shortens up to win the Stewards' Cup at Sha Tin, the first time he has competed at the mile distance since he won the G1 Yasuda Kinen at Tokyo Racecourse in June 2024.

The great sprinter Ka Ying Rising easily wins the Centenary Sprint Cup Stakes at Sha Tin. He equals the record of 17 consecutive wins (for a HK horse) set by Silent Witness 2002-2006.

Museum Mile takes the G1 Arima Kinen (the Grand Prix, 2500m turf) at Nakayama. One of only two 3YOs in the field, Museum Mile won the Satsuki Sho (2000 Guineas) in April and most recently had finished 2nd in the Tenno Sho in November.

Lovcen flashes home fastest at 34-1 to win the G1 Hopeful Stakes (2000m turf) for 2YOs at Nakayama. The results were a general upset, as the betting favorites finished no better than 5th. Lovcen is from the 2nd crop of World Premiere (a son of Deep Impact) out of Songwriting by Giant's Causeway.

@tealdeer.bsky.social www.reddit.com/r/HorseRacin...

Cavallerizzo overtakes Diamond Knot to win the G1 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes (1600m turf) at Hanshin. The 2YO colt is by Saturnalia out of Balladist by Heart's Cry. Second dam Balada Sale (ARG) was Champion 3YO Filly in Argentina in 2011.

Local Hero (1983) is going to be on TCM at 6:00 PM tonight, and then will be available on TCM's Watch Now. Even though it's aged a bit, this film is still my very favorite. I'll drink a Guinness and probably have a cry afterward.

Romantic Warrior wins his *fourth* G1 Hong Kong Cup (1 1/4 miles turf) over Bellagio Opera at Sha Tin. The 7YO gelding by Acclamation – Folk Melody by Street Cry is a consummate 1 1/4 mile horse with 14 starts, 12-1-0 at the distance, and a career record of 27 starts, 20-5-0.

Voyage Bubble battles back to win the G1 Hong Kong Mile over Soul Rush, repeating the 1-2 finish of last year's Hong Kong Mile.

Ka Ying Rising wins the G1 Hong Kong Sprint in very easy fashion, his 16th win in a row. His race record is now 19 starts, 17-2-0.

Star Anise wins the G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies (7f) at Hanshin. The 2yo by Drefong – Epice Arome by Daiwa Major has a strong sprinter's pedigree: sire Drefong was 2016 Eclipse Champion Sprinter (US) and dam Epice Arome won graded stakes at 1200m in Japan.

Sosie wins the G1 Hong Kong Vase (1 1/2 miles turf) at Sha Tin over Giavellotto. The 4YO Colt by Sea the Stars – Sosia by Shamardal had finished 3rd in the Arc in October; runner-up Giavellotto finished 4th in the Arc.

Like, for example, what does the US Department of Defense use as a literal example of a "clearly illegal order?" Why, it's firing upon shipwrecked sailors! JFC

The last half-hour of St. Andrew's Day, US EST. Scotland Forever 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Officially, Euro shipper Calandagan narrowly defeated 3YO colt Masquerade Ball in the G1 Japan Cup (2400m) at Tokyo.

The jockeyless horse wins the Japan Cup!

The great mare Gentildonna passed away at 16 on November 24, in the week leading up to the G1 Japan Cup. In 2011 Gentildonna won Japan's Fillies' Triple Crown en route to becoming the first 3YO filly to win the Japan Cup, and the following year she became the first horse to win the Japan Cup twice.

Last week when I missed watching the Mile Championship at Kyoto, I also missed the Sha Tin card with "preps" for their Hong Kong International Races on December 14. Romantic Warrior won the G2 Jockey Club Cup (2000m), and Ka Ying Rising ran his win streak to 15 in the G2 Jockey Club Sprint (1200m).

Folks, Jamaica has won a bobsled gold medal! For the first time ever in the nation's sliding history, Jamaica has a gold medal in international competition, with Shane Pitter winning gold in the four-man North American Cup competition in Whistler Race recap: www.slidingonice.com?p=13180

Jantar Mantar won the G1 Mile Championship over Gaia Force at Kyoto yesterday. The 4YO colt by 2013 Belmont Stakes winner Palace Malice is currently the top miler in Japan. Jantar Mantar means "instruments for measuring the harmony of the heavens" referring to 18thC astronomy observatories in India.

Regaleira wins the 50th running of the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2200m) at Kyoto. Last year's Arima Kinen winner and favorite for this race, she continues the incredible legacy of her 3rd dam Wind in Her Hair (dam of Deep Impact), still living at the very advanced age of 34 at Northern Horse Park.

Via Sistina wins again the G1 Champions Stakes (1 1/4 miles) at Flemington, repeating her double of Cox Plate and Champions victories for the second year. The 7YO mare and Horse of the Year's record is now 27 starts, 16-4-5, with a current spring campaign of 5 starts (all G1), 3 wins and 2 thirds.

Half Yours wins the Melbourne Cup ridden by an ecstatic Jamie Melham, the second female jockey to take the Cup after Michelle Payne. Half Yours was only Australian-bred(!) in the 24-horse field and became the 13th horse to achieve the double of Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup wins in the same year.

Masquerade Ball is a 3/4 sibling to G2 filly Masked Diva, two years older. Both are out of the Deep Impact mare Mask Off & sired by G1-winning 3/4 brothers Rulership and Duramente. The past two week's G1 winners in Japan, Energico and Masquerade Ball, are part of Duramente's last crop of 3YOs.

