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 Hanshin and Tokyo Racecourses. The final Group 1 event of the spring/early summer, the Takarazuka Kinen, is slated for Sunday at Hanshin and is led by its defending champion Chrono Genesis (Jpn) (Bago {Fr}):
Saturday, June 26, 2021 1st-HSN, ¥9,680,000 ($87k), Maiden, 2yo, 1600mT CONCH PEARL (f, 2, American Pharoah–A Z Warrior, by Bernardini) makes her second start, having had the misfortune of running into a potential monster when clearly runner-up to 'TDN Rising Star' Command Line (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) on Tokyo debut June 5 (see below, gate 3). A daughter of the 2010 GI Frizette S. heroine, the half-sister to SW Key To My Heart (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and SP Cole Porter (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) is out of a half-sister to MGSW/GISP Jojo Warrior–a daughter of American Pharoah's sire Pioneerof the Nile–as well as MSW & GSP J Z Warrior (Harlan's Holiday) and GSW & GISP E Z Warrior (Exploit). Conch Pearl cost $340K at KEESEP last fall. B-Triemore Stud (KY)
10th-TOK, ¥28,600,000 ($258k), Allowance, 3yo/up, 1600m VALKYRJA (JPN) (f, 4, Tapit–Peace and War, by War Front) is perfect in just two previous appearances, a debut victory at Kyoto in February 2020 before returning from a 13-month absence to add a first-level Chukyo allowance over a very sloppy strip this past Mar. 13 (see below, gate 9). Peace and War, upset winner of the 2014 GI Darley Alcibiades S., was sold for $1.45 million with this filly in utero at Keeneland November in 2016. B-Northern Racing
Jeff Engler has turned an unfortunate situation into a very positive career move to Gulfstream Park, where the veteran trainer is scheduled to saddle Lea Farms LLC's Fighting Force for a start in the $75,000 Not Surprising Stakes.
The Cincinnati, Ohio native, like too many trainers in North America, was faced with a long period of inactivity last year due to the emerging Covid-19 pandemic. Taking the threat very seriously, he chose to be proactive and would eventually find his way to Gulfstream, one of the few racetracks able to conduct racing uninterrupted during the early months of the pandemic.
“We were at Fair Grounds, and we shipped out early, because I didn't want to get stuck there – which everybody did. We shipped into Keeneland; we were actually the last truck allowed into Keeneland. We stayed there, but we didn't have anywhere to run,” Engler recalled. “I started calling [Vice President of Racing Operations] Mike [Lakow] here at Gulfstream and after about a month of begging, he let us come down and quarantine in Ocala before coming here. Once we got here, we loved it. We plan on staying.”
Engler, who saddled his first horse at Gulfstream May 22, 2020 after two months of inactivity, has settled in nicely at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream's satellite training facility in Palm Beach County. He currently trains a 25-horse stable that includes Willy Boi, the March 6 Hutcheson winner who is invited to compete in the $200,000 Smile Sprint Invitational (G3) on the July 3 Summit of Speed card.
“We love it here; we've been accepted. The racing office has been great. Everyone's been great,” said Engler, whose stable had previously raced on the Fair Grounds-Churchill Downs circuit for eight years. “We've done well. The owners are happy, and we plan on staying.”
Fighting Force is slated to face five other 3-year-olds in the Not Surprising [not including an main-track-only entrant]. The mile turf stakes for 3-year-olds is carded as Race 4 on Saturday's 12-race program that will also feature a mandatory payout of the Rainbow 6.
The Kentucky-bred colt, who was privately purchased last winter from the principals of Coolmore, was previously trained by Todd Pletcher, for whom he broke his maiden, finished second in the Dania Beach and finished a close fourth in the Palm Beach during the 2020-2021 Championship Meet.
Fighting Force is winless in his three starts since switching barns after being virtually eliminated at the start of the March 27 Cutler Bay, enduring a five-wide trip to finish fourth in the May 8 English Channel and racing evenly while fourth in a June 4 optional claiming allowance. However, Engler is hopeful that Fighting Force will get a more favorable set-up in the Not Surprising.
