While the overseas efforts by Japanese contenders in the first half of this season ended without a single G1 title, they did manage six runner-up finishes in Saudi Arabia, UAE and Hong Kong combined, as well as notable performances by Forever Young (JPN, C3, by Real Steel) and T O Password (JPN, C3, by Copano Rickey) in the Kentucky Derby (G1, dirt, 2,000m), a U.S. Triple Crown race, in which the former finished third and the lightly favored latter came in fifth.

Forever Young was undefeated in five starts since his two-year-old debut, including this year’s Saudi Derby (G3, dirt, 1,600m) and the UAE Derby (G2, dirt, 1,900m), earning himself an invitation to the Kentucky Derby. In the race, the Real Steel colt, despite a slow break and a loss of ground from circling wide into the homestretch, closed in on the leader with a powerful drive. Although he was bumped on the outside by the eventual runner-up to finish a nose-and-nose third, it was a significant improvement over Japan’s previous best in the race, sixth, but also a frustrating missed opportunity as the colt came so close to winning. Forever Young is expected to resume racing after a break upon his return to Japan. He will kick off his fall campaign with the Japan Dirt Classic (Listed, dirt, 2,000m) on October 2 before returning to the USA for the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1, dirt, 2,000m) at Del Mar on November 2.

Ushba Tesoro (JPN, H7, by Orfevre), who last year won the Dubai World Cup (G1, dirt, 2,000m), was fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita Park and won his second consecutive Tokyo Daishoten (G1, dirt, 2,000m), kicked off his seven-year-old campaign this year in the Saudi Cup (G1, dirt, 1,800m), where he charged from behind in the homestretch to overtake the leader in the last strides, only to be beaten by a head on the outside by the eventual winner. The son of Orfevre also showed great effort from behind in a bid to defend his title in the following Dubai World Cup, but the bay had too much ground to catch the winner, who was far ahead of the field, and finished second by 8-1/2 lengths.

Derma Sotogake (JPN, C4, by Mind Your Biscuits), who won the 2023 UAE Derby and capped off his three-year-old season with an impressive runner-up effort by a length in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, kicked off the 2024 season in the Saudi Cup, where he failed to sustain his bid in the last 200 meters and dropped from third to fifth. In the following Dubai World Cup, a last-minute rider change was required when Christophe Lemaire was injured in a fall. Under Oisin Murphy, the colt stood on his hind legs inside the starting stall and did not race smoothly, disappointing to sixth. Both Derma Sotogake and Ushba Tesoro are expected to return from their breaks for the Nippon TV Hai (Listed, dirt, 1,800m) on September 25 and then fly to the USA for the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Shahryar (JPN, H6, by Deep Impact), winner of the 2022 Dubai Sheema Classic (G1, 2,410m), will make his second challenge in the Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1, 2,400m). The 2021 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby, G1, 2,400m) champion, after finishing fifth in last year’s Dubai Sheema Classic, was heavily defeated to 11th in his comeback start in August, the Sapporo Kinen (G2, 2,000m). Following surgery for an epiglottis entrapment, he was a solid third in the Breeders’ Cup Turf. Then, after capping off last season with a fifth in the Arima Kinen (G1, 2,500m), he made his comeback this year in his third Dubai Sheema Classic, where he sat in third behind the eventual winner before advancing to second and holding off the rest of the stellar field by a length. The six-year-old dark bay will start in the Sapporo Kinen on August 18, as he did last year, prior to travelling to the USA.

Ten Happy Rose (JPN, M6, by Epiphaneia) earned a berth in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf (G1, 2,200m) following her upset victory in the Victoria Mile (G1, 1,600m) as the 14th favorite. Considering that the Epiphaneia mare has never raced over a mile, she will run in the Centaur Stakes (G2, 1,200m) on September 8 and then aim for the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1, 1,600m).

Alice Verite (JPN, F4, by Kizuna), winner of the Mermaid Stakes (G3, 2,000m), will run in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Del Mar. The Kizuna filly will commence her fall campaign with the Niigata Kinen (G3, 2,000m) on September 1.

