Time to analyze the 2021 Preakness Stakes field, in post position order, in the form of Haiku; a Japanese poem of 17 syllables, in three lines of five, seven, and five.
To read previous editions of The Haiku Handicapper, click here.
#1 Ram
Crabcakes are yummy
D. Wayne loves taking swings here
At least he'll eat well
#2 – Keepmeinmind
Punched up at Churchill
Still chasing last season's form
He could hit the board
#3 – Medina Spirit
It doesn't matter
How I think the horse will run
None of us needs this
#4 – Crowded Trade
High-upside hopeful
Needs pacesetters to come back
To be a “win” threat
#5 – Midnight Bourbon
Has talent to hang
If Irad keeps him going
In the last furlong
#6 – Rombauer
The crystal ball shows
Plenty of future triumphs
In Grade 2 races
#7 – France Go de Ina
A fun diversion
But there's just not a lot here
To rouse confidence
#8 – Unbridled Honor
A far-back closer
Change to Saez might provide
A little more “oomph”
#9 – Risk Taking
Skipped the Peter Pan
For a shot at a classic
Lesser Chad Brown horse
#10 – Concert Tour
Prep he should have crushed
Is coming back quite harmless
Just how good is he?
Prediction
Concert Tour runs off
No one feels good about it
Five, eight fill the tri
Having run with credit when fourth trying the 2000-metres for the first time in the G1 Osaka Hai last month, champion Gran Alegria (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) returns to a much more manageable trip as the warm favourite for the G1 Victoria Mile at the Fuchu Racecourse in Tokyo. The race serves as a 'Win and You're In' qualifier for the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Del Mar in November.
After taking down the colours of 2020 Victoria Mile heroine and former Horse of the Year Almond Eye (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) for a female 1-2 in the G1 Yasuda Kinen over this course and distance last June, the daughter of US MGISW Tapitsfly (Tapit) bested future G1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint winner Danon Smash (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) in the G1 Sprinters' S. (1200m) in October. The bay closed out a magnificent season with an eye-catching success in the G1 Mile Championship and, having passed on the G1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen, was first-up in the Osaka Hai, in which easy underfoot conditions blunted her otherwise stinging late run and she could do no better than a meritorious fourth to the unbeaten Lei Papale (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}). She is drawn nicely in gate six, with Christophe Lemaire back in the boot.
“The horse is calm and has done what I expected,” commented trainer Kazuo Fujisawa. “Last time the distance and the ground went against her, but she still ran pretty well. She'll be back at Tokyo and over a mile, where she's had success.”
Terzetto (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) carries the Silk Racing colours same as Almond Eye and is the 1600-metre doppelganger of Lei Papale. Five-for-six in her career, with her only defeat coming over 10 furlongs, the bay has won four on the trot, including a fast-finishing tally against the boys in the G3 Lord Derby Challenge Trophy going this distance at Nakayama Apr. 3.
“She's looked good in training, moving well, and she displays her natural ability,” said trainer Shoichiro Wada. “It won't be easy against the strong horses here, but she handles challenges well, and it will be interesting to see what she can do. She'll be going into the race in good condition.”
Terzetto is out of a half-sister to Loves Only You (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), recent winner of the G1 FWD QE II Cup at Sha Tin in Hong Kong.
Des Ailes (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), a daughter of 2014 G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches and Prix de Diane winner Avenir Certain (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}), found the Oaks distance of 2400 metres a task too tall last season, but has found her niche over shorter trips and enters this return to Group 1 company off a neck defeat of Magic Castle (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in the se-restricted G2 Hanshin Himba S. going the metric mile Apr. 10.
Resistencia (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}), an unlucky runner-up in the Takamatsunomiya Kinen at the end of March, fits with these on class, but drew miserably in stall 18 and is accordingly double digits in the market
The third and final session of the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale under tack show featured four juveniles that breezed an eighth of a mile in :10 seconds flat to tie for the fastest time of the day.
Hip 394, a Maclean's Music colt out of the Grade 3-placed stakes-winning Storm Boot mare Coco Belle, whose six winners from seven foals to race includes stakes winner Cofactor and stakes-placed Coco Tiger. The colt sells as property of Shamrock Stable.
Hip 477, a first-crop Midnight Storm colt out of the stakes-placed Lit de Justice mare Freedom Come. The colt is a half-brother to Grade 3 winner Harlem Rocker, and he's consigned by James Layden, agent.
