Danon the Kid was named Japan's best 2-year-old of 2020 with a rating of 116 when Japanese 2-year-old rankings of 2020 were announced by the Japan Racing Association Jan. 27. JRA's rankings followed the announcement of the 2020 Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings.
Danon the Kid was bred by Northern Farm and purchased by Masahiro Noda of Danox Co. at the foal session of the 2018 Japan Racing Horse Association Select Sale for ¥100 million (US$902,000). His sire, Just a Way, won the Dubai Duty Free Sponsored by Dubai Duty Free (G1) by 6 1/4 lengths in 2014—when he was crowned the world's highest-rated horse—and his dam, Epic Love (by Dansili), finished second in the Prix de la Nonette Shadwell (G2) for Katsumi Yoshida, who bought the mare after she finished second in the Montjeu Coolmore Prix Saint-Alary (G1).
Trained by Takayuki Yasuda, Danon the Kid has won three races from the same number of starts including the Hopeful Stakes (G1). His rating of 116 is the second highest for Japanese 2-year-olds and is one pound shy of Danon Premium, who was given a rating of 117 in 2017.
Makoto Kaneko's Sodashi, who won the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies (G1) and became the first white horse to win a Japanese grade 1 stakes, was given a rating of 113 and named the best 2-year-old filly in Japan in 2020. Sodashi is by American-bred Kurofune, who passed away on Jan. 17 at age 23.
