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 Wednesday's first JRA meetings of 2022 at Chukyo and Nakayama Racecourses:
Wednesday, January 5, 2022 4th-NKY, ¥11,400,000 ($99k), Newcomers, 3yo, 1800m WONDERFUL HEAVEN (f, 3, Hard Spun–Couture Cat, by Storm Cat), a half-sister to SP High Fashion Diva (Girolamo), is out of a winning daughter of GSW & MGISP Runway Model (Petionville), the dam of four-time Grade I winner, 'TDN Rising Star' and current Gainesway stallion McKinzie (Street Sense). A $52K purchase at Keeneland November in 2019, the late January foal matured into a $180K KEESEP yearling the following fall. Wonderful Heaven is bred on the same Hard Spun cross over Storm Cat responsible for MGISW Hard Not to Like. B-Kenneth & Sarah Ramsey (KY)
12th-CKO, ¥21,110,000 ($183k), Allowance, 4yo/up, 1400m LEMON POP (c, 4, Lemon Drop Kid–Unreachable, by Giant's Causeway) won the first two starts of his career, including the Cattleya S. (allowance) in November 2020, and most recently returned from a 13-month layoff to finish a strong second going this distance at Hanshin Dec. 12. A $70K KEENOV acquisition by Paca Paca Farm on behalf of Godolphin in 2018, the chestnut is a maternal grandson of MGSW Harpia (Danzig), a full-sister to the legendary Danehill as well as MGSW Eagle Eyed and GSW Shibboleth. B-Mr & Mrs Oliver S Tait (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 weekend running at Hanshin and Nakayama Racecourses. Sunday's Boxing Day program at Nakayama features the world's biggest betting race annually, the G1 Arima Kinen, in which Chrono Genesis (Jpn) (Bago {Fr}) will look close her career on a winning note in defense of her title:
Saturday, December 25, 2021 4th-NKY, ¥9,680,000 ($85k), Maiden, 2yo, 1800m DREAM AGENDA (f, 2, Curlin–Gender Agenda {GB}, by Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) was sent off the 8-5 favorite for her Sept. 18 bow over a sloppy local course and distance and gave a strong account of herself with a runner-up effort. A $200K buyback at Keeneland September last fall, the bay is the first foal from her Grade III-winning dam, herself a half-sister to the dam of champion and G1SW Pretty Pollyanna (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}). The third dam includes European Horse of the Year User Friendly (GB) (Slip Anchor {GB}). Gender Agenda was sold on for $55K in foal to More Than Ready at KEENOV last month. B-Profoal Partners 7 LLC (KY)
7th-NKY, ¥13,830,000 ($121k), Allowance, 2yo, 1200m FREUD SENSE (c, 2, Street Sense–Fenwick Hall, by Freud) made light work of his debut assignment Dec. 5, easily accounting for a field of newcomers over this track and trip by five lengths as the 9-10 chalk (see below, SC 7) and figures tough right back. A $110K KEESEP RNA last year, the New York-bred, produced by a stakes-placed full-sister to MSW Miss Narcissist, fetched $160K at this year's OBS March Sale. B-Final Furlong Racing Stable (NY)
9th-HSN, ¥19,110,000 ($167k), Allowance, 2yo, 1400mT SEA VIXEN (f, 2, Into Mischief–Sly Warrior, by First Samurai) placed twice from three starts on the turf to begin her career, but most recently switched to the dirt and galloped to a seven-length graduation at Tokyo Nov. 28 (see below, SC 2). That success notwithstanding, the $130K KEESEP yearling turned $500K OBSMAR breezer gets back on the grass this weekend. In addition to the ability she has already demonstrated, she has some pedigree for it, as her is a half-sister to SP Pull Dancer (Alywow), whose son Good Samaritan (Harlan's Holiday) was a two-time graded winner on dirt, but also took the GII Summer S. on the turf. B-Breeze Easy LLC (KY)
Sunday, December 26, 2021 4th-HSN, ¥13,400,000 ($117k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1800m GONE QUEST (c, 2, Quality Road–Gone Callin, by Proud Citizen) is out of an unraced half-sister to champion Caledonia Road (Quality Road), who was purchased by Nathan McCauley for $55K at KEEJAN in 2018. Put in foal to the Lane's End star, Gone Callin was reoffered at KEENOV that fall, hammering for $280K. The mare's first foal, Gone Quest was RNA'd for $225K at KEESEP last fall and again for $145K at FTKOCT. Caledonia Road, whose half-brother Officiating (Blame) recently took out the GIII Mr. Prospector S., also resides in Japan, where her filly foal by Justify fetched $1.22m at this year's JRHA Select Sale. B-Chiyoda Farm (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 weekend running at Hanshin and Tokyo Racecourses. Click here for a preview of Sunday's G1 Longines Japan Cup at Tokyo, which has drawn four of the last six winners of the course-and-distance G1 Tokyo Yushun. Last year's Triple Crown hero Contrail (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) will start a warm favorite over this year's Derby winner Shahryar (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}):
