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Twirling Candy’s $900k Pikari Steps Up To Listed Company in Japan

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 weekend running at Kyoto and Tokyo Racecourses. Group 1 racing returns to Japan this weekend with Sunday's running of the G1 February S., whose defending champion Lemon Pop (Lemon Drop Kid) swerves the race in favor of next weekend's G1 Saudi Cup. The co-featured Listed Hyacinth S. is the third of the four races on the Japan Road to the Triple Crown and includes the expensive US-bred 3-year-old filly Pikari (Twirling Candy):

Saturday, February 17, 2024
1st-TOK, ¥10,480,000 ($70k), Maiden, 3yo, f, 1400m
COLLEVILLE (JPN) (f, 3, Omaha Beach–Tiz a Chick, by Tiznow), who was purchased for $200,000 in utero by J S Company at the 2020 Keeneland November Sale, is out of an own sister to 2009 GII Demoiselle S. heroine Tizahit, who has since gone on to produce GI Ballerina S. winner Come Dancing (Malibu Moon), GSP So Darn Hot (Ghostzapper) and the dam of SW & MGSP Skipalute (Midnight Lute). This is also the female family of Tiznow's champion 2-year-old filly Folklore, multiple Eclipse Award winner Essential Quality (Tapit) and Japanese Triple Crown winner and Horse of the Year Contrail (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}). B-Kazuyoshi Yamagami

4th-KYO, ¥11,850,000 ($79k), Newcomers, 3yo, 1800m
KENJO (c, 3, Gun Runner–Be Fair, by Exchange Rate) is a half-brother to 2022 GI Del Mar Debutante S. winner And Tell Me Nolies (Arrogate) whose Grade III-winning and GI Apple Blossom H.-placed dam was purchased for $35,000 with this colt in utero at the 2021 OBS January Sale. An April foal, Kenjo also made an appearance at OBS, selling for $200,000 at last year's April Sale, having made $150,000 as a weanling at Keeneland November in 2021. Be Fair is a half-sister to GISW Macho Again (Macho Uno). B-Lara Run LLC (KY)

4th-TOK, ¥11,850,000 ($79k), Newcomers, 3yo, 1600m
WIDE ETOILE (f, 3, Justify–Overheard, by Macho Uno) is the latest to the races for her dam, a two-time graded winner on the grass for the late Josephine Abercrombie's Pin Oak Stud and trainer Malcolm Pierce. A daughter of SW Whisper To Me (Thunder Gulch) and from the extended family of the Grade I-winning juvenile filly Confessional (Holy Bull), Overheard was purchased by Arch Bloodstock for $300,000 in foal to McKinzie out of the Pin Oak sale at Fasig-Tipton and produced a colt in 2022 who has since been sent to Russia. Overheard passed away in 2022. B-The Justify Syndicate & Pin Oak Stud LLC (KY)

Sunday, February 18, 2024
9th-TOK, Hyacinth S.-Listed, ¥36,200,000 ($241k), 3yo, 1600m
PIKARI (f, 3, Twirling Candy–Laudation, by Congrats) fetched $265,000 from Redwings Enterprises at the 2022 Keeneland September Sale before blossoming into a $900,000 OBS March breezer that was purchased by trainer Hideyuki Mori for owner Susumu Fujita. Placed once from three starts on the grass to begin her career, she switched to the dirt for the first time in her most recent appearance and managed to break her maiden going six furlongs (see below, SC 9). She tries a one-turn mile in this spot. Pikari's dam is a daughter of GSW Rite Moment (Vicar), herself responsible for the Group 3-winning 'TDN Rising Star' Mimi Kakushi (City of Light) and dual stakes winner Moment Is Right (Medaglia d'Oro). Woods Edge Farm acquired Laudation for $150,000 with this filly in utero at KEENOV in 2020. B-Woods Edge Farm LLC (KY)

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Justify’s Awesome Result Remains Perfect at Kyoto

11th-Kyoto, ¥42,190,000 ($284,065), Allowance, 4yo/up, 1900m, 1:57.4, ft.
AWESOME RESULT (f, 4, Justify–Blossomed, by Deputy Minister), a maiden winner in a single juvenile appearance in 2022, was perfect in her three trips to the races last season, including a victory over 2100 metres at Tokyo Nov. 18. A touch unprepared at the break of this 4-year-old return, the bay was accordingly off a half-step slowly and was consigned to the latter third of the field for the run around the first turn. Yutaka Take slipped her some rein and asked her to improve into about midfield down the backstretch, and she sustained that rally to draw closer at the 600-meter pole. Forced to cover significant ground, Awesome Result nevertheless came to win the race a furlong from home and outslugged the SW & G1SP second favorite Hapi (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) to remain unbeaten by 3/4 of a length while in receipt of nine pounds from the runner-up. “I did not ask her for much in the early stages and she had no problem handling the kickback,” said Take. “She responded very well when we turned for home, but she lost a bit of focus when she hit the front. With only five career starts, she has lots of room for improvement.” Gabriel Duignan's Springhouse Farm purchased the unraced Blossomed for $425,000 in foal to Honor Code at the 2018 Keeneland November sale a few months after the mare's 2-year-old daughter Sippican Harbor (Orb, $262,650) upset the GI Spinaway S. at Saratoga. She is also the dam of GSP Bodacious Babe (Mineshaft)–whose daughter Royal Spa (Violence) was second in the American Beauty S. Feb. 3–and Ju Taro (Arrogate), a three-time winner in Japan. Blossomed, a half-sister to Grade III winner Cinemine (Mining), is also responsible for a 2-year-old full-brother to Awesome Result. Lifetime Record: 5-5-0-0, $459,989.
O-Insel Racing; B-Orpendale/Chelston/Wynatt (KY); T-Yasutoshi Ikee.

