Triple Crown in Hong Kong marks weekend horse racing

May 26 (UPI) -- A Triple Crown in Hong Kong, the first female Japanese jockey to win a Japanese Grade 1 race and lots of action among the European 3-year-olds marked weekend horse racing around the world.

In North America, champions and would-be champions furthered their cause for the big summertime and fall races leading up to the Breeders' Cup.

Jumping right in, starting with the global perspective:

Around the world, around the clock

Hong Kong

Romantic Warrior added another laurel leaf to his crown Sunday at Sha Tin Racecourse, rallying to win the Group 1 Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup, making him just the third horse to sweep the local Triple Crown.

The 8-year-old, with James McDonald aboard, had never conquered the 2,400 meters before, but did it with style, surging through the final 100 meters to win by 1/2 length over Numbers. Japanese visitor Deep Monster was third.

Romantic Warrior holds the all-time world earnings record. He has won Group 1 or Grade 1 races around the world. He repeatedly has defended Hong Kong turf against some of the globe's top runners.

And now he's a Triple Crown winner. But is he the best horse in Hong Kong? Or does that title belong to sprinter Ka Ying Rising, whose perfect 2025-26 season extended his winning streak to 20?

Japan

Seina Imamura became the first Japanese woman jockey to win a Japanese Grade 1 race, as she steered Juryoku Pierrot to the front in the final strides of the Grade 1 Yushun Himba or Japanese Oaks Sunday at Tokyo Racecourse.

"It's like I'm dreaming," Imamura said.

After racing near the back of the big field and with rivals on both sides, Juryoku Pierrot slipped through one gap after another to score by a neck over Dream Core. The favorite, multiple Grade 1 winner Star Anise, faded to finish 12th.

Ireland

Gstaad, the 2025 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf winner, got back in the winner's enclosure with a smooth, but dominating, victory in Saturday's Group 1 Tattersalls Irish 2,000 Guineas.

Under Ryan Moore, the Starspangledbanner colt dawdled in mid-pack until the final few furlongs, but when asked, quickly responded and drew off to win by 3 lengths over Godolphin standard bearer Distant Storm.

The classy result should set up rematch in the St James's Palace at Royal Ascot with Bow Echo, who handed Gstaad a 2 1/4-length drubbing in the Group 1 Betfred 2000 Guineas at Newmarket.

Precise defined the term "turn of foot" in Sunday's Group 1 Tattersalls Irish 1,000 Guineas, jetting from near the back of the field after a slow start to easily overtake fellow Aidan O'Brien trainee True Love.

The Starspangledbanner filly ran on to win by 2 1/2 lengths, rebounding from a seventh-place finish in Betfred 1000 Guineas at Newmarket, won by True Love.

Germany

Coolmore's very hot weekend continued Monday in Germany, as Title Role worked his way to the front in the final 100 meters of the Group 1 German 2000 Guineas and held off the Karl Burke-trained Shayem by 1 1/4 lengths for the win.

The Too Darn Hot colt, trained by Simon & Ed Crisford, won two straight in Dubai before finishing fifth in the Group 3 Greenham Stakes in his most recent start.

Meanwhile, back in the States

Three-year-olds

While the big guns await the Belmont Stakes and other prestigious 3-year-old events largely centered on the East Coast, there are plenty of other Derbies around the country ripe for the plucking by astute connections.

None are more astute than six-time Kentucky Derby winner Bob Baffert, who was perfectly happy to ship Desert Gate to Lone Star Park, where he was the easiest of winners in Monday's $300,000 Texas Derby, earning $177,300 for the Pegram-Weitman-Watson ownership team.

The Omaha Beach colt won the Grade I Del Mar Futurity last year, but fell off the Triple Crown trail after a fourth in the Robert B. Lewis.