Masquerade Ball ridden by Christophe Lemaire wins the G1 Tenno Sho (Autumn) at Tokyo. The 3YO son of Duramente – Mask Off by Deep Impact had placed in both the Satsuki Sho and Tokyo Yushun in the spring and was favored today over the 2000m. Museum Mile, the Satsuki Sho winner, finished 2nd.

What it must have been like at 7:25 AM waiting in line at the Tokyo Racecourse for Tenno Sho (Autumn) day — I expect they were somehow able to watch Forever Young win the BC Classic at Del Mar. An incredible moment.

In the race before the BC Classic, Ethical Diamond (IRE) blasted by the field at 27-1 to take the BC Turf (12f) over Rebel's Romance (IRE), the winner last year. Ethical Diamond has had a widely varied career as both hurdler and Class 2 handicap horse. This was the 5YO gelding's first G1 race!

Forever Young (JPN) 🇯🇵 wins the Breeders' Cup Classic over Sierra Leone (2nd) and Fierceness (3rd). This is the same top 3 finish (in a different order) as the 2024 BC Classic, when Sierra Leone defeated Fierceness (2nd) and Forever Young (3rd). Really happy Forever Young won. 🏇🇯🇵

FOREVER YOUNG!!!

Scylla wins the BC Distaff at 7-1. This was the first win in 6 starts this year for the 5YO mare trained by Bill Mott and a homebred for Juddmonte. Scylla's dam Close Hatches finished 2nd in the 2013 BC Distaff & was 2014 Eclipse Champion Older Mare.

Shisospicy's trainer Jose D'Angelo and jockey Irad Ortiz return to win the next race, the BC Sprint (6f), with Bentornato. This was only the second start this year for Bentornato. He had finished 2nd in the BC Sprint last year, also at Del Mar.

The only 3YO filly in the field, Shisospicy takes the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (5f) from start to finish winning by 4 lengths. This is the first time a winner from the turf meet at Kentucky Downs has won a BC race.

8YO (!!!) Pride of Jenni wins her second G1 Empire Rose (mile) at Flemington in style reminiscent of her 2023 victory, skipping out to a long lead and keeping her distance from the rest of the field.

Autumn Glow remains undefeated in her 8th start winning the Golden Eagle (7 1/2 furlongs for 4YOs) at Randwick.

On Halloween 2024, Friend Ofthe Devil won at Aqueduct and Count Dracula won at Churchill. As it turned out, foretelling.

The late great Duramente's son Energico wins the G1 Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger) at Kyoto. He skipped both the Satsuki Sho and Tokyo Yushun in the spring, but as a fresh horse he was favored in the 3000m test of stamina. Duramente died in 2021 and Energico represents his last crop of foals.

Heavily favored Via Sistina wins her second G1 Cox Plate (1 1/4 miles) at Moonee Valley, defeating Buckaroo and Treasure the Moment. The Australian Racehorse of the Year's record now stands at 28 st, 15-4-5.

Embroidery, Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) winner in April, bounces back from her poor Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) effort in May to take the G1 Shuka Sho (2000m) at Kyoto, third classic in the fillies' triple crown series.

He's all that: Hong Kong superstar sprinter Ka Ying Rising (NZ) conquers in Australia's premier sprint race, The Everest (G1, 6f) at Randwick. The 5yo gelding by Shamexpress (NZ) – Missy Moo (NZ) by Per Incanto (USA) now has a career record of 17 st, 15-2-0.

I don't know why I used a dark moon to express well-wishes for the Mid-Autumn Festival. An odd thought process during the full moon, I guess.

Happy Mid-Autumn Moon Festival (US) 🌚

4yo mare Autumn Glow (The Autumn Sun – Via Africa (SAf) by Var (USA)) keeps her record perfect in 7 starts by comfortably winning the G1 Epsom (mile) at Randwick. This was her first time stretching out to a mile, previously having run no farther than 6.5f.

50 years ago today was also a Sunday, July 6, 1975. Belmont Park was host for the Foolish Pleasure – Ruffian match race. That was the last time America truly cared about a horse race.

@tealdeer.bsky.social D. Wayne Lukas has died.

@tealdeer.bsky.social Just announced that D. Wayne Lukas, 89, has retired from racing. He has a severe infection and health complications for which he was hospitalized, but he declined aggressive treatment, and "will return home to spend his remaining time" with family.

Japanese jockey legend Yutake Take, who began his professional riding career in 1987, wins the 2200m G1 Takarazuka Kinen wire-to-wire on 13-1 chance Meisho Tabaru at Hanshin Racecourse. This race concludes the JRA G1 racing calendar until September 28.

Callback to 2013 Belmont Stakes winner Palace Malice as sire of Jantar Mantar, winner of Sunday's G1 Yasuda Kinen (mile) at Tokyo.

In the Belmont Stakes at Saratoga (10f instead of 12f), the same top-3 result as the Kentucky Derby: Sovereignty overtakes Journalism in the stretch to decisively win by 3 lengths, with Baeza third.

Croix du Nord wins the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) as favorite, with Masquerade Ball 2nd. He was Champion 2YO Colt in 2024 and this year had finished 2nd to Museum Mile in the Satsuki Sho (2000 Guineas). His race record is 5 starts, 4-1-0.