The Lane's End-consigned Tarabi (First Samurai) (hip 142), second to future champion Echo Zulu (Gun Runner) in the GI Spinaway S. and third to that rival in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at two and winner of the Wilton S. at Saratoga last season, fetched a final bid of $1.05 million from Spendthrift Farm as the opening session of the Keeneland November Sale picked up a bit of steam. The chestnut, a full-sister to the talented GSP & G1SP Japanese turf sprinter Shivaji, is out of an unraced daughter of Grade II winner Buy the Barrel (E Dubai), also the dam of the English Group 3-placed Mise En Rose (War Front) and MSP Stave (Ghostzapper). Tarabi was the third in a stretch of five hips to change hands for seven figures, as both GSW Surprisingly (Mastery) and MGSW/MGISP Technical Analysis (GB) (Kingman {GB}) were knocked down for an even $1 million. The former sold to Mike Repole via his agent Jacob West from the Claiborne Farm draft, while Technical Analysis was purchased by Japan's J S Company from Elite Sales. Spendthrift bought five mares at Fasig-Tipton Tuesday, topped by GI Kentucky Oaks winner Secret Oath (Arrogate) for $3 million.
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 Sunday running at Chukyo Racecourse, including the return of last-out Group 3 winner Shivaji (First Samurai). Over at Tokyo, a field of 17 is set for the world's richest Derby, the G1 Tokyo Yushun, headed by the undefeated Efforia (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}):
Sunday, May 30, 2021 3rd-CKO, ¥9,680,000 ($88k), Maiden , 3yo, 1200m PRECIOUS GOLD (f, 3, Speightstown–Pressurizing, by Henrythenavigator) debuts in the Sunday Racing colors and was acquired in utero after her dam was led out unsold on a bid of $875K at the 2017 Fasig-Tipton November Sale. Pressurizing is a daughter of Vertigineux (Kris S.), the dam of Horse of the Year and three-time Eclipse Award winner Zenyatta (Street Cry {Ire}); MGISW Balance (Thunder Gulch); and Where's Bailey (Aljabr), the stakes-winning dam of MGSW She's Not Here (Street Cry {Ire}). Precious Gold's year-older full-sister Precious Girl was sold for $375K at the same FTKNOV sale and is a winner in Japan. B-Northern Farm (KY)
10th-CKO, Azuchijo S.-Listed, ¥47.6m ($437k), 4yo/up, 1400mT SHIVAJI (h, 6, First Samurai–Indian Bay, by Indian Charlie), a $90K Keeneland September yearling that blossomed into a $540K OBS April juvenile, has amassed an excellent record of 6-5-3 and has banked better than $1.7 million from 22 Japanese starts, the nine most recent of which have come on the turf and capped by a 1 1/4-length success in the G3 Silk Road S. at this venue Jan. 31 (see below, gate 13). The 6-year-old is out of a daughter of GSW Buy the Barrel (E Dubai), the dam of English GSP Mise En Rose (War Front) and MSP Stave (Ghostzapper). B-Hinkle Farms (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 Chukyo and Nakayama Racecourses:
Sunday, September 13, 2020 5th-NKY, ¥13,400,000 ($126k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1600mT AMERICAN PEACE (c, 2 Tapit–La Cloche, by Ghostzapper), a $325K Keeneland September acquisition, is the latest produce from his Grade III-winning dam, a $2.4m Fasig-Tipton purchase by this breeder who is responsible for American Peace’s full-sister Bellevais, also a Grade III winner on turf. Second dam Memories of Silver (Silver Hawk) was a two-time winner at the highest level, and her MGISW daughter Winter Memories (El Prado {Ire}) is the dam of the MSW & MGSP ‘TDN Rising Star’ Winter Sunset (Tapit). This is also the family of fellow GSW ‘Rising Star’ Hawkish (Artie Schiller). The colt’s Tiznow half-brother is consigned as hip 1035 at KEESEP next week. B-Don Alberto Corporation (KY)
Selling today with a STRONG female family: Hip 480
This colt by Tapit is out of G3W La Cloche (Ghostzapper), who is a daughter MG1W Memories of Silver, and a half-sister to MG1W Winter Memories. Hip 480 is a full sibling to G3W Bellavais.
MELIODAS (c, 2, Uncle Mo–Fifty Foot Woman, by Giant’s Causeway) was also knocked down for $325K at KEESEP last fall and is out of a full-sister to GSW Excited, the dam of SW & MGSP Thrilled (Uncle Mo); and SW Wait Til Dawn. The May foal’s stakes-winning second dam Path of Thunder (Thunder Gulch) was a full-sister to GI Breeders’ Cup Distaff upsetter Spain and a half to MGSW Puerto Banus (Supremo) and GSW Fantastic Spain (Fantastic Fellow). A Curlin half-sister to Meliodas is set to sell as hip 162 during Sunday’s opening session at KEESEP. B-Fred W Hertrich III & John D Fielding (KY)
11th-CKO, Centaur S.-G2, ¥112.8m ($1.06m), 3yo/up, 1200mT MR MELODY (h, 5, Scat Daddy–Trusty Lady, by Deputy Minister) returns to his best game in this prep for the Oct. 4. G1 Sprinters’ S. Winner of the G1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen (1200m) in 2019 (see below, gate 3), the bay was sixth in the JBC Classic on dirt last November and has just one start since, an unplaced effort in the G1 Yasuda Kinen over Tokyo’s metric mile June 7. A half-brother to GSP Trendy Lady (Unbridled’s Song), Mr Melody was RNAd for $75K as a KEENOV weanling, fetched $100K as a KEESEP yearling the following fall and was purchased by his current connections for $400K out of the 2017 OBS April Sale. B-Bell Tower Thoroughbreds (KY)
SHIVAJI (h, 5, First Samurai–Indian Bay, by Indian Charlie) won four of 13 starts on dirt to begin his career and though he has registered just one victory–a most improbable one at that– from five turf tries (video, gate 8), he has run with credit, including a close fifth to the fleet Mozu Superflare (Speightstown) in this year’s Takamatsunomiya Kinen. Produced by a daughter of GSW Buy the Barrel (E Dubai), Shivaji was a $90K KEESEP grad turned $540K OBSAPR breezer. His full-sister is cataloged as hip 1818 at this year’s KEESEP sale. B-Hinkle Farms (KY)
