Tag: Jean Gros

US-Bred Group 2 Winner Returns Over Minimum Trip at Niigata

In this continuing series, Alan Carasso takes 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 Niigata Racecourse:

Sunday, July 30, 2023
11th-NII, ¥78.2m ($555k), Ibis Summer Dash-G3, 3/up, 1000mT
JEAN GROS (c, 4, More Than Ready–Goodbye Stranger, by Broad Brush), a brother to MGSW & GISP Tom's Ready, has won four of his nine starts to date, including a stunning, front-running success in last year's G2 New Zealand Trophy over the metric mile (see below, SC 6). Also a listed winner going six furlongs last term, the $130,000 Keeneland September buyback turned $265,000 OBS March breezer makes his first start since the G1 NHK Mile Cup last May in which he bombed the start, but courageously ran on from the tail to finish seventh, beaten under four lengths (video, SC 13). A winner of over $855,000 to date, Jean Gros has the services of top jockey Keita Tosaki. B-Nursery Place & Partners (KY)

 

 

 

 

12th-NII, ¥21,740,000 ($154k), Allowance, 3yo/up, 1200m
META MAX (c, 3, Into Mischief–Zapara, by Not For Love) was unplaced in a pair of starts on the turf to begin his career, but has shown marked improvement with a switch to the dirt, having amassed a record of 2-1-0 from four tries on the surface. Well beaten behind the classy Perriere (Jpn) (Henny Hughes) in the Listed Hyacinth S. this past February, the $180,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling and $1.1-million OBSMAR pinhook exits a victory in a six-furlong Chukyo allowance July 15 (video, SC 16). Both Jean Gros and Meta Max are raced by owner Susumu Fujita and trained by Hideyuki Mori. B-Brookstone Farm & Lee Mauberret (KY)

 

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International Threads in NHK Mile Cup Tapestry

Narrowly leading the market for the G1 NHK Mile Cup at Tokyo on Sunday is 4-1 shot Serifos (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}). A winner of the G3 Niigata Nisai S. and G2 Daily Hai Nisai S. at two, the relative of GI Pacific Classic hero Go Between (Point Given) lost his unbeaten tag when second in the G1 Asahi Hai Futurity S. to Do Deuce (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) last December and makes his 3-year-old bow in this competitive contest from stall four.

“He ran solo in his last piece of work on the woodchip course over five furlongs, but he went quickly,” said trainer Mitsumasa Nakauchida of the G1 Racing Company runner. “He looks good, and I can see the difference from when he was a 2-year-old. I think the distance of the race will be fine for him, and racing left-handed at Tokyo shouldn't be a problem either.”

Third in that feature was Danox Company Ltd.'s Danon Scorpion (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}). Successful in the G3 Arlington Cup at Hanshin in April, the colt is a son of Canadian Horse of the Year and three-time Classic victress Lexie Lou (Sligo Bay {Ire}), a $1-million purchase by K I Farm out of the 2016 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale.

Conditioner Yakayuki Yasuda said, “He is in good condition, and he's like Lord Kanaloa in the way that he races in a relaxed way. He is looking well in his coat, and hopefully things will go smoothly now right up to the race. A mile is probably his best distance, so I think he can run well.”

Lending strong American flavour to Sunday's event is American-bred transplant Jean Gros (More Than Ready), who hit a career high with an Apr. 9 defeat of Group 3 winner Matenro Orion (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}) in the G2 New Zealand Trophy S. over this trip at Nakayama. A full-brother to dual graded winner Tom's Ready (More Than Ready) who was also third in the GI Forego S., the Susumu Fujita silksbearer was a $130,000 Keeneland September RNA turned $265,000 OBSMAR 2-year-old acquisition by Hideyuki Mori after breezing a furlong in :10 flat. Mori and Take combined to win the 1997 edition of this race with Seeking the Pearl (Seeking the Gold), who would also strike in the G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest one year later. Jean Gros and his veteran reinsman exit lucky gate 13.

Mori said, “He is developing well, and although quite a small horse, he is getting bigger gradually. If another horse doesn't want to make the running, I think he's capable of going forward and making his own pace.”

One of five members of the fairer sex signed on, Sonnet Phrase (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}) is extremely light on starts, but after breaking her maiden at Niigata in August, she did finish second to Serifos in the Daily Hai Nisai S. in November. The Carrot Farm runner would be the first filly or mare to take this race since Aerolithe (Jpn) (Kurofune) in 2017 and she leaves from stall two.

Said trainer Takahisa Tezuka, “The Tokyo mile should suit her, and there's no reason why she can't do well with the ability she has. The pace should be strong this time, and it'll be a full field of eighteen horses, but unless we try, we won't know. I would like her to show her potential here.”

