Tuesday's G1 Hopeful S. at Nakayama attracted 15 colts and Sunday Racing's 'TDN Rising Star' Command Line (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) will try to follow in his dam's hoofprints en route to Group 1 glory.
A son of GI Spinaway S. winner and $1.5-million mare Condo Commando (Tiz Wonderful), the bay sped home to a three-length victory when unveiled at Tokyo on June 5, good for 'Rising Star' honours. Returned to Tokyo on Oct. 9, Command Line won the G3 Saudi Arabia Royal Cup by a half-length over Sternatia (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}), but he will be venturing into deeper waters beyond 1600 metres for the first time. Jockey Christophe Lemaire has the call and the duo will exit stall six.
M's Racing's Fidele (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) broke his maiden on Independence Day, and was third going this trip at Hanshin in the G3 Radio Nikkei Hai Kyoto Nisai S. on Nov. 27. Another colt with group-level black-type is the winning Ask Wild More (Jpn), who reported home second in the G3 Sapporo Nisai S. at Sapporo on Sept. 4 in the silks of Hirosaki Toshihiro HD Co. Ltd.
Both the runner-up and third-place finishers of the Oct. 30 Listed Hagi S. have also signed on in Carrot Farm's Killer Ability (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and K. Kyoei's Crowned Magic (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}), with the latter's sire already represented by G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies heroine Circle of Life (Jpn) this season.
Besides Command Line, fellow two-for-two colts Onyankopon (Jpn) (Eishin Flash {Jpn}) and Justin Palace (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn})-racing for Kunio Tahara and Masahiro Miki, respectively–have each scored over the Hopeful's 2000-metre trip. Justin Palace, a half-brother to GI Belmont S. winner and Grade I sire Palace Malice (Curlin), is also a half-brother to two more SP runners in Cast in Silver (City Zip) and G2 Sports Nippon Sho Stayers S. second Iron Barows (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}). The trio's dam, Palace Rumor (Royal Anthem), sold for $1.1 million to Katsumi Yoshida out of the 2013 Fasig-Tipton November Sale. Justin Palace leaves from stall eight.
A trio of colts will be making their second starts after graduating at first asking in the newcomer ranks-Kuwata Farm's Shelby's Eye (Jpn) (Harbingers {GB}), who won at Chukyo on Dec. 5, Ryotokuji Kenji Holdings' Tyler Tesoro (Jpn) (Gold Ship {Jpn}), successful in a Fukushima 1800-metre race on Nov. 20, and the Oct. 30 Hanshin winner Matenro Leo (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) for Chiyono Terada.
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