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Notable US-Bred Runners in Japan: Apr. 24, 2021

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 Saturday running at Tokyo Racecourse. Group 1 racing in Japan resumes next weekend with the two-mile Tenno Sho (Spring) at Hanshin:

Saturday, April 24, 2021
6th-TOK, ¥13,830,000 ($128k), Allowance, 3yo, 1600m
ANNUNCIATION (c, 3, Union Rags–Acquant, by Giant's Causeway) made up a ton of ground after missing the break over this track and trip Oct. 31 and graduated by a widening 3 1/2 lengths (see below, gate 3). The $230K Keeneland September yearling just failed by a neck after a similarly slow dispatch in a course-and-distance allowance Jan. 30 and should be a warm item to make amends here. Annunciation is out of a winning daughter of MGSW Social Queen (Dynaformer), the dam of GISW Force the Pass (Speightstown). Christophe Lemaire has ridden Annunciation in his first two starts and retains the call from gate two Saturday. B-Colts Neck Stables LLC (KY)

IRISH SENSE (c, 3, Quality Road–Miss Singhsix {Ire}, by Singspiel {Ire}) is one of four winners from five to race from his dam, winner of the GIII Obeah S. and runner-up in the GII Delaware H. despite her turf-leaning pedigree. A maiden winner at second asking going 1400 meters at Hanshin in December (video, gate 10), the $125K KEESEP purchase was a latest third when returning from a three-month winter freshening at Chukyo Mar. 13. Irish Sense has the rail draw, with Mirco Demuro in the irons. B-Normandy Farm LLC (KY)

12th-TOK, ¥21,000,000 ($194k), Allowance, 4yo/up, 1400m
LECCE BAROQUE (f, 4, Uncle Mo–My Fast One, by Elusive Quality) won her first two career outings over course and distance by 19 lengths combined–both times as the heavy favorite (see below, gate 10)–and most recently bounced back to something approaching her best with a second-place finish over 1200 meters at Nakayama Dec. 26. A $410K KEESEP yearling turned $525K OBS March breezer, Lecce Baroque is out of a half-sister to SW No Mo Dough (Uncle Mo) and SP Terrific Storm (Storm Cat). Lemaire will have to work out a trip from the outermost stall in the field of 16. B-MMM Stables (KY)

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La Perouse Swoops in Hyacinth S.

The 1600-metre Listed Hyacinth S., the third of four Japanese prep races for the GI Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve, was captured by the late-running La Perouse (Jpn) (Pelusa {Jpn}). His 1 1/2-length win granted him 30 points on the Japanese Road to the Kentucky Derby, with only the Fukuryu Sho yet to be run at Nakayama on Mar. 27. The Hyacinth carried 51 points total (30-12-6-3).

Second choice on the board at 5-2 after 4-5 favourite Takeru Pegasus (Jpn) (Dunkirk), the dark bay did not leave the gate in good order, being slowly into stride. Longshot Probatio (Jpn) (Transcend {Jpn}) charged up to set the pace and rattled off uncontested fractions of :23.80 for the quarter, and :48.30 for the half-mile while La Perouse enjoyed a dream rails run, making up ground to sit in midpack.

He remained in tight quarters on the fence as the frontrunner covered three-quarters in 1:12.80, but Christophe Lemaire, who would win the G1 February S. with last year's Hyacinth winner Café Pharoah (American Pharoah) later on the card, began to ask La Perouse for his best effort. The response was immediate, as the winner gave generously, shifting off the rail around a tiring rival 200 meters out, before moving back to the fence and into the lead in the final 100 yards to win going away. The 100-1 Probatio clung to second by a diminishing neck as the filly Ladybug (Jpn) (Hokko Tarumae {Jpn}) charged late to take show honors. Takeru Pegasus was another 1 3/4 lengths back in fourth after a mild rally.

Although unplaced at first asking, the Nobutaka Tada homebred saluted in the slop going six furlongs at Monbetsu Sept. 17. He dropped to second over that track and trip in the mud on Oct. 6 and rebounded with a brace of wins-in a Monbetsu 1700-metre affair Oct. 22 and at Nakayama stepped up to 1800 metres Dec. 13.

The winner is the first black-type scorer from extremely limited opportunities for the now-pensioned Sunday Silence-line horse Pelusa (Zenno Rob Roy {Jpn}), successful at Group 2 level in his native land. A foal of 2007, the chestnut was also second and third in the 2010/11 G1 Tenno Sho (Autumn), respectively.

La Perouse is the second foal, first runner and first winner for his dam, who won a 1400-metre race at two in Japan. Hat Shite Good has a juvenile filly by Symboli Kris S., a yearling full-brother to the winner and she is due to Majestic Warrior. Under the third dam Naughty Notions, who won a stake at Tampa, is Canadian Champion 2-Year-Old Filly and GI Alcibiades S. heroine Negligee (Northern Afleet).