Hip 515, a Palace filly out of the Bluegrass Cat mare Honky Tonk Angel. The filly is a sibling to stakes-placed Tapiz Dream, and she's consigned by Top Line Sales, agent.
Hip 524, a Nyquist colt who is the first foal out of the winning Speightstown mare In It For the Gold. The New York-bred's second dam is the Grade 1-placed stakes winner All Due Respect. He is consigned by Wavertree Stables, agent.
Thursday's fastest worker at a quarter-mile was Hip 550, an Empire Maker colt who covered the distance in :21 4/5 seconds.
The bay colt is out of the Orientate mare Lady Pewitt, making him a half-brother to champion Jaywalk Grade 3-placed stakes winner Danzatrice. Grade 2 winner Mission Impazible is also in the extended family of this colt, who is consigned by de Meric Sales, agent.
The Fasig-Tipton Midlantic sale will take place May 17-18, with each session beginning at 11 a.m. Eastern.
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 Chukyo, Niigata and Tokyo Racecourses. The weekend's feature takes place at headquarters, where champion Gran Alegria (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}–Tapitsfly) figures a firm favorite for the G1 Victoria Mile:
Sunday, May 16, 2021 5th-TOK, ¥13,830,000 ($126k), Allowance, 3yo, 1600mT VANISHING POINT (f, 3, Tapit–Unrivaled Belle, by Unbridled's Song), the full-sister to two-time Eclipse Award and three-time Grade I winner Unique Bella, graduated by seven lengths at first asking over the metric mile and a quarter last August (see below, gate 7), but went off form thereafter and reboots here at the shortest trip of her career with Christophe Lemaire signed on. The $1.5-million Keeneland September grad is out of the 2010 GI Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic winner–acquired by Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm for $3.8 million in foal to Tapit at KEENOV in 2016–and second dam Queenie Belle (Bertrando) was a two-time winner at the graded level. B-Whisper Hill Farm LLC (KY)
5th-CKO, ¥13,830,000 ($126k), Allowance, 3yo, 1800m MOON BEAD (JPN) (f, 3, American Pharoah–Evening Jewel, by Northern Afleet) debuted victoriously in a 1400-meter newcomers' event on the turf last October (see below, gate 18), but was unplaced in two subsequent tries and returns from a four-month break to try the dirt for the first time. The filly's dam, a Grade I winner on turf and synthetic, went within a pixel of upsetting the 2010 GI Kentucky Oaks and was sold for $950K in foal to Pioneerof the Nile at KEENOV in 2016. The dam of the SP Bernadiva (Bernardini), Evening Jewel is a half-sister to Japanese SW Deep Jewelry (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and to the dam of GISW Denman's Call (Northern Afleet) and GSP Torosay (Goldencents). B-Shadai Farm
7th-NII, ¥14,360,000 ($131k), Allowance, 4yo/up, 1200m DYLAN'S SONG (c, 4, Summer Front–Poetic Riches, by Songandaprayer) overcame a world of trouble to break his maiden at second asking right around this time last year and was unplaced in his lone appearance since, a six-furlong allowance at Nakayama Jan. 17. Produced by a half-sister to MGSP Hard Seven (Rock Hard Ten), Dylan's Song was a $47K short yearling at KEEJAN in 2018 and was bought back for $75K at KEESEP before realizing $130K at OBS March in 2019. B-Erin Knehr & Catalyst Bloodstock (KY)
10th-TOK, ¥34,200,000 ($312k), Open Class, 3yo, 1600m SATONO MUSTANG (c, 3, Mineshaft–Mare and Cher, by Old Fashioned) won his maiden second time out at this track last November and tacked on a first-level allowance in February (see below, gate 6), but may have struggled with a rain-affected track when ninth at Chukyo Mar. 13. A $25K KEESEP yearling turned $150K OBSMAR breezer, the dark bay is out of a winning half-sister to SW & MGSP Fight On (Into Mischief) and GSP Two Weeks Off (Harlan's Holiday). B-Haymarket Farm LLC (KY)
REFRAME (f, 3, American Pharoah–Careless Jewel, by Tapit) became an instant Internet sensation with a dramatic first-out victory last July (see below, gate 15) and made it two straight with an allowance score in October. Unplaced, but not disgraced in three tries at group level, the $410K KEESEP purchase switches to the dirt for the first time and has the license to do so on pedigree, as her free-running dam was a three-time GSW on the surface, including the GI Alabama S. in 2009. B-Summer Wind Equine LLC (KY)