“He just hasn't gotten a very good trip the last two or three races. He's been kind of bottled up on the rail. He didn't have anywhere to go [last time out] and when he got loose, he made a run, but it was too late,” Engler said. “I think if he gets a good trip and a good ride, he's going to be right there.”
Samy Camacho is scheduled to ride Fighting Force for the first time Saturday.
Victorias Ranch's King of Dreams, a second son of Air Force Blue in the Not Surprising, has finished ahead of Fighting Force while finishing second in the English Channel and leading from the starting gate to the finish line in the June 4 optional claiming allowance.
Emisael Jaramillo has the return mount aboard the Juan Carlos Avila trainee.
Bell Racing LLC's Fulmini and Gelfenstein Farm LLC's Siglioso enter the Not Surprising after finishing 1-2, respectively, in a June 3 optional claiming allowance for Florida-breds. Registered Florida-breds will be eligible for an additional $25,000 in purse money, with 70 percent going to the winner, 20 percent to the runner-up and 10 percent to the third-place finisher.
Gary Barber and Team Valor International's Bright Devil, a recent optional claiming allowance winner, and Shamrock Highlands Thoroughbreds' Perfect Silent Cat, a maiden, round out the main body of the field. Alex and JoAnn Lieblong's Big Thorn, who won the off-the-turf Juvenile Turf stakes for Florida-breds at Gulfstream Park West last fall, is a main-track-only entrant.
Live racing returns to historic Pimlico Race Course Friday to kick off the final weekend of June with another opportunity to take down a Maryland state record carryover jackpot in the 20-cent Rainbow 6 that has swelled to $1,253,882.76.
Post time for the first of eight races Friday is 12:40 p.m.
The Rainbow 6 went unsolved for the 22nd consecutive racing day during the last live action on the June 20 Father's Day program, when another $150,942 was bet into the popular multi-race wager on top of a $1,205,592.51 carryover.
Sunday saw five favorites win in the six-race sequence, producing multiple winning tickets of $106.82.
Last solved for a $23,346.70 payout May 7, the Rainbow 6 jackpot is paid out only when there is a single unique ticket sold with all six winners. On days when there is no unique ticket, 60 percent of that day's pool goes back to those bettors holding tickets with the most winners while 40 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool.
Introduced in Maryland April 2, 2015 on opening day of Pimlico's spring meet, the Rainbow 6 has far surpassed its previous state record carryover of $345,898.33 spanning 31 racing programs before being solved by one lucky bettor for a life-changing $399,545.94 payout April 15, 2018 at Laurel Park. The winning ticket was purchased through Maine off-track betting.
Friday's Rainbow 6 covers Races 3-8 and opens with a five-furlong claiming sprint on turf for maiden fillies and mares age 3, 4 and 5 (1:37 p.m.). Appropriately, Likely Choice is favored at 9-5 on the morning line for trainer Kelly Rubley, having run second in her turf debut over the course and distance May 22. Bourbon Wildcat, yet to race on grass, was beaten a nose in a six-furlong maiden claimer last December in her most recent start.
Race 4 (2:09 p.m.) is a 5 ½-furlong claiming sprint for fillies and mares 3 and up which have never won three races, or 3-year-old fillies. Long Point Beach is the 9-5 program favorite, returning to the main track after finishing off the board in a one-mile grass claimer May 23 at Pimlico racing first time off the claim for trainer Hugh McMahon. Jeanie's Angel has been favored in both her starts this year after relocating from South Florida, winning her season debut May 23 and running second by a half-length June 13, both six furlongs.
An overflow field of 15 3-year-olds and up was entered in Race 5 (2:40 p.m.), a starter-optional claimer scheduled for one mile on the grass. Among the group are Tusk, winner of the 2020 Tropical Turf (G3) at Gulfstream Park exiting on off-the-grass win May 30 at Pimlico; Beltway Bob, racing first time since capturing the Maryland Million Turf Starter Handicap last October at Laurel Park; King Bubble, first off the claim for leading trainer Claudio Gonzalez, who connects at 28 percent with those runners; and Mokheef, a last-out eighth in the June 13 Prince George's County.