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Half to Jean Gros Tops Fasig April Digital Sale

Broodmare Wrong Color (Gemologist) topped the Fasig-Tipton April Digital Select Sale, which closed Tuesday. Consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, Agent II as hip 4, the stakes-placed earner of $122,838 was picked up by Anglo Saxon Bloodstock for $400,000. Having produced a War Front colt this term who was not part of the offering, the 6-year-old was sold on a Mar. 22 Caravaggio cover.

The mare's stock has risen of late as her 3-year-old half-brother Jean Gros (More Than Ready) capped a three-race win streak in the Apr. 9 G2 New Zealand Trophy in Japan. He is expected to next contest the G1 NHK Mile Cup. Bred and campaigned by Blackstone Farm, Wrong Color is also a half to MGSW millionaire Tom's Ready (More Than Ready).

The second-priciest lot of the digital auction was 3-year-old racing/broodmare prospect Power Surge (Straight Fire), who was last seen belying 76-1 odds to take the Evening Jewel S. for Cal-breds Apr. 9 at Santa Anita. Consigned by her trainer Blaine Wright as hip 22, Power Surge fetched $370,000 from Samantha Siegel's Jay Em Ess Stable.

“Timing is everything. We had the right horse to sell–a filly by a hot sire, just won a stake, good looking and with clean vetting. All too often this update is lost waiting for a sale,” said Jason Litt, who was one of the partners in Power Surge. “The Fasig-Tipton Digital auction platform gave us exposure to the top buyers from around the world and our filly didn't miss any training and got to sleep in her own stall. I would encourage anyone with the right horse to sell on the platform.”

Siegel said, “The digital format was seamless and easy to use, and the bidding process was exciting!”

“We were very pleased with the April Digital Sale,” said Leif Aaron, Fasig-Tipton Director of Digital Sales. “We are continuing to grow and seeing new clientele. It was great to see the spirited bidding in California and we are happy for both Samantha Siegel and the partners in Power Surge.”

Would-be topper Philanthropic (Malibu Moon) was a $590,000 RNA. Offered with her Not This Time filly foal at her side, the stakes-placed 6-year-old from the immediate family of Curlin was offered back in foal to another in-demand young stallion in Constitution. Philanthropic was consigned by Bedouin Bloodstock as hip 12.

In total, 15 horses changed hands for gross receipts of $1,664,000 at an average of $110,933.

The next Fasig-Tipton digital sale, a dispersal of the late Glen Todd's Thoroughbred holdings, will open Wednesday, Apr. 27 and conclude May 3.

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More Than Ready Colt All The Way in New Zealand Trophy

Given a perfectly rationed ride from the front by the evergreen Yutaka Take, Jean Gros (More Than Ready) became the first winner at group level in Japan for his legendary sire in Saturday's $841,637 G2 New Zealand Trophy at Nakayama, a steppingstone to next month's G1 NHK Mile Cup at Tokyo Racecourse.

The 6-1 third favourite off a stalk-and-pounce success in listed company over 1200 metres Feb. 27, the full-brother to MGSW & GISP Tom's Ready was kicked straight into the lead from gate six and led through reasonable fractions of :23.5 for the opening quarter-mile and :46.8 for the first 800 metres. Going comfortably on the single right-handed turn, Jean Gros turned for home after six furlongs in 1:10.5 and finished strongly to cross the line a head better than favoured Matenro Orion (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}). The latter, drawn gate one, was maneuvered to the outside past halfway and was forced to take the overland route on the bend. He kicked hard in the stretch, but could not quite overhaul the leader in the dying strides. Lubeck (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}), a full-brother to the globetrotting Deirdre (Jpn), was third. Take was riding his first winner of the race since landing the 2004 renewal–also for trainer Hideyuki Mori–atop fellow American-bred Seeking the Dia (Storm Cat). The 2021 winner was Bathrat Leon (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}), upset winner of the G2 Godolphin Mile Mar. 26.

Pedigree Notes:

Jean Gros is the 98th worldwide graded/group winner for WinStar's More Than Ready, still going strong at the age of 25.

Blackstone Farm acquired Goodbye Stranger carrying the foal that would become Tom's Ready for $40,000 at Keeneland January in 2013 and also bred the stakes-placed Wrong Color (Gemologist) from the mare before selling her to Nursery Place for $120,000 with Jean Gros in utero at KEEJAN in 2019.

Entered for but withdrawn from the Keeneland November Sale  eight months after his foaling date of Mar. 2, Jean Gros was bought back by John Mayer's operation on a bid of $130,000 at Keeneland September the following fall. Turned over to consignor Al Pike, the bay was knocked down to Mori for $265,000 at last year's OBS March Sale after breezing an eighth of a mile in :10 flat.

Mori, whose success with traveling American-bred gallopers is well-documented, signed for eight horses for over $2.2 million at OBS last March, including the $750,000 topper now named Clos de Mesnil (Practical Joke). She is a maiden winner from four starts to date. Six of the eight have won at least one race.

Barren to Arrogate for 2020, Goodbye Stranger is the dam of a yearling filly by Audible and is due to Horse of the Year Authentic this season.

 

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