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 Sunday running at Tokyo Racecourse, where the featured event is the second leg of the Japanese Filly Triple Crown, the G1 Yushun Himba over 2400 meters:
Sunday, May 22, 2022 2nd-TOK, ¥9,900,000 ($77k), Maiden, 3yo, 1600m CHAMP DE MARS (JPN) (c, 3, Arrogate–Pressurizing, by Henrythenavigator) is the first Japanese-foaled produce for her dam, an unraced half-sister to the legendary Zenyatta (Street Cry {Ire}) and MGISW Balance (Thunder Gulch), who was bought back on a bid of $875K when offered at the 2017 Fasig-Tipton November Sale after which she was acquired by Northern Farm. Pressurizing produced a filly by Speightstown in 2018 and was among the first book of mares bred to Arrogate before being exported to Japan. Pressurizing's current 2-year-old, a colt by Kizuna (Jpn), fetched better than $907K at last year's JRHA Select Sale. Damian Lane has the call on Champ de Mars. B-Northern Farm
As has been well-documented, Japanese interests have–over the course of many years–accumulated some of the best bloodstock from all corners of the globe, and as evidenced in Riyadh and Dubai in the last couple of months, the Japanese are breeding horses that can compete anywhere at any level.
Classics season in the island nation kicked off last weekend with the running of the G1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas), with the colts' equivalent–the G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas)–set for this weekend at Nakayama Racecourse. The 3-year-old offspring of some mares whose names will ring familiar dot the field of 18, with each of the four colts something of a winning chance.
Do Deuce (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) is a son of MGSW Dust and Diamonds (Vindication), who was purchased by Katsumi Yoshida for an even $1 million in foal to the late Pioneerof the Nile at Keeneland November in 2016, having been sold to Borges Torrealba Holdings for $900,000 at the same venue just days after her runner-up effort to Groupie Doll (Bowman's Band) in the 2012 GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint. A half-brother to MGSP Much Better (Pioneerof the Nile), Do Deuce capped an undefeated championship season in last years' G1 Asahi Hai Futurity and was the near-miss runner-up in the G2 Deep Impact Kinen on seasonal debut Mar. 6.
Danon Beluga (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) is the first foal from his dam Coasted (Tizway), winner of the P.G. Johnson S. and second in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf in 2016, who was knocked down to Yoshida for $1.3 million at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale in 2017. Just five months after his foaling date of Feb. 7, 2019, Danon Beluga was sent through the ring at the JRHA Select Foal Sale, hammering for $1.472 million, and is perfect in two tries, including a win at Group 2 level Feb. 13. Yuga Kawada, who was aboard the victorious Loves Only You (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in last year's GI Filly & Mare Turf, has the ride from gate one.
Yoshida was striking while the iron was hot at FTKNOV when acquiring then 8-year-old Palace Rumor (Royal Anthem) for $1.1 million in foal to Mineshaft a handful of months after the mare's produce of 2010, a Curlin colt named Palace Malice, took out the GI Belmont S. A half-brother to the MGSP stayer Iron Barows (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}), Justin Palace (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) also starred at the JRHA Sales, fetching nearly $1.8 million as a yearling in 2020. The dark bay colt won each of his first two starts over 10 furlongs and was last seen finishing runner-up in the G1 Hopeful S. over Sunday's course and distance when last seen Dec. 28.
The winner of the latter event was Killer Ability (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), a son of 2011 GI Hollywood Starlet S. heroine Killer Graces (Congaree), who realized $850,000 from Yoshida at FTKNOV back in 2012. The late January foal was capping a four-race preparation in the Hopeful, having won his maiden by seven lengths at second asking at the end of August before just missing in listed company in October. Killer Ability is the mount of the up-and-coming Takeshi Yokoyama, the regular rider of last year's Satsuki Sho winner, champion 3-year-old and Horse of the Year Efforia (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}).
Twelve months ago, Efforia (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}) posted an authoritative success in the G3 Kyodo News Service Hai en route to a victory in the G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) and ultimately Japanese Horse of the Year honours. While it remains to be seen whether Danox Inc.'s Danon Beluga (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) can ascend to similar heights, the bay colt stamped himself as one to watch with a 1 1/2-length defeat of narrowly favoured Geoglyph (Jpn) (Drefong) in Sunday's 1800-metre test at Tokyo.
The third betting choice at 29-10, the son of 2016 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf runner-up Coasted (Tizway) raced in about mid-division and was kept out of harm's way by Kohei Matsuyama as Be Astonished (Jpn) (American Patriot) galloped them along over turf that was listed as good, but appeared to have a fair bit of juice in it on a rainy afternoon. Creeping into contention wide on the course with 600 metres to travel, Danon Beluga came after the pacesetter in earnest at the furlong grounds and finished with good energy to score comfortably. Geoglyph, victorious at Group 3 level last year, ran on for second.
Pedigree Notes:
Katsumi Yoshida acquired former Jeff Treadway colorbearer Coasted for $1.3 million at the 2017 Fasig-Tipton November Sale and foaled this colt Feb. 7, 2019. A little more than five months later, Danon Beluga was hammered down to this prominent owner for the equivalent of $1,472,000 at the JRHA Select Sale in Hokkaido. Coasted is herself a daughter of MGSW/GISP Malibu Pier, who is also responsible for Coasted's MGSP year-older full-sister Malibu Stacy. Treadway also sold three-time Grade I winner Sweet Reason (Street Sense) to Yoshida for $2.7 million at FTKNOV in 2015.
