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 Sunday running at Chukyo Racecourse:
5th-CKO, ¥10,480,000, Maiden, 3yo, 1600mT DOUBLE JOKE (c, 3, Practical Joke–Double Date, by Rahy) is out of an unraced half-sister to Canadian Horse of the Year, champion 3-year-old colt and dual Grade I winner Peaks and Valleys (Mt. Livermore) as well as MSW & MGSP Alternate (Seattle Slew), whose produce include GISW Higher Power (Medaglia d'Oro), MGSW 'TDN Rising Star' Alternation (Distorted Humor) and SW & GSP Interrupted (Broken Vow). An $80,000 purchase by Paca Paca Farm out of the 2020 Fasig-Tipton November Sale, Double Joke switches to the turf after finishing down the field when debuting on dirt at Toyko in October. B-William Humphries & Altair Farm (KY)
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 Chukyo and Tokyo Racecourses. Sunday's headliner at headquarters is the G3 Negishi S. over 1400 meters, the local lead-up into the G1 February S. going a mile on Feb. 19. The talented Lemon Pop (Lemon Drop Kid) leads a four-pronged US-bred assault on the Negishi S.:
Saturday, January 8, 2023 4th-CKO, ¥11,850,000, Newcomers, 3yo, 1400m MOZU AKABOSU (c, 3, Quality Road–India, by Hennessy) is the latest to the races out of his dual graded-stakes winning dam, whose son Mozu Ascot (Frankel {GB}) was a dual-surface Group 1 winner in Japan, having taken out the Yasuda Kinen at a mile on turf and the February S. on the dirt (see below). The Feb. 18 foal is also kin to SW 'TDN Rising Star' Kareena (Medaglia d'Oro), dam of recent Cash Run S. runner-up Padma (Tapit). India's stakes-winning half-sister Pilfer (Deputy Minister) is an outstanding producer in her own right, having accounted for MGISW To Honor and Serve (Bernardini); the latter's Grade I-winning full-sister Angela Renee; and SW & GISP Elnaawi (Street Sense). Also engaged are Lambent Light (Hard Spun), produced by a Keeneland-sourced half-sister to Japanese dirt demon Espoir City (Jpn) (Gold Allure {Jpn}); and Hosho Rusty (Goldencents); a half-sister to SW and recent Keeneland November HORA grad Liam's Dove (Liam's Map). B-Summer Wind Equine LLC (KY)
4th-TOK, ¥11,850,000, Allowance, 3yo, 1600m PARAIBA TOURMALINE (f, 3, Malibu Moon–Private Jet, by Smart Strike) was pounded down to 4-5 favoritism for her Oct. 30 debut over this course and distance and made no mistakes, kicking home a five-length winner (see below, SC 5). The Mar. 1 foal is out of a full-sister to two-time Eclipse Award and five-time Grade I winner Lookin At Lucky and a half to MGSW Kensei (Mr. Greeley) and multi-jurisdiction GSW 'TDN Rising Star' Shahama (Munnings). Bought back on a bid of $70,000 out of the 2021 Keeneland September sale, Paraiba Tourmaline was hammered down to Katsumi Yoshida for $450,000 at last year's OBS March Sale. B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings (KY)
6th-CKO, ¥14,880,000, Allowance, 3yo, 1400m CELADONITE (JPN) (f, 3, Mendelssohn–Celadon, by Gold Halo {Jpn}) makes her second career to the races after opening her account with a smart 1 1/4-length graduation over this track and trip Sept. 24 (video, SC 10). The April-foaled bay, who carries the Silk Racing colors, is the second Japanese winner for her well-traveled dam, who is also responsible for the outstanding sprinter Copano Kicking (Spring At Last), a three-time winner at group level in Japan–including the 2019 Negishi S.–and a dramatic winner of the Riyadh Dirt Sprint on Saudi Cup night in 2021. B-Northern Racing
Sunday, January 29, 2023 6th-TOK, ¥11,500,000, Newcomers, 3yo, 1800mT GUN WOLF (c, 3, Gun Runner–Loure, by A.P. Indy) is a half-brother to SW Do The Dance (Discreet Cat) and to Randonnee (Blame), a 3-year-old listed winner at this venue back in 2018, placed three times at group level and beaten just 3 1/2 lengths behind the legendary Almond Eye (Jpn) in the G1 Shuka Sho. A maternal grandson of French Group 3 winner Loving Pride (Quiet American), Gun Wolf hails from the extended family of Sovereign Award winner Negligee (Northern Afleet). Gun Runner is the sire of four winners from his six Japanese starters to date. B-Winchester Farm (KY)
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 Chukyo and Nakayama Racecourses, including the first foal from a big-figure Keeneland November purchase:
Saturday, January 14, 2023 4th-CKO, ¥11,850,000, Newcomers, 3yo, 1400m LA LA BELLEVILLE (f, 3, Union Rags–Divine Praises, by Medaglia d'Oro) is the latest to make the races out of a winning daughter of SW Grand Prayer (Grand Slam), who is also the dam of MGSW & GISP Valid (Medaglia d'Oro); GISW Malibu Prayer (Malibu Moon); and Grand Love (Gun Runner), third in last year's GIII Pocahontas S. A $130,000 Keeneland September grad, the dark bay is a half-sister to the commonly owned La La Chandon (Street Sense), a maiden winner at second asking in Japan in 2021. B-Three Chimneys Farm LLC (KY)
