Four Wheel Drive, the winner of the 2019 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, has been retired from racing, sold to Japan's Thoroughbred Breeders Club, and he will begin stud duty in that country in 2021, BloodHorse reports.
The 4-year-old colt from the first crop of Triple Crown winner American Pharoah ends his career with three wins in four starts, and earnings of $693,385. He was trained by Wesley Ward for owner Breeze Easy LLC.
Four Wheel Drive went unbeaten in three starts during his juvenile season, winning the Rosie's Stakes at Colonial Downs in his debut, then taking the G3 Futurity Stakes before winning the inaugural Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Santa Anita Park. He raced only once at three, finishing seventh in a Churchill Downs allowance.
Bred in Kentucky by Glenvale Stud, Four Wheel Drive is out of the stakes-winning More Than Ready mare Funfair
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 weekend running at Chukyo and Nakayama Racecourses:
Saturday, January 16, 2021 7th-CKO, ¥14,360,000 ($138k), Allowance, 4yo/up, 1200m LA LA CHRYSAOR (h, 5, Speightstown–Lindy, by War Front) made a huge impression when graduating by 10 1/2 lengths on debut as the 6-5 favorite just over two years ago (video, gate 5), but has been missing since a third in his first attempt versus winners the following April. A $325K Keeneland September purchase in 2017, the bay is out of a stakes-placed dam who was led out unsold on a bid of $320K with this foal in utero at KEENOV in 2015. La La Chrysaor’s now juvenile half-brother Mean Jakey (Violence) fetched $340K at KEESEP last fall. B-Ranjan Racing Inc (KY)
Sunday, January 17, 2021 4th-CKO, ¥11,400,000 ($110k), Newcomers, 3yo, 1800m SEOJOON (c, 3, Liam’sMap–Tiz Champ, by Tiznow) is the second foal to make the races from his dam, a daughter of Salt Champ (Arg) (Salt Lake), a three-time Group 1 winner at home and victorious in the GI Santa Monica H. in this country. Tiz Champ is a half-sister to Champ Pegasus (Fusaichi Pegasus), winner of the GI Clement L. Hirsch Memorial Turf Championship and second to Dangerous Midge (Lion Heart) in the 2010 GI Breeders’ Cup Turf at Churchill Downs. Seojoon was hammered down for $110K at KEESEP. B-Arturo Vargas (KY)
4th-NKY, ¥11,400,000 ($110k), Newcomers, 3yo, 1800m COSMIC MIND (c, 3, Into Mischief–Mystical Star, by Ghostzapper), a $280K KEESEP acquisition, is out of Cheyenne Stables’ wire-to-wire winner of the grassy GII New York S. in 2012 who also gained Grade I black-type when runner-up in that year’s Juddmonte Spinster S. over the Keeneland Polytrack. The colt’s third dam Degenerate Gal (Degenerate) was a three-time GSW around two turns and was placed in the GI Shuvee H. B-Candy Meadows LLC (KY)
ERIE TESORO (f, 3, California Chrome-Celtic Chant, by Songandaprayer) cost $130K as a KEENOV weanling in 2018 before improving into a $235K KEESEP yearling the following year. Her stakes-winning dam has already been responsible for the Grade III-placed Irish Mischief (Into Mischief), while the deeper female family includes MGISW Vicar (Wild Again) and his stakes-winning half-sister Sheepscot (Easy Goer), the dam of 2007 G1 Poule d’Essai des Poulains hero Astronomer Royal (Danzig) and U.S. GSW Navesink River (Unbridled). B-Clarkland Farm LLC (KY)
11th-NKY, Keisei Hai-G3, ¥72,000,000 ($694k), 3yo, 2000mT BLACK LOTUS (c, 3, American Pharoah–Arravale, by Arch) made the most of his career debut–on the dirt, somewhat surprisingly–scoring narrowly over the metric nine furlongs at this venue Dec. 20 (see below, SC 12). The $200K KEESEP graduate is beautifully bred for the surface switch, as his dam was Canada’s Horse of the Year and champion grass mare and has produced GII Natalma S. third-place finisher Nancy O (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}). American Pharoah’s GI QE II Challenge Cup winner and GI Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Third Harvey’s Lil Goil has a second dam by Arch. Merriebelle Stable acquired Arravale for $490K in foal to Animal Kingdom at KEENOV in 2016. B-Merriebelle Stable LLC (KY)