Classic

Forged Steel forged right to the lead in Monday's $200,000 Grade II Hollywood Gold Cup, turned back a persistent challenge by the favorite, Malarchuk, and cut loose to win by 9 1/2 lengths over that foe. Mc Vay was third, a nose back of Malarchuk.

Forged Steel, a 4-year-old Vekoma colt from the Saffie Joseph Jr. barns, ran 1 1/4 miles on a fast track in 2:01.58. Flavien Prat had the mount.

Sprint / dirt mile

Heroic Move came from last of nine to win Monday's $400,000 Grade III Steve Sexton Mile at Lone Star Park by 1 1/2 lengths over Neoequos. Gigante was third and Touchuponastar, who is all but untouchable in his native Louisiana, ran his record to 0-for-4 in this race, finishing fourth.

Souper Tuscan shipped from Florida to contest Monday's $100,000 Speightstown Stakes at Lone Star Park and made the trip pay off with a late-running, neck victory over For All Mankind.

Filly & mare sprint

Usha bounced back into the winner's circle with a victory in Monday's $250,000 Grade III Winning Colors at Churchill Downs. After finishing third in the Grade I Derby City Distaff on Derby Day, Baffert decided to take another swing in the Winning Colors and the filly made him look good.

After battling rivals all the way under Florent Geroux, the 4-year-old Tiz the Law filly held off Zeitlos by a head and Foie Gras by another neck, with the favorite, Kapour, last of seven. The 6 furlongs went in 1:10.21.

California invader Thermal heated things up in Monday's $100,000 Memorial Day Sprint Stakes at Lone Star Park, leaving her rivals behind in the stretch en route to an 8 1/4-length victory. Eye Candy was second while last year's winner and this year's odds-on favorite, Mystic Lake, finished third.

Lennilu, the odds-on favorite, ran into traffic in Saturday's $100,000 Game Face Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Gulfstream Park and fell a neck short of catching Love Like Lucy for the win.

The stewards, however, reversed the order of finish for a misdeed by Love Like Lucy near the furlong pole and handed Lennilu, a Leinster filly, her sixth win from nine starts.

Filly & mare turf

Thought Process drafted behind pacesetter Rashmi through the early stages of Monday's $300,000 Grade 1 Gamely Stakes at Santa Anita, seized control turning into the stretch and drew off to win by 2 3/4 lengths. Rashmi held second, 1 1/4 lengths in front of Take a Breath.

Thought Process, a 4-year-old Collected filly, ran 1 1/8 miles on firm going in 1:47.51 with Hector Berrios riding for trainer Phil D'Amato. She has seven wins from 10 starts.

Arya Stark led from gate to wire in Saturday's $250,000 Keertana Stakes for fillies and mares at Churchill Downs and ran on to win by 2 3/4 lengths with Jose Ortiz up for trainer Horacio De Paz. The Argentine-bred mare ran 1 1/2 miles in 2:27.89.

Turf mile

Formidable Man, in his first start since finishing second in the Breeders' Cup Mile, showed he lost nothing during the layoff with a sharp win in Monday's $300,000 Grade I Shoemaker Mile at Santa Anita.

After a stalking trip, he rallied to challenge for the lead turning for home and was best in the final furlong to win by 1 1/4 lengths over Almendares. King of Gosford was third.

Formidable Man, a 5-year-old son of City of Light, ran 1 mile on firm turf in 1:33.52. Flavien Prat rode for trainer Michael McCarthy.

Monday's $200,000 Ouija Board Stakes came off the Lone Star Park turf with four of the original 10 entries, including Miwa, scratching. Of the six left, Vive Veuve rallied late to catch Tizawiz and win by 1/2 length. Multiplication was third.

Turf sprint

Intricate Spirit won Saturday's $150,000 Paradise Creek for 3-year-olds at Aqueduct. Surveillance took Monday's off-the-turf $200,000 Chamberlain Bridge Stakes at Lone Star Park by 1/2 length.

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This story was originally published May 26, 2026 at 4:48 AM.