WATCH: Awesome Result makes it five in a row

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Yuugiri Half-Brother Kicks Off Career at Kyoto

Saturday, February 3, 2024
4th-KYO, ¥11,850,000 ($81k), Newcomers, 3yo, 1800m
AIR SAMSARA (c, 3, Nyquist–Yuzuru, by Medaglia d'Oro) is the latest to the races out of this stakes-winning dam, whose daughter Yuugiri (Shackleford) pieced together a very productive 4-year-old season in 2023, winning the GII Thoroughbred Club of America S. ahead of a gallant runner-up effort behind repeat champion Goodnight Olive (Ghostzapper) in the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint. According to Winchester Farm's Dr. Naoya Yoshida, Yuugiri has been retired and is booked to Elite Power for the upcoming breeding season. The family has served these breeders very well, as Yuzuru's half-sister Nokaze (Empire Maker) has bred five winners from five starters–all in Japan–including Group 2 scorer Air Almas (Majestic Warrior) and Air Fanditha (Hat Trick {Jpn}), a two-time listed stakes winner. The colt's third dam Angelic Song (Halo) was a full-sister to Devil's Bag, Saint Ballado, et al. B-Sekie & Tsunebumi Yoshihara (KY)

5th-TOK, ¥11,850,000 ($81k), Newcomers, 3yo, 1600mT
RAINBOW TOPAZ (JPN) (c, 3, Ghostzapper–Lady Dyna, by Tapit), a $125,000 in-utero purchase at Keeneland November in 2020, is a maternal grandson of Dr. John Chandler's Dynaforce (Dynaformer), a stakes winner and Group 2-placed in France for Andre Fabre and later winner of the GI Beverly D. S. and GI Flower Bowl S. while under the care of Bill Mott upon her repatriation to the U.S. The dam of English SW & GSP Aljezeera (GB) (Frankel {GB}), Dynaforce is kin to 12 winners out of Aletta Maria (Diesis {GB}), including MGISW Cetewayo (His Majesty), GSW & GISP Bowman Mill (Kris S.), SW Ntombi (Quiet American) and De Aar (Gone West), the MGSP dam of three-time graded winner and multiple Grade I-placed Willcox Inn (Harlan's Holiday). B-Yuki Dendo

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Debuting Fillies To The Fore This Weekend in Japan

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–all filllies–including three in a single race at Kyoto as well as Nakayama:

Saturday, January 20, 2024
3rd-NKY, ¥11,850,000 ($80k), Newcomers, 3yo, 1200m
ROLY GLORY (f, 3, Justify–Roly Poly, by War Front) is the first foal from her dam, winner in England of the G1 Falmouth S. and G1 Sun Chariot S. and the G1 Prix Rothschild in France. Second dam Misty For Me (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) won the 2011 G1 Irish 1000 Guineas and has since gone on to excel in her second career, producing champion and treble Group 1 winner U S Navy Flag (War Front) and Cover Song (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), a $2.1-million buyback at Keeneland November last fall. This is also the family of G1 Prix Marcel Boussac heroine Ballydoyle (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), whose progeny include the listed-winning Monday (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) and Group 3 winner Red Riding Hood (Ire) (Justify), one of the sire's 17 worldwide winners at the group/graded level from just the two crops to race. B-Orpendale/Chelston/Wynatt (KY)

Sunday, January 21, 2024
2nd-KYO, ¥11,850,000 ($80k), Newcomers, 3yo, 1800m
G T SPEED (f, 3, Into Mischief–Iotapa, by Afleet Alex), a $510,000 Keeneland September acquisition by J S Company, is out of a winner of the GI Vanity S. and GI Clement L. Hirsch S. who was also third to Untapable (Tapit) in the 2014 GI Breeders' Cup Distaff before selling to China Horse Club for $2.8 million at the Keeneland November Sale a few days later. Iotapa is closely related to SW/GSP Saintly Joan (Northern Afleet), the dam of recent Louisiana Champions Day Turf winner Behemah Star (Star Guitar). B-CHC Inc (KY)

KEA LAULE'A (f, 3, Quality Road–Hard Not to Like, by Hard Spun), a half-sister to GSP 'TDN Rising Star' Faustin (Curlin), is out of a dam who starred on the grass, with a victory in the 2014 GI Jenny Wiley S. for Hillsbrook Farms and Michael Matz before being purchased by Speedway Stables for $1.5 million at that year's KEENOV sale. Kept in training at age six, Hard Not to Like added the GI Gamely S. and GI Diana S. and was knocked down to DATTT Stable for $2.2 million at KEENOV in 2015. The deeper female family includes the MGSW marathon dirt horse Lone Rock (Majestic Warrior) and GSW Gerrymander (Into Mischief). Kea Laule'a was hammered down to North Hills for $500,000 as a KEESEP yearling. B-DATTT Farm LLC (KY)

JAMILA NOOR (f, 3, Uncle Mo–Layla Noor, by Midnight Lute) is out of a Grade II-placed daughter of SW & MGSP Senada (Pulpit) who was purchased by Shadai Farm for $660,000 with this filly in utero at the 2020 Keeneland November Sale. Senada's half-brother Arthur's Tale (Bernardini) was runner-up in the 2011 GI Wood Memorial S., and this is also the family of SW/MGSP Gingham (Quality Road) and SW Blackadder (Quality Road). Layla Noor was bred to American Pharoah in 2021 and exported to Japan, where she produced a filly by American Pharoah the following season. B-Shadai Farm (KY)

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