REGALO FIORI (JPN) (f, 3, West Coast–Legallini, by Hard Spun) was acquired in utero for $80,000 at the 2019 Keeneland November Sale and is maternal granddaughter of MGSW/GISP Dust and Diamonds (Vindication), whose son Do Deuce (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) won the G1 Asahi Hai Futurity at two and last year's G1 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby). B-Hatakeyama Stud Farm
Sunday, January 15, 2023 3rd-CKO, ¥11,850,000, Newcomers, 3yo, 1800m KISS ON THE CHEEK (JPN) (f, 3, Curlin–Eskimo Kisses, by To Honor and Serve) is the first produce from her dam, who took down the colors of Midnight Bisou (Midnight Lute) in the 2018 GI Alabama S. and was purchased by Shadai Farm with this filly in utero for $2.3 million to rank as the second highest-priced offering of the 2019 Keeneland November Sale. A half-sister to Grade I-placed Silver Ride (Candy Ride {Arg}), Eskimo Kisses was produced by Silver Colors (Mr. Greeley), a daughter of champion 3-year-old filly and GI Kentucky Derby heroine Winning Colors (Caro {Ire}), who is also the granddam of two-time Japanese stakes winner Cheerful Smile (Jpn) (Sunday Silence). B-Shadai Farm
6th-NKY, ¥11,850,000, Newcomers, 3yo, 1800m BOLD ZONE (c, 3, Mendelssohn–Halo Dolly, by Popular), closely related to Grade III-winning turf sprinter Barraza (Into Mischief), was an unfinished product when hammering for $40,000 at KEESEP in 2021, but improved nicely and fetched $280,000 from Katsumi Yoshida at OBS March last year after breezing an eighth of a mile in :10 1/5. Two-time graded winner Halo Dolly brought $300,000 from Spendthrift Farm at KEENOV in 2014 and was sold in foal to Authentic for $110,000 at the same event in 2021. B-Spendthrift Farm LLC (KY)
Light Quantum (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) remained perfect to graduate to the group ranks while taking on the boys for the first time with an impressive rallying victory in the G3 Nikkan Sports Sho Shinzan Kinen at Chukyo on Sunday.
The public's second choice at odds of 2-1 in this 1600-metre affair hopped a bit from the gate and was taken way back early, rating in front of just two rivals for more than 800 metres as Pace Setting (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) showed the way. As the early leader rounded the far bend, the winner began her rally and was swung wide into the stretch with more than a dozen lengths to close on the frontrunner. While racing out in the center of the course for clear running room she ran down all of her tiring rivals in the last 200 meters and pulled away for a length victory over a determined Pace Setting. Toho Galleon (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}) was third another length back.
Pedigree Notes:
A front-running winner of a 1600-metre Tokyo newcomers' affair in November, Light Quantum is the first foal out of 2016 GI Gamely S. winner Illuminant (Quality Road), who also won the GII Monrovia S. in 2017 and sold for $1.1 million at Fasig-Tipton November to Shadai Farm later that year. Her dam has a yearling filly by American Horse of the Year Bricks And Mortar, and Illuminant was covered by Epiphaneia (Jpn) last year. Light Quantum is from the last crop of 11-time Japanese Champion Sire and Hall of Famer Deep Impact and his 154th group winner. Her granddam is the multiple stakes winner Sparkling Number (Polish Numbers), who herself is a half-sister to Smart Sunny (Smarten). Her third dam is the Grade III winner Sunny Sparkler (Sunny Clime).
Sunday, Chukyo, Japan NIKKAN SPORTS SHO SHINZAN KINEN-G3, ¥72,800,000, Chukyo, 1-8, 3yo, 1600mT, 1:33.70, fm.
1–LIGHT QUANTUM (JPN), 119, f, 3, by Deep Impact (Jpn) 1st Dam: Illuminant (GISW, $536,243), by Quality Road 2nd Dam: Sparkling Number, by Polish Numbers 3rd Dam: Sunny Sparkler, by Sunny Clime 1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN, 1ST GROUP WIN. O-Shadai Race Horse;
B-Shadai Farm (Jpn); T-Koshiro Take; J-Yutaka Take;
¥40,308,000. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, ¥47,308,000. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Pace Setting (GB), 123, c, 3, Showcasing (GB)–Jet Setting
(Ire), by Fast Company (Ire). 1ST BLACK TYPE. 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. O-Silk Racing; B-Northern Farm (Jpn);
¥16,088,000.
3–Toho Galleon (Jpn), 123, c, 3, Real Steel (Jpn)–Devil's Corner,
by Songandaprayer. (¥86,000,000 yrl '21 JRHAJUL). 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. O-Toho Inc.; B-Northern
Farm (Jpn); ¥10,044,000.
Margins: 1, 1, NK. Odds: 2.00, 4.40, 5.80.
Also Ran: Suzuka Double (Jpn), Sunrise Peace (Jpn), Shinzen Izumo (Jpn), Kvasir (Jpn). Click for the JRA Chart.