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’s at Chukyo Racecourse:
Sunday, January 10, 2021 6th-CKO, ¥11,400,000 ($110k), Newcomers, 3yo, 1400m KOGOMEYUKI (f, 3, Liam’s Map–Toast of Mayfair, by Speightstown) was purchased by Masatake Iida for $150K as a KEENOV weanling and is out of a winning daughter of 2006 GI Spinaway S. winner Appealing Zophie (Successful Appeal), the dam of 2017 GI Belmont S. winner and young sire Tapwrit (Tapit), GSW Ride a Comet (Candy Ride {Arg}) and ‘TDN Rising Star’ Inject (Frosted). Christophe Lemaire has been lured to ride. B-Fred W Hertrich III, John D Fielding & Robert L Tribbett (KY)
MOZU TIARA (f, 3, Honor Code–Myriad, by Ghostzapper), a half-sister to GSP Markitoff (Giant’s Causeway), is the fourth foal to make the races for her stakes-placed dam, a half-sister to Grade III winner Atticus Kristy (Atticus), MSW & MGSP Distorted Reality (Distorted Humor) and SW Fiery Dancer (Atticus). Also from the family of GSW & MGISP Calculator and former New York-based sire A. P Jet, Mozu Tiara was a $10K graduate of the 2019 KEESEP sale. B-Alpha Delta Stable LLC (KY)
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 Saturday running at Chukyo Racecourse. A pair of US-bred runners entered for Sunday’s races and making their career debuts at Chukyo will feature in Saturday’s TDN:
Saturday, January 9, 2021 6th-CKO, ¥11,400,000 ($110k), Newcomers, 3yo, 1600mT GALLANT MANNER (c, 3, More Than Ready–River Cruise, by Not For Love) debuts in the Godolphin blue and was acquired by Harry Sweeney’s Paca Paca Farm for $320K at Keeneland November in 2018, the most expensive of eight of this legendary sire’s foals reported as sold that year. A full-brother to SW More Than a Cruise and a half to SP Oriental Cruise (Orientate), the February foal is out of a dual stakes-winning half-sister to GSW Secret River (Secret Odds). B-Athens Woods LLC & More Than Ready Syndicate (KY)
7th-CKO, ¥13,830,000 ($133k), Allowance, 3yo, 1800m SKY NILE (f, 3, Pioneerof the Nile–Joyful Victory, by Tapit) looks to take her record to two wins from two starts, having broken her maiden by 3 1/2 lengths at Nakayama Dec. 6 (video, gate 12). A half-sister to SP Jennifer’s Dream (Medaglia d’Oro) and SP Saqqara King (American Pharoah), the gray is the last US-bred produce for her Grade I-winning dam, who was acquired privately from Aaron and Marie Jones in 2017. The mare’s foal of 2019, an American-bred, but Japanese-foaled colt by Kitten’s Joy, fetched ¥105m ($982,202) from Danox Co. at last year’s JRHA Select Yearling Sale. B-Teruya Yoshida
PARADISUM (c, 3, Medaglia d’Oro-Taste of Heaven {Aus}, by Encosta de Lago {Aus}) tries winners for the first time after graduating impressively over this distance at Kyoto Oct. 31 (see below, gate 1). The colt’s dam, an A$1.5m ($1.389m) purchase by James Harron Bloodstock out of the 2014 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale, is a full-brother to G1SW sire Manhattan Rain (Aus) and SW & G1SP Echoes of Heaven (Aus); and is a half-brother to the legendary Redoute’s Choice (Aus) (Danehill), G1SW Platinum Scissors (Aus) and to GSW Sliding Cube (Aus) (Rock of Gibraltar {Ire}), the dam of ‘TDN Rising Star’ and successful young sire Rubick (Aus) (Encosta de Lago {Aus}). Paradisum, a half-brother to Canadian Grade III winner and $625K KEESEP grad Heavenly Curlin (Curlin), was bought back on a bid of $235K as a KEENOV weanling and fetched $400K at KEESEP in 2019. B-Elevage II LLC (KY)
