Northern Farm | Horse Racing Free Tips

Owner/Breeder Fipke Represented By First Japanese Winner

Prominent North American owner/breeder Charles Fipke was represented by his first winner in Japan when the newly turned 3-year-old filly Kana Tape (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) ran out an impressive three-length winner of a newcomers' event going 1800 meters on turf at Tokyo Racecourse Sunday afternoon.

Sent off the narrow second favorite at odds of 3-2, the bay filly jumped well from gate two for top rider Takeshi Yokoyama and tracked pacesetting Mozu Cleopatra (Jpn) (American Pharoah) from close up in second. Felt for as the field entered the final 400 meters, Kana Turn quickened nicely while racing a touch greenly switching her leads back and forth in the final furlong, but maintained a safe margin to the wire (see below). Boulard Buck (Jpn), the 13-10 chalk, completed the exacta for her leading Shadai-based stallion. Kana Tape is conditioned for Fipke by Noriyuki Hori.

Kana Tape is a daughter of American-raced 2004 GI American Oaks and GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup heroine Ticker Tape (GB) (Royal Applause {GB}), who was acquired by Katsumi Yoshida for $950,000 in foal to Giant's Causeway at the 2011 Keeneland November Sale. The bay, bred in the name of Yoshida's Northern Farm, was purchased by Fipke for ¥84 million ($772,800) as a foal at the 2019 JRHA Select Sale.

According to Umanity.jp, Kana Tape is the third horse to race in the Fipke silks in Japan, following Stellar Impact (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}–Topliner, by Thunder Gulch) and Galileo Impact (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}–Galileo Always {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}).

Fipke's best North American runners include champion and GI Breeders' Cup Distaff winner Forever Unbridled (Unbridled's Song), GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare upsetter Perfect Shirl (Perfect Soul {Ire}), Tale of Ekati (Tale of the Cat), Unbridled Forever (Unbridled's Song) and Grade I-winning milers Jersey Town (Speightstown) and his son Bee Jersey. Fipke also races horses in England, Ireland, France, Australia and Dubai.

The post Owner/Breeder Fipke Represented By First Japanese Winner appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Champion British Idiom Dies In Japan At Age Four

British Idiom, the champion 2-year-old filly of 2019, died on Oct. 1, 2021 in Japan, per Japanese Studbook Database records.

A cause of death was not listed for the 4-year-old daughter of Flashback, who was pregnant for the first time to Japanese champion Duramente. The stallion died in September after a battle with colitis. A cause of death was not listed for British Idiom.

British Idiom was sold privately to the Yoshida family's Northern Farm in June 2020, and she arrived in Japan in September of that year.

Trained by Brad Cox for the partnership of Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb, and the Elkstone Group, British Idiom went undefeated during her championship 2-year-old campaign, taking her debut at Saratoga by 3 1/2 lengths, then shipping to Keeneland to trounce the Grade 1 Alcibiades Stakes by 6 1/2 lengths. She entered the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Santa Anita Park as the betting public's second choice, and she wore down favorite Donna Veloce to prevail by a neck and secure the Eclipse Award.

After a three-month break, British Idiom started her 3-year-old season with a runner-up effort in the G2 Rachel Alexandra Stakes at Fair Grounds. Her final start came in the G3 Fantasy Stakes at Oaklawn Park, where she finished 10th and exited the race with a chip in her right-front ankle.

The filly retired with three wins in five starts for earnings of $1,442,139.

British Idiom was bred in Kentucky by Hargus and Sandra Sexton and Silver Fern Farm, out of the stakes-winning Mr. Sekiguchi mare Rose and Shine. She sold as a yearling for $40,000 at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale.

The post Champion British Idiom Dies In Japan At Age Four appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Deep Impact Exacta in Hopeful as ‘Ability’ Prevails

Killer Ability (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) showed plenty of talent to take the G1 Hopeful S. at Nakayama on Tuesday. The 2000-metre affair featured 15 colts in the final Japan Racing Association Group 1 of 2021. It was an exacta for the deceased Shadai kingpin Deep Impact, as Justin Palace (Jpn) was 1 1/2 lengths behind.