Don Frankie (JPN, H5, by Daiwa Major), winner of the Procyon Stakes (G3, dirt, 1,400m) and the Tokyo Hai (Listed, dirt, 1,200m) in 2023, finished second in his last start, the Dubai Golden Shaheen (G1, dirt, 1,200m) in March this year. The son of Daiwa Major is hoped to start in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1, dirt, 1,200m), prior to which he scored a 1/2-length victory in the Cluster Cup (Listed, dirt, 1,200m) at NAR’s Morioka Racecourse on August 14. Remake (JPN, H5, by Lani), the Riyadh Dirt Sprint (G3, dirt, 1,200m) victor, may also fly to USA for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint after attempting to defend his Korea Sprint (G3, dirt, 1,200m) title on September 8.

Awesome Result (USA, F4, by Justify) remained undefeated by winning this year’s Empress Hai (Listed, dirt, 2,100m) in May, her sixth career start. After racing in the Breeders’ Gold Cup (Listed, dirt, 2,000m) at NAR’s Mombetsu Racecourse on August 27, she will aim to become only the second Japanese female to claim the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1, dirt, 1,800m), which Marche Lorraine won in 2021.

While the aforementioned Japanese horses are listed to start in the USA, only three have been nominated for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (G1, 2,400m) on October 6, as announced in mid-May.

Shin Emperor (FR, C3, by Siyouni), a full brother to 2020 Arc victor Sottsass, came off a graded victory in the Kyoto Nisai Stakes (G3, 2,000m) and finished second in the Hopeful Stakes (G1, 2,000m) as a two-year-old. The French-bred colt, whose pedigree suggests that Japan’s firm ground may not be his ideal surface, was fifth in an exceptionally fast Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas, G1, 2,000m), just 0.4 second behind the winner, who broke the race record by 0.7 second. In addition, he was third by just 0.6 second in his following race, the Tokyo Yushun, after which his connections immediately expressed their desire to challenge the Arc. The plan is to fly Shin Emperor to Europe in late August and run him first in the Irish Champion Stakes (G1, 2,000m) at Leopardstown, known for its uphill course, as a prep start.

Do Deuce (JPN, H5, by Heart's Cry), fifth in this year’s the Dubai Turf (G1, 1,800m) in March, came back in the Takarazuka Kinen (G1, 2,200m) in late June, where he was forced to run on bad footing on the inside stretch and failed to show his usual turn of speed, finishing sixth. The son of Heart’s Cry will pass up a second Arc challenge after an unsuccessful attempt in 2022. Instead, he will concentrate on the three autumn G1 events—the Tenno Sho (Autumn) (G1, 2,000m) on October 27, the Japan Cup (G1, 2,400m) on November 24 and the Arima Kinen (G1, 2,500m) on December 22—before retiring in the end of the season.

2023 Hopeful Stakes victor Regaleira (JPN, F3, by Suave Richard), instead of competing in the first two fillies’ Triple this spring, ran against male three-year-olds in the Satsuki Sho and the Tokyo Yushun, finishing sixth and fifth respectively. Her connections, having ruled out the possibility of an Arc challenge, will start the Suave Richard filly in the Rose Stakes (G2, 2,000m) on September 15, one of the trial races towards the Shuka Sho (G1, 2,000m), the final leg of the Triple Tiara.

Three-time G2 winner Prognosis (JPN, H6, by Deep Impact), runner-up in Hong Kong’s Queen Elizabeth II Cup (G1, 2,000m) in both 2023 and 2024, has been nominated to run in Australia’s G1 Cox Plate (2,040m) on October 26 after his attempt to defend his Sapporo Kinen title in August. If he stays in Japan, he’ll likely run in the Tenno Sho (Autumn), where he finished third last year. Also nominated for the Cox Plate are Killer Ability (JPN, H5, by Deep Impact), winner of the 2021 Hopeful Stakes, and Hishi Iguazu (JPN, H8, by Heart’s Cry), two-time runner-up at G1 level. Meanwhile, nominations for the Caulfield Cup (G1, 2,400m) on October 19 include two Japanese horses, Shonan Bashitto (JPN, C4, by Silver State), winner of the Sapporo Nikkei Open (Listed, 2,600m) in August, and Warp Speed (JPN, H5, by Drefong), fifth-place finisher in the Tenno Sho (Spring) (G1, 3,200m) in April.

