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Godolphin Homebred ‘Bursts’ Into Derby Discussion in Japan

Cleverly named Godolphin homebred Combustion (Jpn) (Discreet Cat) shot to the head of the leaderboard on the 'Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby' with a determined 3/4-length defeat of Geraldo Barows (Jpn) (Sinister Minister) in Sunday's Listed Hyacinth S. going a one-turn mile at Tokyo Racecourse. American-bred Sea Vixen (Into Mischief), the only filly in the field of 14, was a brave third.

Ridden forward by Breeders' Cup-winning jockey Yuga Kawada, Combustion raced handy to a good pace set by Sea Vixen and was glued to the fence as the field reached the midway stage. Asked for his best with 400 meters to travel, Combustion charged through inside of the front-runner a bit more than a furlong from home and held firm as Geraldo Barows, third in the course-and-distance first leg of the series, the Cattleya S. back in November, took a run at him late.

Combustion is the 36th stakes winner for GI Cigar Mile H. hero Discreet Cat and the sire's second Japanese stakes winner. Smoldering, a half-sister to three-time SW Fashionista (Jpn) (Street Sense), is the dam of a yearling full-brother to Combustion and was most recently covered by Godolphin's dual G1 Dubai World Cup hero Thunder Snow (Ire) (Helmet {Aus}).

Combined with the eight points he earned for his runner-up effort to Dry Stout (Jpn) (Sinister Minister) in the Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun in December, Combustion–who was not among the original nominees to the Triple Crown–now sits on 38 points, while Geraldo Barows took his point total to 14. Cattleya S. winner Consigliere (Jpn) (Drefong) runs in Saturday's $1.5-million Saudi Derby. The final leg of the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby is the Mar. 26 Fukuryu S. at Nakayama.

Sunday, Tokyo, Japan
HYACINTH S. (3rd Leg Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby)-Listed, ¥36,650,000 ($318,763), Tokyo, 2-20, 3yo, 1600m, 1:35.3, my.
1–COMBUSTION (JPN), 126, c, 3, by Discreet Cat
1st Dam: Smoldering (Jpn), by Pyro
2nd Dam: Aquarist (GB), by Coronado's Quest
3rd Dam: Oyster Catcher (Ire), by Bluebird
1ST STAKES WIN. O/B-Godolphin; T-Keizo Ito; J-Yuga Kawada; ¥19,315,000. Lifetime Record: 5-3-2-0, ¥63,283,000.
2–Geraldo Barows (Jpn), 123, c, 3, Sinister Minister–What a Spot, by Arch. O-Hirotsugu Inokuma; B-Hattori Bokujo; T-Ryo Terashima; J-Shu Ishibashi; ¥7,690,000.
3–Sea Vixen, 119, f, 3, Into Mischief–Sly Warrior, by First Samurai. ($130,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP; $500,000 2yo '21 OBSMAR). O-Yuji Hasegawa; B-Breeze Easy LLC (KY); T-Kazuo Fujisawa; J-Hiroshi Kitamura; ¥4,845,000.
Margins: NK, 1 1/4, HF. Odds: 2.60, 10.50, 38.10.

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Speightstown Firster Proves Gamest on Big Easy Bow

4th-Fair Grounds, $55,000, Msw, 2-19, 3yo, 6f, 1:09.58, ft, head.
MOMENTOUS (c, 3, Speightstown–Glory and Power, by Medaglia d'Oro) amassed a solid worktab at this conditioner's South Florida base at Palm Beach Downs and was sent off at just shy of 5-1, the third pick behind fellow firster and 7-5 pick Marsalis (Curlin x Hot Dixie Chick). Momentous was first to break the line from gate 10, but the favorite–a homebred half-brother to recent GIII Houston Ladies' Classic heroine Pauline's Pearl (Tapit)–was driven through by Joel Rosario to take up the running inside the opening furlong and took the field past the half-mile marker in :22.29 seconds. Momentous confronted Marsalis in earnest at the five-sixteenths and led narrowly while racing on his incorrect lead passing the eighth pole. Marsalis was in for the fight and boxed on gamely inside, but Momentous did slightly the better work and proved best by a head while remaining on his right leg under the line. The top two had some 5 1/4 lengths on Major Contender (Distorted Humor) in third. The winner is out of a full-sister to SW Dance d'Oro and hails from the deeper female family of Horses of the Year Saint Liam (Saint Ballado) and Gun Runner (Candy Ride {Arg}), as well as GISW Funtastic (More Than Ready). Momentous is bred on the highly productive cross that has been responsible for the likes of the late GISW Rock Fall, GISW Competitionofideas and additional GSWs Souper Stonehenge, Strike Power and Saturday's GIII Mineshaft S. hero Olympiad. Glory and Power is also represented by a 2-year-old Tapit colt that sold for $400,000 at KEESEP last fall and a yearling colt by Street Sense. The mare is due to Good Magic this season. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $33,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
O-WinStar Farm LLC, Bonne Chance Farm LLC & Siena Farm LLC; B-Bonne Chance Farm LLC (KY); T-Todd A Pletcher.

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Outbox Lands Amir Trophy For Watson, Doyle

A stakes winner in England and stakes-performed in France and in Sweden, Outbox (GB) (Frankel {GB}) added a stamp from Qatar to his passport for Saturday's His Highness The Amir Trophy in Doha and walked away with the lion's share of the US$1-million in prize money on offer. The Amir Trophy is one of three races contested locall that is recognized internationally as black-type eligible.

