Report from Japan

Maggie Wolfendale & Sara Elbadwi look back at the Belmont Oaks Invitational at Saratoga and The Indiana Derby at Horseshoe Indianapolis.

As a son of Dubawi out of two-time Eclipse champion Tepin, Delacroix is a complete outcross for the regal Coolmore broodmare band which is dominated by brilliant daughters of Galileo.

The July 6 Prix Jean Prat (G1) at Deauville developed into a tale of two recent big-money buys after Woodshauna just got up from Maranoa Charlie with The Lion In Winter and Shadow Of Light also involved in a pulsating four-way finish.

Romeo, a son of Honor A. P. is among five additional entries added to Fasig-Tipton’s July Horses of Racing Age Sale. He won the Bashford Manor Stakes impressively June 29 at Churchill Downs.

A total of 372 Japanese-bred yearlings are cataloged for the Hidaka Breeders Association Selection Sale at Shizunai July 21-23. The format of the Selection Sale was changed last year, with Day 1 conducted as a “Premium Session”.

Fasig-Tipton’s The July Sale—the first yearling sale on the calendar in North America—takes place July 8 in Lexington, with a special emphasis on showcasing the progeny of first-crop yearling sires.

Cornishman returned a sizable dividend July 5 for owner Joseph Schumer in upsetting Heroic Move and favored Gould’s Gold in the $300,000 Prairie Meadows Cornhusker Handicap (G3) at Prairie Meadows.

Lanaluah won the $150,000 Texas Thoroughbred Association Futurity July 5 at Lone Star Park to become freshman sire Beau Liam’s first stakes winner.

Sweet Azteca overcame a nine-month layoff to conquer sprint division queen Kopion with an eye-popping victory in the $200,500 Great Lady M Stakes (G2) July 5 at Los Alamitos Race Course.