Second choice at 2-1, the blinkered colt rated in an ideal position perched in third while saving ground against the rails as Grand Line (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}) carved out even splits of :23.90, :48.10 and 1:12.10 while followed by Born This Way (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}). Grand Line's lead shrank and he came back to the field at the 600-metre mark, as Killer Ability appeared poised to capitalize on his dream trip. Born This Way took up the baton with a furlong to cover and Grand Line soon packed it in, but Killer Ability was already at the new leader's throatlatch and soon stormed clear to win going away. Justin Palace rallied for second, with Lagulf (Jpn) (Maurice {Jpn}) third another 1 1/4 lengths behind.

Favoured 'TDN Rising Star' and last out Group 3 winner Command Line (Jpn) went off at 9-5, but was restless in the stalls, broke in the air at the bell and was soon relegated to 11th for much of the journey. He improved on the far turn, but a needed gap did not materialise in the straight and he lost his unbeaten record to be 12th.

“Sitting in the saddle in his workouts two weeks in a row convinced me that he was going to run and run fast,” said jockey Takeshi Yokoyama. “We sat in a good position and when the colt was able to relax in the backstretch, I had all the confidence I needed that he was going to win. I'm sure he will go on to improve further and become stronger. Personally, my goal for this season was to capture a Group 1 title and land 100 seasonal

wins—winning five Group 1 titles is just unbelievable and I cannot thank all the connections and the horses enough for such a wonderful season.”

Fifth at first asking at Hanshin over 1800 metres on June 27, the Carrot Farm runner won a maiden at Kokura upped to this trip on Aug. 28 and was second in the Listed Hagi S. on Oct. 30.
Pedigree Notes
The Hopeful S. winner is Deep Impact's 181st black-type scorer, 145th group winner and 54th winner at the highest level. Killer Ability is the former Shadai resident's second winner of the race, and he is in good company, as his first was 2020 Japan Triple Crown hero Contrail (Jpn). Broodmare sire Congaree, who was a dual winner of the GI Cigar Mile H. in addition to Grade I wins in the Hollywood Gold Cup, Swaps S., and Carter H. and third in the 2001 Kentucky Derby, celebrated his first top-flight winner in this sphere on Tuesday and now has a baker's dozen of stakes winners to date. Now with four grade/group winners to his credit, they have struck in Ireland, Stateside and Peru besides Japan.

Already the dam of the SP Killer Presence (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}), 2011 GI Starlet S. heroine Killer Graces produced a yearling colt by Just a Way (Jpn) in 2020 and a mating with Bricks and Mortar did not yield a foal this spring. Originally knocked down for $850,000 to Katsumi Yoshida at the 2012 Fasig-Tipton November Sale, the half-sister to MGSW Chocolate Ride (Candy Ride {Arg}) was bred back to Duramente (Jpn). The fourth dam Middlefork Rapids (Wild Again) landed her biggest victory in the GIII Monrovia H., while her best offspring, the Grade III-winning Michigan Bluff (Skywalker) is the dam of Turkey's Champion Imported 2-Year-Old and 3-Year-old Colt Hakeem (Harlan's Holiday), who was also named the Champion Imported Stayer.

Tuesday, Nakayama, Japan
HOPEFUL S.-G1, ¥135,500,000, Nakayama, 12-28, 2yo, 2000mT, 2:00.60, fm.
1–KILLER ABILITY(JPN), 121, c, 2, by Deep Impact (Jpn)
          1st Dam: Killer Graces (GISW-US, $451,097), by Congaree
          2nd Dam: Heatherdoesntbluff, by Old Trieste
          3rd Dam: Michigan Bluff, by Skywalker
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. 1ST GROUP WIN. 1ST GROUP 1 WIN.
O-Carrot Farm; B-Northern Farm (Jpn); T-Takashi Saito;
J-Takeshi Yokoyama. ¥71,050,000. Lifetime Record: 4-2-1-0.
*1/2 to Killer Presence (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}), SP-Jpn,
$197,667. Werk Nick Rating: F. Click for the
   eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Justin Palace (Jpn), 121, c, 2, Deep Impact (Jpn)–Palace
Rumor, by Royal Anthem. 1ST BLACK TYPE. 1ST GROUP BLACK
   TYPE. 1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE. (¥190,000,000 Ylg '20
JRHAJUL). O-Masahiro Miki; B-Northern Farm (Jpn);
¥28,300,000.
3–Lagulf (Jpn), 121, c, 2, Maurice (Jpn)–Abandonne (Jpn), by
Falbrav (Ire). 1ST BLACK TYPE. 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. 1ST
   GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE. (¥18,700,000 Ylg '20 JBBAAUG).
O-Takashi Muraki; B-Smile Farm (Jpn); ¥18,150,000.
Margins: 1HF, 1 1/4, 3/4. Odds: 2.10, 7.80, 28.80.
Also Ran: Fidele (Jpn), Born This Way (Jpn), Matenro Leo (Jpn), Achernar Star (Jpn), Shelby's Eye (Jpn), Grand Line (Jpn), Ask Wild More (Jpn), Onyankopon (Jpn), Command Line (Jpn), Satono Helios (Jpn), Crowned Magic (Jpn), Tyler Tesoro (Jpn).
Click for the JRA chart & video or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

