Matenro Hour fetched $1.1 million at Keeneland September in 2024 | Keeneland photo
By Alan Carasso
In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this weekend running at Kyoto and Tokyo Racecourses:
Saturday, November 29, 2025
6th-KYO, ¥14,250,000 ($91k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1800m
MATENRO HOUR (c, 2, Constitution–Stave, by Ghostzapper) was a $1.1-million purchase by former trainer Yuichi Fukunaga at the 2024 Keeneland September Sale and is the second foal to the races for her three-times stakes-placed dam, a daughter of Grade II winner Buy the Barrel (E Dubai) and a half-sister to European multiple group-placed Mise En Rose (War Front) and to the unraced Indian Bay (Indian Charlie). The latter has left her mark on racing in this jurisdiction as the dam of Group 3 winner and Group 1-placed turf sprinter Shivaji (First Samurai), while his sister Tarabi was a stakes winner and twice placed at the elite level in this country. The yearling half-sister to Matenro Hour, Maranello (Not This Time), was knocked down to Cindy Heider for an even $2 million at Keeneland this past September. O-Chiyono Terada; B-Hinkle Farms (KY); T-Yuichi Fukunaga
Sunday, Noveber 30, 2025
5th-TOK, ¥14,250,000 ($91k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1600m
EGYPTIAN MAU (JPN) (f, 2, American Pharoah–Heavenhasmynikki, by Majestic Warrior) is the first Japanese-foaled produce for her dam, who carried the colors of owner Ron Paolucci to eight victories and earnings of better than $426,000, including the 2019 GIII Vagrancy Handicap at Belmont Park. The Ohio-bred mare changed hands at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton November Sale, fetching $775,000 from Katsumi Yoshida carrying the Into Mischief filly Sylph’s Mischief, a winner at two in Japan in 2024. Tom Marquand, who rides Group 1 winner Brede Weg (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) in Sunday’s G1 Japan Cup, has the call on the filly, who runs in the Silk Racing blue-with-red-dots. O-Silk Racing Co Ltd; B-Northern Racing; T-Ryo Takei
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