Saturday, November 27, 2021 5th-HSN, ¥13,400,000 ($118k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1600mT HYPER STORM (f, 2, Stormy Atlantic–Queen's Turf {Jpn}, by Deep Impact {Jpn}) is the first produce for her dam, purchased for nearly $490K as a foal at the 2012 JRHA Select Sales who made a successful career debut as the favorite in a 1400-meter newcomers event on the dirt at this track nearly seven years ago. The May foal's second dam is a full-sister to Furioso (Jpn) (Brian's Time), a nine-time stakes winner and runner-up in the G1 February S. on the dirt in Japan. B-Winchester Farm (KY)
6th-TOK, ¥13,400,000 ($118k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1600m SUCCESS LAUREL (JPN) (c, 2, Mastery–Courtesan, by Street Sense) is the first Japanese-foaled produce out of her dam, a two-time stakes winner and twice Grade III-placed on the turf for Ramona Bass and Christophe Clement. Purchased in utero for $250K at KEENOV in 2018, the bay was knocked down for better than $426K as a yearling at the 2020 Hokkaido Summer Yearling Sale, the third-priciest of his freshman sire (by Candy Ride {Arg})'s first-crop yearlings reported as sold. Pretty Discreet (Private Account), the dam of GISW sire and 'TDN Rising Star' Discreet Cat (Forestry), GISW Discreetly Mine (Mineshaft) and SW & MGISP Pretty Wild (Wild Again) serves as the colt's third dam. B-Oshima Bokujo
6th-HSN, ¥13,400,000 ($118k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1800m SHAILENE (f, 2, Arrogate–Amen Hallelujah, by Montbrook), a $150K KEESEP yearling acquisition, was knocked down to Katsumi Yoshida for an even $1 million at this year's OBS April sale–second in price only to likely champion 'TDN Rising Star' and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile hero Corniche (Quality Road)–after breezing an eighth of a mile in :10 flat. MGSW and four-time Grade I-placed Amen Hallelujah was purchased by the Courtelis's Town & Country for $950K in foal to Distorted Humor at KEENOV in 2013. She changed hands for $80K pregnant to Union Rags at the same auction last year and was RNAd for $135K at this year's KEENOV sale. B-Town & Country Horse Farms LLC (KY)
FOOLISH HOBBY (f, 2, Arrogate–Flatter Up, by Flatter) gives her sire a second crack at a third Japanese winner in this same heat. A daughter of the Grade III-placed Flatter Up, the gray was sold for $260K at last year's Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearling Showcase and made $450K at the auction house's Gulfstream Sale after covering two furlongs in a slick :21 1/5 (see below). The filly's granddam, Tenacious Tina (Benchmark), who is responsible for MGSP Tina Tina (Paddy O'Prado), is a half-sister to young sire and GISW Midnight Storm (Pioneerof the Nile). Three Chimneys purchased Flatter Up with this foal in utero for $300K at KEENOV in 2018. B-Three Chimneys Farm LLC (KY)
Saturday, November 28, 2021 5th-TOK, ¥14,360,000 ($127k), Allowance, 3yo/up, 1600m ISHTAR (JPN) (f, 3, American Pharoah–Mohini {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) is a full-sister to U.S.-bred Pista, a Group 3 winner in England and Group 1-placed in France, whose dam was covered once again by American Pharoah before her export to Japan in 2017. The bay filly is out of a daughter of champion Denebola (Storm Cat), granddam of G1 Prix de Diane heroine Senga (Blame) and SW Bolting (War Front), while her champion third dam Coup de Genie (Mr. Prospector)–a full-sister to Machiavellian–was responsible for the dam of Japanese-based sire Bago (Fr) (Nashwan), G1SW Maxios (GB) (Monsun {Ger}) and SW/MGSP Beta (GB) (Selkirk). B-Northern Farm
4th-Jebel Ali, AED60,000, Maiden, 2yo, 1000m, 1:00.21, ft. RAZEEN DUBAI (c, 2, Frosted–War Poppy, by Discreet Cat) opened his account in promising fashion at first asking Friday at Jebel Ali. Given a positive ride by Royston Ffrench, the Pennsylvania-bred stayed on strongly up the rise through the final stages to defeat Classic City (Constitution) by a convincing five lengths. The winner's dam, a daughter of the classy War Thief (Lord At War {Arg}), was purchased for $85,000 in foal to Animal Kingdom at Keeneland November in 2017. She is also the dam of a yearling colt by Runhappy, a weanling colt by Palace Malice and was most recently covered by Flatter. Sales history: $18,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP; €69,600 2yo '21 ARQMAY. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $9,803. Click for the Emiratesracing.com chart.
O-Saeed Sultan Al Rahoomi; B-Jon A Marshall (PA); T-Salem bin Ghadayer.
