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 Chukyo Racecourse:
Saturday, August 15, 2026
3rd-CKO, ¥14,880,000 ($93k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1200mT
PIKO KING (c, 2, Nashville–Miss Vigilance, by War Pass) was sold for $15,000 at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July Sale, but improved nicely to fetch $110,000 from this trainer after he breezed an eighth of a mile in :9 4/5 at this year’s OBS March Sale. The first Japanese starter for his first-crop sire (by Speightstown), the Apr. 10 foal is out of an unplaced half-sister to Grade I-winning turfer Man From Wicklow (Turkoman) and four-time graded winner Wild Heart Dancing (Farma Way), herself the dam of two stakes horses, including the three-times stakes-placed Leopard Rock (Speightstown). Miss Vigilance was acquired for $7,000 with this colt in utero at the 2023 Keeneland November Sale. O-BIJOUPIKO Co Ltd; B-Equus Farm (KY); T-Hideyuki Mori
Sunday, August 16, 2026
2nd-CKO, ¥14,880,000 ($93k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1400m
JOLT’INI (f, 2, Life Is Good–Joyful Addiction, by Munnings) is the second foal to the races out of an unraced daughter of GI Vanity Stakes heroine My Sweet Addiction (Tiznow) and cost this owner $275,000 at last year’s Keeneland September Sale. Joyful Addiction is a maternal granddaughter of Healthy Addiction (Boston Harbor), winner of the GI Santa Margarita Handicap during her racing days. Freshman Life Is Good (by Into Mischief) is already off the mark in Japan with the debut-winning Lizhitsumodoraichi. The visiting Jason Collett has the riding assignment. O-Yuki Hashimoto; B-Siena Farms LLC (KY); T-Katsunori Tanaka
IVY CHRONOS (c, 2, Drain the Clock–Tomato Bisque, by Macho Uno) made a couple of trips through the Keeneland sales pavilion, realizing $70,000 at the 2024 November Sale before hammering for twice that amount at last year’s September Sale. He was sold on for $250,000 at OBS March Sale after going a furlong in :10 1/5. From the well-received first crop of his sire (by Maclean’s Music), the gray is out of an own sister to GII West Virginia Derby winner Macho Macho and the female family includes GI Shoemaker Mile hero Designed For Luck (Rahy). O-Ishizaka Shigeru Rabo Co Ltd; B-Pony Express Sales Inc (KY); T-Koji Maki
PIKO JACK (c, 2, Jack Christopher–Girl With a Dream, by Practical Joke) is the first foal from his dam, winner of the 2022 GIII Forward Gal Stakes for Jim Bakke and Gerald Isbister–who campaigned this freshman sire (by Munnings) in partnership–and trainer Brad Cox. A $60,000 KEESEP graduate, this Feb. 24 foal was another of this trainer’s nine OBSMAR purchases when hammering for $150,000 after a :9 4/5 breeze. The mare is the dam of a yearling full-sister to Piko Jack and produced another filly this term after selling to Japanese interests for $260,000 at Keeneland November last fall. O-BIJOUPIKO Co Ltd; B-Bakster Farms (KY); T-Hideyuki Mori