The feature comes in Race 6 (3:12 p.m.), a second-level optional claiming allowance for 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/16 miles that drew 10 horses including the quartet of Coal Truth, Clubman, Forest Fire and V.I.P. Ticket, all stakes winners who have combined for 33 victories and nearly $1.3 million in purse earnings from 134 career starts. Hanalei's Houdini drops out of a popular win first off the claim for owner-trainer Kieron Magee May 31 at Pimlico.
Race 7 (3:45 p.m.) is a scheduled 1 1/16-mile turf allowance for 3-year-olds and up where Dig Charlie Dig is narrowly favored at 5-2 on the morning line over Dream Big Dreams. Dig Charlie Dig, trained by Jamie Ness, is winless in six starts this year, four of them seconds including each of his last three. Dream Big Dreams broke his maiden for trainer Brittany Russell in a May 14 maiden special weight at Laurel and most recently was beaten a half-length when second facing older horses for the first time in a restricted allowance May 29 at Pimlico.
Maryland Jockey Club host and analyst Naomi Tukker has her price play in Race 7, Benny Havens (6-1), making his second start off an eight-month layoff after finishing a troubled seventh June 19 at Pimlico.
“He was taking on some high-quality sprinters in that last event, so I like him in this spot,” she said.
The sequence wraps up in Race 8 (4:17 p.m.), a 1 1/16-mile claimer for 3-year-olds and up which have never won two races. The heavy 3-5 program favorite is My Sacred Place, who will wear blinkers in his second start for Russell after racing once last year on the grass for trainer Brad Cox. In his first start in 330 days, My Sacred Place was in contention early, dropped back and then came on again to be third in a one-mile claimer May 30 at Belmont Park.
My Sacred Place is Tukker's must-use horse in the sequence.
“It doesn't seem like there's that much pace in the race, so I like the idea of him moving forward and hopefully leaving them all scrambling in behind,” she said.
Trainer Norm Casse's talented 2-year-old duo of maiden winners Glacial and Ontheonesandtwos will compete against stakes company for the first time in Saturday afternoon's $150,000 Bashford Manor (Grade 3) and $150,000 Debutante (Listed), respectively, at Churchill Downs.
“We have some really nice 2-year-olds in our barn and these are two of them,” Casse said.
Glacial won his first-career start under jockey Joe Talamo. The son of Frosted completed 5 ½ furlongs in 1:04.99 and earned an 80 Brisnet Speed Rating. The gray colt will break from post No. 4 under Talamo as the 3-1 morning line favorite.
“Glacial's gate works really excited us,” Casse said. “He's quick from the gate and professional. I really like this horse. Compared to Ontheonesandtwos and (first-out maiden winner) Pretty Birdie, his numbers won't come back as strong. I think he probably ran the better race in his debut of the three. He got away from the gate poorly, rushed up on the rail and put away a horse that has run twice. And he did all of that comfortably and came back to the barn as if he's never raced. The main thing is I'm excited to see how he runs back. I didn't train them as hard going into their first race so I'd have to think they move forward going into their second race.”
In the Debutante, Ontheonesandtwos enters the race as the 5-2 morning line favorite with jockey Florent Geroux in the saddle. The Jimmy Creed filly cruised to a 1 ¾-length debut victory on May 13 at Churchill Downs at odds of 6-1.
“Ontheonesandtwos has worked three times since she's won,” Casse said. “She's a little bit different than Glacial. She's really forward and aggressive in her gallops. She's a sweetheart in the barn but on the racetrack she's down to business.”
The Debutante, run at six furlongs for 2-year-old fillies, will go as Race 8 at 4:22 p.m. while its counterpart, the Bashford Manor, will go as Race 9 at 4:55 p.m.
The complete field for the Debutante from the rail out (with jockey, trainer and morning line odds):
Wicked Halo (Jose Ortiz, Steve Asmussen, 4-1)
Cartel Queen (Colby Hernandez, Tom Amoss, 6-1)
Tizplenty (Ricardo Santana Jr., Steve Asmussen, 4-1)