Other spring G1 winners scheduled to return this summer or fall include:
• Peptide Nile (JPN, H6, by King Kamehameha) claimed his first graded victory in the February Stakes (G1, dirt, 1,600m) as 11th pick and finished third in the Kashiwa Kinen (Listed, dirt, 1,600m) in May.
• Mad Cool (IRE, H5, by Dark Angel) notched his first G1 title this year in the Takamatsunomiya Kinen (1,200m) in March but his second overseas challenge in the following Chairman’s Sprint Prize (G1, 1,200m) resulted in 11th. The son of Dark Angel will head directly to the Sprinters Stakes (G1, 1,200m) on September 29 in his bid for a second G1 title.
• Bellagio Opera (JPN, C4, by Lord Kanaloa), winner of the Osaka Hai (G1, 2,000m), fought well to finish third after racing forwardly in the Takarazuka Kinen. He is expected to focus on middle-distance races, such as the Tenno Sho (Autumn) and the Japan Cup, in his fall campaign.
• Stellenbosch (JPN, F3, by Epiphaneia) won the Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas, G1, 1,600m) and then was a close second in the Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks, G1, 2,400m). She will head directly to the Shuka Sho on October 13 in a bid to become the first filly since Daiwa Scarlet in 2007 and only the fourth overall to win the Oka Sho-Shuka Sho double. Based on her Shuka Sho performance, the Epiphaneia filly may start in the Japan Cup.
• Irogotoshi (JPN, H7, by Vincennes), who defended his title in the Nakayama Grand Jump (J-G1, 4,250m), will go for another victory in the season’s other G1 steeplechase, the Nakayama Daishogai (4,100m) on December 21.
• Justin Milano (JPN, C3, by Kizuna), this season’s Satsuki Sho champion, was two lengths short of winning the Tokyo Yushun, the second jewel of the Triple Crown. The colt, who is considered best at distances below 2,400 meters, will head for the Tenno Sho (Autumn) against older foes instead of the Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger, G1, 3,000m).
• T O Royal (JPN, H6, by Leontes), who claimed his fourth graded and first G1 title in the Tenno Sho (Spring) (G1, 3,200m), was diagnosed with a chip fracture in his left foreleg and had surgery. Following a three-month break, the son of Leontes will prepare for his autumn debut in the Kyoto Daishoten (G2, 2,400m) on October 6.
• Jantar Mantar (JPN, C3, by Palace Malice), the 2023 Best Two-Year-Old Colt and victor in last year’s Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes, won his second G1 title in the NHK Mile Cup (G1, 1,600m) in May. While he will continue to focus on the mile, targeting the Mile Championship (G1, 1,600m) on November 17, he may instead step up in distance and aim for the Tenno Sho (Autumn) title.
• Cervinia (JPN, F3, by Harbinger) successfully bounced back from 13th in the Oka Sho to grab the Yushun Himba title. The Harbinger filly will commence her autumn campaign with the Shuka Sho, aiming to becoming the fifth filly since Mikki Queen in 2015 to claim both the Oaks and the Shuka Sho.
• Danon Decile (JPN, C3, by Epiphaneia), after being withdrawn from the Satsuki Sho due to a lame right foreleg, became a three-year-old champion in this year’s Tokyo Yushun. The new Derby winner will commence his autumn campaign with the Kikuka Sho, aiming to become the third colt to accomplish a Derby-St. Leger double.
• Blow the Horn (JPN, H5, by Epiphaneia), runner-up in the Tenno Sho (Spring), won his first G1 title in the Takarazuka Kinen on yielding going. The five-year-old will focus on running in Japan this fall, starting with the Kyoto Daishoten and the Japan Cup, and then his main target, the Arima Kinen on December 22.

Liberty Island (JPN, F4, by Duramente), winner of the 2023 Filly Triple Crown, was diagnosed with a mild case of sesamoiditis in her right foreleg after finishing third in the Dubai Sheema Classic (G1, 2,410m) and was given the rest of the spring season to recover. Having progressed well and now back in training, she is planned to make her comeback start in the Tenno Sho (Autumn).

Durezza (JPN, C4, by Duramente), the 2023 Kikuka Sho champion, sustained a fracture in his right fore first phalanx after a disappointing 15th in the Tenno Sho (Spring), leading his connections to withraw his nomination for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. However, Durezza recovered fast enough in training to be registered for the International Stakes (G1, 2,050m) at York Racecourse in the United Kingdom on August 21, after which the colt will return to Japan and take aim at the Japan Cup title.