Ridden aggressively from a wide alley by Hollie Doyle, Outbox took up a pace-pressing position from second, as Qatari Gold (Lemon Drop Kid), with Tom Marquand in the irons and ostensibly in the race to set things up for 2017 winner and fellow 9-year-old stablemate Noor Al Hawa (Fr) (Makfi {GB}), was intent to lead over the very quick ground. Shadowing the front-runner's every step into the second bend, Outbox went for home 400 metres out and stayed on very gamely under energetic handling to prevail narrowly. Mutabahi (Fr) (French Fifteen {Fr}), a full-brother to last year's winner French King (GB), missed the break and endured a wide passage, but boxed on tenaciously in a luckless effort. King Power's Fox Tal (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), midfield and keen early, rallied well enough once into the clear to finish third.

Outbox made the first eight starts of his career for his breeder and Simon Crisford for a solid record of 3-2-2, but missed the entirety of the 2020 season and changed hands for 16,000gns at the Tattersalls Autumn Horses In Training Sale. Third to Al Aasy (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) in the G3 John Porter S. last April, he caused an upset when besting 2019 G1 St Leger hero Logician (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in the Listed Fred Archer S. at Newmarket last June and earned further group black-type when runner-up in the G3 Stockholm Cup International at Bro Park in September. Outbox was last seen finishing down the field in listed company over the Deauville all-weather in December.

Immaculately bred, Outbox is out of a Group 2-winning daughter of Group 1 winner Zomaradah (GB) (Deploy {GB}), whose legend has been cemented as the dam of the prolific Dubawi (Ire) (Dubai Millennium {GB}). Emirates Queen is the dam of the 3-year-old filly Emirates Empress (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}) and a yearling colt by Kingman (GB).

HH THE AMIR TROPHY (Black-Type), $1,000,000, Al Rayyan, 2-19, 4yo/up, 2400mT, 2:25.11, fm.
1–OUTBOX (GB), 128, g, 7, Frankel (GB)–Emirates Queen (GB) (GSW-Eng, GSP-Fr, $115,027), by Street Cry (Ire). (16,000gns HRA '20 TATAUT). O-Hambleton Racing Ltd XXXIII; B-Sheikh Mohammed bin Obaid al Maktoum; T-Archie Watson; J-Hollie Doyle; $570,000. Lifetime Record: SW & MGSP-Eng, GSP-Swe, SP-Fr, 25-7-5-3, $813,672. *1/2 to Royal Champion (Ire) (Shamardal), SP-Eng.
2–Mutabahi (Fr), 126, c, 4, French Fifteen (Fr)–Marina Piccola (Ire), by Halling. O-HE Sheikh Joann Bin Abdullah Bin Khalifa Al Thani; B-SCEA Haras de Victot; T-Henri-Alex Pantall; J-Olivier Peslier; $220,000.
3–Fox Tal (GB), 128, g, 6, Sea The Stars (Ire)–Maskunah (Ire), by Sadler's Wells. (475,000gns Ylg '17 TATOCT). O-King Power Racing Co Ltd; B-Rabbah Bloodstock Limited; T-Andrew Balding; J-David Probert; $110,000.
Margins: HF, 1HF, NK.

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Hidden Connection Must Overcome Draw in Rachel Alexandra

No fewer than three fillies (Untapable, 2014; Monomoy Girl, 2018; and Serengeti Empress, 2019) have used a victory in the GII Rachel Alexandra S. Presented by Fasig-Tipton as a springboard to success in the GI Kentucky Oaks, won so impressively by Rachel Alexandra in 2009. A field of 11 sophomore females will face the starter in Saturday's renewal looking to continue on the road to Louisville on the first Friday in May.

Hidden Connection (Connect) has been made the 3-1 morning-line favorite, a starting price likely inflated by her draw nearest the stands. Not that she hasn't dealt with that type of adversity before–she overcame the eight hole in a field of eight to graduate by 7 1/2 lengths on her 5 1/2-furlong debut at Colonial Aug. 17 and validated that performance with a 9 1/4-length thrashing of her rivals in the GIII Pocahotas S. Sept. 18 at Churchill, where she had gate nine of 10. While she left there running those first two starts, she bobbled at the break of the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies and never reached contention, finishing a distant fourth. The dark bay will look to give trainer Bret Calhoun a fourth winner of the race and first since Summer Applause (Harlan's Holiday) scored in 2012.

Trainer Doug O'Neill is always to be taken seriously when shipping horses into the Big Easy and is represented here by Reddam Racing's Awake At Midnyte (Nyquist). A debut winner sprinting at Santa Anita on Halloween, the $320,000 Fasig-Tipton Florida grad missed by a nose in the GIII Jimmy Durante S. going a grassy mile at Del Mar Nov. 27, but atoned with a sharp runner-up effort in the seven-furlong GII Santa Ynez S. Jan. 8. Mario Gutierrez is likely to ask for some speed from the 7-2 morning-line second pick.

Divine Huntress (Divining Rod) easily accounted for a field of Parx maidens going seven panels Dec. 13 following which Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners bought into the Maryland-bred filly. Prohibitively favored for a first-level allowance going an extended mile at the Bensalem oval Jan. 19, she took over at will with about 2 1/2 furlongs to race and shot away to score by nearly 13 lengths while never being asked to run. Jose Ortiz sees fit to take the call for trainer Graham Motion.

North County (Not This Time) is perfect in three starts to date, including a neck success in the Dec. 26 Untapable S., while the rail-drawn La Crete (Medaglia d'Oro–Cavorting) looks to add to her latest score in the Jan. 22 Silverbulletday S.

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