The post Deep Impact Exacta in Hopeful as ‘Ability’ Prevails appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Loves Only You Looks To Finish Career With Win In Hong Kong Cup

As the end of Loves Only You's storied racing career approaches and the next chapter of her life beckons, trainer Yoshito Yahagi has his eyes firmly fixed on Sunday's HK$30 million Group 1 LONGINES Hong Kong Cup (2000m) at Sha Tin Racecourse in Hong Kong, hopeful of a fairy tale end for his globetrotting mare.

“I'm just concentrating on her race in Hong Kong, so I don't feel sad at the moment but probably after the race I will be sad,” Yahagi said.

Retiring with seven wins from 15 starts (before Sunday's race), Loves Only You has savored top-level victories in Japan, the United States, and Hong Kong. She also boasts a close-up third in Dubai and following her final foray, she will be sent to Northern Farm, south of Sapporo in Japan, for broodmare duties.

With a Breeders' Cup success under her belt last month, Loves Only You can join an elite club at Sha Tin with victory by becoming the fifth horse to complete the Queen Elizabeth II Cup and Hong Kong Cup double in the same year after Jim And Tonic (1999), Vengeance Of Rain (2005), Designs On Rome (2014), and Win Bright (2019).

“I'm so glad we made history because a Japanese horse had never won the race (Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf, 2200m), but we were always thinking those tough races in America that our Japanese horses still had a chance, so I'm glad we won at the Breeders' Cup,” Yahagi said.

Undefeated over 2000m at Sha Tin, she nailed a sublime win over Glory Vase, Daring Tact, and Kiseki in April to lead home a Japanese-trained first four in the FWD Queen Elizabeth II Cup.

“After we won at the Breeders' Cup, we decided that this was going to be the final run of her career,” Yahagi said.

Yuga Kawada – who guided her to Breeders' Cup glory – will again be in the saddle.

“I went to win and we prepared this horse so well at the races – I'm so glad to make history with a Japanese horse to win at the Breeders' Cup,” Kawada said.

Earlier this week on Wednesday, December 8 at Sha Tin, Kawada took Loves Only You through a 1200m gallop on the dirt, clocking 1:16.6 (:30.0, :24.5, :22.1).

“I think barrier four is a good draw for her,” the rider said.

November proved a big month for Yahagi, who savored his maiden G1 Japan Cup (2400m) triumph with the (Japanese) Triple Crown-winning Contrail.

“This horse is a very special horse for me, he has a new life as a stallion now and we're looking forward to seeing him do an excellent job in the future,” Yahagi said.

Yahagi has been training since 2004 and boasts G1 wins in Japan, Hong Kong, the United Arab Emirates, the United States, and Australia.

Earlier on the card, Stay Foolish lines up in the HK$20 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Vase (2400m) for Yahagi and partners with Vincent Ho from gate four.

The six-year-old is a two-time winner including once at G2 level. This will be his sixth attempt in G1 company with his previous best effort at the top-level returning third place in the Hopeful Stakes (2000m) of 2017.

Sunday's 10-race fixture at Sha Tin kicks off at 12:25 pm with the Class 2 Maurice Handicap (1600m).

The post Loves Only You Looks To Finish Career With Win In Hong Kong Cup appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post