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Pinehurst Takes Them Gate To Wire In Saudi Derby

The Saudi Derby had been won by horses based in Japan in each of its first two runnings and the island nation swept the first three races on Saturday's Saudi Cup undercard. Given a positive ride by Flavien Prat over a racing surface that seemed kind to front-runners, Pinehurst (Twirling Candy) had his full battling qualities on display and withstood a late charge from Sekifu (Jpn) (Henny Hughes) to register a half-length success in the $1.5-million test, upgraded to Group 3 level for the first time in 2022.

Off to a good start from a wide gate, last year's GI Del Mar Futurity hero found his way to the front after the opening 400 meters, as the locally trained I Am Magic (Ire) (Magician {Ire}) tried to keep pace inside, with Cattleya S. hero Consigliere (Jpn) (Drefong) close in tow. Maintaining a slender advantage on the turn as I Am Magic retreated, Pinehurst was narrowly in front turning for home as Sovereign Prince (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) chimed in three out, kept finding into the final eighth of a mile under a vigourous ride and boxed on gamely as Sekifu pulled back the winning margin to a half-length. Consigliere was rather one-paced in third, while the previously unbeaten Alnaader (KSA) (Teletext) fought on bravely to be a creditable fourth.

“I'm very proud of him and happy for my team,” winning trainer Bob Baffert said from afar. “It's exciting to win after coming up short a couple of times over there. I hate when they show that 100-meter line on the screen because I've lost so much money in that last 100 meters at that track the past two years, but we got it done today.”

Baffert suggested that Pinehurst, who was exiting a runner-up effort in the seven-furlong GII San Vicente S. Jan. 29. would run next in the G2 UAE Derby at Meydan Mar. 26 over a more-demanding 1900-meter journey around two turns.

Pedigree Notes:

One of his sire's seven top-level winners and 14 graded winners, Pinehurst hails from a talented and deep Sabine Stable family.

His dam, acquired by breeder Fred Hertrich III for $95,000 at Keeneland January in 2015, is a daughter of Sabine's dual stakes-winning Win's Fair Lady, whose Grade III-winning daughter First Passage (Giant's Causeway) produced GIII Molly Pitcher S. heroine Berned (Bernardini). The colt's third dam, the Grade III winner Win Crafty Lady, not only bred MGSW & GISP Graeme Hall (Dehere), but also $1.65-million Fasig-Tipton Calder grad and future GISW Harmony Lodge (Hennessy), whose Grade III-winning son Stratford Hill (A.P. Indy) coincidentally stands stud in Saudi Arabia.

Giant Win is the dam of a 2-year-old colt by Cairo Prince, a yearling colt by Liam's Map and is due to Twirling Candy this term.

Saturday, King Abdulaziz (Riyadh), Saudi Arabia
SAUDI DERBY CUP PRESENTED BY AL RAJHI-G3, $1,500,000, King Abdulaziz, 2-26, NH/SH3yo, 1600m, 1:38.12, ft.
1–PINEHURST, 121, c, 3, by Twirling Candy
1st Dam: Giant Win, by Giant's Causeway
2nd Dam: Win's Fair Lady, by Dehere
3rd Dam: Win Crafty Lady, by Crafty Prospector
($180,000 Wlg '19 KEENOV; $385,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Robert E Masterson, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Jay A Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital LLC, Donovan, Catherine, Golconda Stable, Siena Farm LLC; B-Fred W Hertrich III & John D Fielding (KY); T-Bob Baffert; J-Flavien Prat; $900,000. Lifetime Record: GISW-US, 5-3-1-0, $1,212,000. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Sekifu (Jpn), 121, c, 3, Henny Hughes–Siyabona, by Kingmambo. 1ST BLACK-TYPE, 1ST GROUP BLACK-TYPE. O-Akira Nakatsuji; B-Bamboo Stud; T-Koshiro Take; J-Cristian Demuro; $300,000.
3–Consigliere (Jpn), 121, c, 3, Drefong–Tasha's Star, by Harlan's Holiday. 1ST BLACK-TYPE, 1ST GROUP BLACK-TYPE. O-Kazumi Yoshida; B-Northern Farm; T-Yukio Inagaki; J-Christophe Lemaire; $150,000.
Margins: HF, 3/4, 1.
Also Ran: Alnaader (KSA), Sovereign Prince (GB), Kiefer (Brz), The Wizard of Eye (Ire), Island Falcon (Ire), I Am Magic (Ire), Perfect Love (Arg), Almuthanna, Jacinda (GB), Noble Truth (Fr), Oscula (Ire). Click for the Racing Post chart. Click for the free Equineline.com catalog-style pedigree.

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Drefong Colt Lands First Blow on Japan Road to the Derby

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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World Connector Must Overcome High Draw In Cattleya S.

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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Japan Road To Kentucky Derby Begins Saturday

The Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby will begin early Saturday morning with the $271,844 (USD) Cattleya Stakes at Tokyo Racecourse.

Kazumi Yoshida's Consigliere (JPN) was the early 2-1 favorite in the Cattleya. Trained by Yukio Inagaki, Consigliere broke his maiden at first asking on Aug. 22 at Niigata. The son of Drefong is scheduled to be ridden by Christophe Lemaire.

Consigliere is slated to face 14 rivals including Mataichiro Yamamoto's World Connector, the current 4-1 second choice in the wagering. The son of Connect broke his maiden on Oct. 31 over the turf at Tokyo Racecourse. The Kazuo Fujisawa trainee will be ridden by Ryan Moore.

The one-mile Cattleya Stakes is carded as Race 9 at Tokyo with a post time of 12:15 a.m. ET. The Top 4 finishers will be awarded points on a 10-4-2-1 scale.

For more information about the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby, visit www.KentuckyDerby.com/horses/prep-races.

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