Juddmonte's Viadera (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}) captured the 2020 GI Matriarch S. at Del Mar and looks to defend her title in Sunday's renewal. Last year's victory was her third straight and she kicked off this term with a fourth in Saratoga's De La Rose S. Aug. 8, an event she won last year. Scoring by a nose in Saratoga's GII Ballston Spa S. Aug. 28, the bay could only manage sixth last time in Keeneland's GI First Lady S. Oct. 9.
Trainer Chad Brown, who saddled three of the last four winners of this event, also sends out Regal Glory (Animal Kingdom). A seven-time stakes winner, the Peter Brant runner's resume is missing just one thing, a Grade I victory and she will likely be favored to get it in this six-horse event. Kicking off this term with a win in Aqueduct's Plenty of Grace S. Apr. 11, the chestnut was fourth in Belmont's GI Just a Game S. June 5 and captured the De La Rose. She enters this off a half-length second to her stablemate in the First Lady.
Mike Stidham is also represented by an accomplished runner here in Princess Grace (Karakontie {Jpn}). Closing 2020 with a win in the GII Mrs. Revere S., the Susan and John Moore homebred opened her 2021 account with a win in the GIII Dr. James Penny Memorial S. July 6 at Parx. She followed suit with wins in the Aug. 7 GII Yellow Ribbon H. and Sept. 11 GIII Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf S. Princess Grace led every step of the way in Del Mar's GII Goldikova S. Nov. 6, but yielded late to be third.
The 2022 Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby kicks off Saturday with the running of the Cattleya S. (allowance) at Tokyo Racecourse. Thirteen colts and two fillies line up for the 1600-meter test which begins with a run-up on the grass before linking up with the dirt track.
World Connector (Connect) has made both of his career starts to date at Tokyo, settling for a debut second as the 8-5 favorite going this course and trip Oct. 9 before dead-heating for the maiden win in a one-mile event on the turf track Oct. 31 (video, SC 2). A $250,000 Keeneland September yearling turned $410,000 Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream juvenile (see below), the half-brother to SW & GISP Savings Account (Medaglia d'Oro) has to contend with the outside post in the bulky field. Ryan Moore, in to ride Broome (Ire) (Australia {GB}) in Sunday's G1 Longines Japan Cup, has been recruited by trainer Kazuo Fujisawa. World Connector trades as the 4-1 second favorite ante-post.
Eclipse Award-winning sprinter Drefong (Gio Ponti) has gotten off to a flying start at stud in Japan, with progeny earnings to date of a leading ¥258 million (US$2.28 million) and having been represented by 21 individual winners. One of those is Consigliere (Jpn), a 9 1/2-length graduate over nine furlongs at Niigata on his lone racetrack appearance Aug. 22 (video, SC 2). The bay is a half-brother to the Japanese SW & GSP Esmeraldina (Harlan's Holiday) and his dam Tasha's Star (Spanish Steps) is a half-sister to MGSW & GISP Tasha's Miracle (Harlan's Holiday). Consigliere was the 8-5 selection as of this writing.
Cafe Karma (Jpn) (Henny Hughes), a first-out second going nine furlongs at Nakayama Sept. 25, cut back to this track and distance and donned cap and gown by 3/4 of a length Oct. 24.
The connections of Clos de Mesnil (Practical Joke) opt for this spot over a sex-restricted allowance on the grass this weekend. This year's OBS March sales-topper on a bid of $750,000 (under-tack preview) overcame a bit of an eventful trip to break her maiden by a head at first asking over 1200 meters Nov. 7 at Hanshin (see below, SC 7) and is bred to appreciate the extra quarter mile of the Cattleya S.
A total of 17 Kentucky Derby points (10-4-2-1) are on the line Saturday. The series continues with the Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun (1600m) at Kawasaki Dec. 15, the Listed Hyacinth S. (1600m) back at Tokyo Feb. 7 and the 1800-meter Fukuryu S. (allowance) at Nakayama Apr. 2.
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
Klaravich Stables' Public Sector (GB) (Kingman {GB}) looks to register his fourth straight win Saturday in the GI Hollywood Derby at Del Mar. The bay kicked off his hot streak with a win in Saratoga's GII Hall of Fame S. Aug. 6 and took the GIII Saranac S. there next out Sept. 4. He enters this off a win in the nine-panel GII Hill Prince S. at Belmont Oct. 23. His conditioner, Chad Brown, also saddles Sifting Sands (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), who was seventh in the Hill Prince, but captured Saratoga's Better Talk Now S. Aug. 29.
LNJ Foxwoods' Subconscious (Tapit) also enters on a three-race win streak. Breaking his maiden at fourth asking at this venue Aug. 21, the dark bay captured a Santa Anita optional claimer Oct. 2 and returned 29 days latet to win the GII Twilight Derby.
Ken McPeek ships in with Camp Hope (Summer Front), who romped in a Keeneland allowance Oct. 8. The bay was a decisive winner of the Lexington oval's Bryant Station S. last out Oct. 30, earning a 96 Beyer Speed Figure.
Godolphin homebred Santin (Distorted Humor) puts his undefeated record on the line as he takes a big step up in class in this event. A debut winner at Indiana Grand Sept. 29, the bay rallied to victory in a Keeneland allowance Oct. 23.
