Cafe Karma | Horse Racing Free Tips

The first crop of foals sired by Eclipse Award-winning sprinter Drefong (Gio Ponti) have performed so well since 2-year-old racing in Japan began in early June that he has seen his covering fee bumped from ¥3 million (about $26,400) to ¥7 million (about $61,700) for the 2022 breeding season. Consigliere (Jpn) has done his part to help cement his sire's footing on the competitive Japanese breeding landscape and ran his record to two wins from as many starts with a neck defeat of Cafe Karma (Jpn) (Henny Hughes) in Saturday's Cattleya S. (allowance) at Tokyo Racecourse, the first of four races on the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby.

Having graduated by 9 1/2 lengths going 1800 meters at Niigata in his lone previous appearance Aug. 22, the bay was favored at 7-10 and jumped fairly for Christophe Lemaire, then settled in a position slightly better than midfield as OBS March topper Clos de Mesnil (Practical Joke) speared through to make the running. Allowed to creep a bit closer on the turn, the Kazumi Yoshida colorbearer loomed up four wide at the top of the long Tokyo straight, was held together into the final furlong and a half and held sway late as 21-1 Cafe Karma dove at him to make a race of it (see below, SC 10). Geraldo Barows (Jpn) (Sinister Minister) was a further neck away in third, while second choice World Connector (Connect) was a meritorious fourth.

Consigliere, one of 22 first-crop winners for Drefong, is a half-brother to the Japanese SW & GSP Esmeraldina (Harlan's Holiday) and his dam Tasha's Star (Spanish Steps) is a half-sister to MGSW & GISP Tasha's Miracle (Harlan's Holiday). Tasha's Star did not produce a foal in 2020 and is the dam of a weanling filly by Shadai's two-time G1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen (1200mT) hero Kinshasa no Kiseki (Aus).

A total of 17 Kentucky Derby points (10-4-2-1) were awarded Saturday. The series continues in the Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun at Kawasaki on the NAR circuit Dec. 15.

WATCH: Consigliere holds on in the Cattleya S.

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The 2022 Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby kicks off Saturday with the running of the Cattleya S. (allowance) at Tokyo Racecourse. Thirteen colts and two fillies line up for the 1600-meter test which begins with a run-up on the grass before linking up with the dirt track.

World Connector (Connect) has made both of his career starts to date at Tokyo, settling for a debut second as the 8-5 favorite going this course and trip Oct. 9 before dead-heating for the maiden win in a one-mile event on the turf track Oct. 31 (video, SC 2). A $250,000 Keeneland September yearling turned $410,000 Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream juvenile (see below), the half-brother to SW & GISP Savings Account (Medaglia d'Oro) has to contend with the outside post in the bulky field. Ryan Moore, in to ride Broome (Ire) (Australia {GB}) in Sunday's G1 Longines Japan Cup, has been recruited by trainer Kazuo Fujisawa. World Connector trades as the 4-1 second favorite ante-post.

Eclipse Award-winning sprinter Drefong (Gio Ponti) has gotten off to a flying start at stud in Japan, with progeny earnings to date of a leading ¥258 million (US$2.28 million) and having been represented by 21 individual winners. One of those is Consigliere (Jpn), a 9 1/2-length graduate over nine furlongs at Niigata on his lone racetrack appearance Aug. 22 (video, SC 2). The bay is a half-brother to the Japanese SW & GSP Esmeraldina (Harlan's Holiday) and his dam Tasha's Star (Spanish Steps) is a half-sister to MGSW & GISP Tasha's Miracle (Harlan's Holiday). Consigliere was the 8-5 selection as of this writing.

Cafe Karma (Jpn) (Henny Hughes), a first-out second going nine furlongs at Nakayama Sept. 25, cut back to this track and distance and donned cap and gown by 3/4 of a length Oct. 24.

The connections of Clos de Mesnil (Practical Joke) opt for this spot over a sex-restricted allowance on the grass this weekend. This year's OBS March sales-topper on a bid of $750,000 (under-tack preview) overcame a bit of an eventful trip to break her maiden by a head at first asking over 1200 meters Nov. 7 at Hanshin (see below, SC 7) and is bred to appreciate the extra quarter mile of the Cattleya S.

A total of 17 Kentucky Derby points (10-4-2-1) are on the line Saturday. The series continues with the Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun (1600m) at Kawasaki Dec. 15, the Listed Hyacinth S. (1600m) back at Tokyo Feb. 7 and the 1800-meter Fukuryu S. (allowance) at Nakayama Apr. 2.

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