Coasted is represented by a 2-year-old filly by the late Duramente (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}), a yearling filly by Daiwa Major (Jpn) (Sunday Silence) and is due to Kizuna (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) this season.
Sunday, Tokyo, Japan KYODO NEWS SERVICE HAI-G3, ¥ 76,590,000, Tokyo, 2-13, 3yo, 1800mT, 1:47.90, gd.
1–DANON BELUGA (JPN), 123, c, 3, by Heart's Cry (Jpn) 1st Dam: Coasted (SW & GISP-US, $366,066), by Tizway 2nd Dam: Malibu Pier, by Malibu Moon 3rd Dam: Blue Moon (Fr), by Lomitas (GB) 1ST STAKES WIN. 1ST GROUP WIN. (¥160,000,000 Wlg '19
JRHAJUL). O-Danox Inc; B-Northern Farm; T-Noriyuki Hori;
J-Kohei Matsuyama; ¥38,427,000. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0,
¥45,427,000. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick Rating: F.
2–Geoglyph (Jpn), 126, c, 3, Drefong–Aromatico (Jpn), by King
Kamehameha (Jpn). O-Sunday Racing; B-Northern Farm;
¥16,118,000.
3–Be Astonished (Jpn), 123, c, 3, American Patriot–Mao Rio
(Jpn), by Neo Universe (Jpn). O-Toru Muranaka; B-Versailles
Farm; ¥10,059,000.
Margins: 1HF, 1HF, 3/4. Odds: 2.90, 2.40, 28.90. Click for the JRA chart or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
REPLAY: Danon Beluga (#10) powers home at headquarters
The Magic Millions Gold Coast Sale, one of Australia's two premier yearling sales, was to kick off Tuesday (Australian time) in Queensland, with the cream of the crop of those foals born in 2020. Buyers will relish the opportunity to get not only into some of Australia's pre-eminent female families, but also into some American bloodlines that have been sourced by a variety of bloodstock professionals at auction houses in this country. In today's TDN, we look at horses selling in the first two sessions. Horses being offered Thursday and Friday will appear in Thursday's TDN.
Lot 141, c, Justify–Inglorious, by Hennessy Consigned by Kia Ora Stud, Scone, NSW
The sixth foal for Canada's Champion 3-year-old filly, who captured the 2011 Queen's Plate S. as well as the Woodbine Oaks three weeks earlier, has the benefit of a Triple Crown winner on the top of his pedigree as well as bearing a striking resemblance to him. From Justify's first Southern Hemisphere crop, the chestnut is a half to graded stakes-placed Miss Canada (Aus) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) as well as two other winners. The Ontario-bred Inglorious was a $1.35 million purchase from the 2013 Fasig-Tipton November sale by Kia Ora Stud, and her offspring have been well-received among buyers in her adoptive country: her first foal England (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) sold for over US$680,000 as an Inglis Easter yearling in 2017. The full-sibling to that one, Off Width (Aus), hammered for over $400,000 at the same sale a year later, and Miss Canada recently passed through the 2021 Magic Millions Broodmare sale, dropping the hammer for over $580,000 the way of Suman Hedge Bloodstock.
Lot 271, c, Shalaa (Ire)–Miss Match (Arg), by Indygo Shiner Consigned by Arrowfield Stud (as Agent)
The flashy seventh foal from GISW Miss Match with go through the ring as a half-brother to three winners from three to race, including Bandol (Aus) (Snitzel {Aus}), who also has a colt by Shalaa entered in the sale. The half-sister sold for over $500,000 in 2017 at the Inglis Easter Yearling sale. The dam is a half to 'TDN Rising Star' and GI Acorn S.-winning Carina Mia (Malibu Moon) and to a Group 1 stakes producer in Argentina. This is the female family of the late Lord Nelson. Miss Match was purchased by Freyer Bloodstock for $500,000 at the 2010 Keeneland November sale and was exported to Australia in 2012.
Lot 335, c, Brave Smash (Jpn)–Olympic Medal, by Medaglia d'Oro Consigned by Edinburgh Park, Wingham, NSW
Olympic Medal was consigned as a weanling by Hill n' Dale back in 2016 at the Keeneland November sale, going the way of Julian Blaxland's Blue Sky Bloodstock/Aquis Farm for $525,000 and she was immediately exported to Australia. A half to GSW Heavenly Curlin (Curlin), the young broodmare hails from the family of Champion Australian miler turned champion sire, Redoute's Choice (Aus) (Danehill), former 'TDN Rising Star' and sire Rubick (Aus) (Encosta de Lago {Aus}) and G1SWs Platinum Scissors (Aus) (Danehill) and Manhattan Rain (Aus) (Encosta de Lago {Aus}). This colt is from the first crop of his sire, a stakes winner and Group 3-placed at home and later winner in Australia of the G1 Manikato S. and G1 Futurity S. in Melbourne.