Sunday, Tokyo, Japan
HYACINTH S.-Listed, ¥36,660,000 (US$348,026/£348,324/€287,134), Tokyo, 2-21, 3yo, 1600m, 1:36.80, gd.
1–LA PEROUSE (JPN), 123, c, 3, by Pelusa (Jpn)
                1st Dam: Hat Shite Good, by Empire Maker
                2nd Dam: Naughty Mambo, by Kingmambo
                3rd Dam: Naughty Notions, by Relaunch
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. O/B-Nobutaka Tada (Jpn). T-Kazuo
Fujisawa. J-Christophe Lemaire. ¥19,000,000. Lifetime Record:
6-4-1-0, ¥27,520,000.
2–Probatio (Jpn), 123, c, 3, Transcend (Jpn)-Honor Leave (Jpn),
by Dance in the Dark (Jpn). O-North Hills Co. Ltd. B-Doi Bokujo
(Jpn). T-Tsuyoshi Tanaka. ¥7,600,000.
3–Ladybug (Jpn), 119, f, 3, Hokko Tarumae (Jpn)-Favorite Girl
(Jpn), by Dance in the Dark (Jpn). O/B-Gold Up Company Co.
Ltd (Jpn). T-Yoshihito Kitade. ¥4,800,000.
Margins: 1HF, NK, 1 3/4. Odds: 2.50, 100.00, 10.30.
Also Ran: Takeru Pegasus (Jpn), Gempachi Forza (Jpn), Taisei Slugger (Jpn), Bakushin (Jpn), Lord Strom (Jpn), Zenno Ange (Jpn), Hokko Karyu (Jpn), Daishin Pisces (Jpn), Kojikun (Jpn).
Click for the JRA chart or the Video.

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‘Pharoah’ Gets His Group 1 in February S.

Café Pharoah delivered a first win at the highest level on dirt for his sire, U.S. Horse of the Year and Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, in the G1 February S. going a mile over the Tokyo dirt on Sunday. His three-quarter length victory guaranteed him a spot in the starting gate in the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic this fall.

Favoured at 2-1, the 4-year-old entire settled in a tracking fifth, as Wide Pharoah (Jpn) (Henny Hughes) and Air Almas (Majestic Warrior) slugged it out on the front end. He emerged a clearcut third as noses pointed for home, and swung out to make his challenge 400 metres from the wire.

Conservatively handled to that point by jockey Christophe Lemaire, a trio of right-handed taps kept the Koichi Nishikawa colourbearer's mind on business with a furlong to travel as he passed Air Almas, and he held safe the late rush of 27-1 shot Air Spinel (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}) to win with ears pricked. Wonder Lider (Jpn) (Statue of Liberty) closed from midfield to take third, another 1 3/4 lengths behind. Second favourite Arctos (Jpn) (Admire Aura {Jpn}) never threatened and checked in ninth.

“His condition was super, and I had confidence already at the paddock,” said Lemaire. “We decided to use cheek pieces hoping for a more aggressive performance. His start was good, we were positioned well and he responded beautifully. The colt has such high potential. I had no doubt that he could land a Group 1 win if he gave his best. I'm happy that it all worked out today.”

A winner going 1800 metres at Nakayama in December of 2019, his only race at two, Café Pharoah added the Listed Hyacinth S. last February and June's G3 Unicorn S., both at Tokyo. Only seventh in sloppy going in the Listed Japan Dirt Derby at Oi on July 8, the bay rebounded with another victory in the G3 Sirius S. facing elders last fall. He ran sixth in the G1 Champions Cup in his final start of 2020.

Pedigree Notes
Bred by the late Paul Pompa, Jr. in Kentucky, the winner is the second at the highest level out of American Pharoah's first crop after GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup victress Harvey's Lil Goil. The Ashford Stud resident has already celebrated a Group 1 winner from his second crop with G1 Criterium International scorer Van Gogh. The trio are among 14 black-type winners for the Coolmore sire, while five other progeny have placed at the highest level so far.

Selected out of the OBS March Sale for $475,000 after breezing a quarter mile in :21.1, Café Pharoah is one of three group/graded winners for his two-time graded scoring dam and the second male after Giant's Causeway's Night Prowler. The colt is also the first Group 1 winner for Mary's Follies, who was trained by the late John Forbes before Pompa acquired her. The mare's 2018 Uncle Mo colt died, while she has colts of 2019 and 2020 by Candy Ride (Arg) and Connect, respectively. A granddaughter of four-time stakes winner Wave to the Queen (Wavering Monarch), she aborted to Curlin for this spring.

In early January, Mary's Follies (lot 725) was knocked down for $500,000 to BBA Ireland as part of the Pompa Dispersal during the Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale. Her daughter, MGSW and 'TDN Rising Star' Regal Glory (Animal Kingdom) (lot 403) sold earlier in the day for a co-sale topping $925,000 to Peter Brant's White Birch Farm, which races both Stateside and in Europe and won the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe with Sottsass (Fr) (Siyouni {Ire}) in October.

Sunday, Tokyo, Japan
FEBRUARY S.-G1, ¥194,800,000 (US$1,847,689/£1,318,449/€1,524,588), Tokyo, 2-21, 4yo/up, 1600m, 1:34.40, gd.
1–CAFE PHAROAH, 126, c, 4, by American Pharoah
                1st Dam: Mary's Follies (MGSW-US, $338,889),
                                by More Than Ready
                2nd Dam: Catch the Queen, by Miswaki
                3rd Dam: Wave to the Queen, by Wavering Monarch
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. ($475,000 2yo '19 OBSMAR). O-Koichi
Nishikawa; B- Paul P.Pompa (KY); T-Noryuki Hori; J-Christophe
Lemaire. ¥103,360,000. Lifetime Record: 7-5-0-0. *1/2 to
Night Prowler (Giant's Causeway), MGSW-US, $535,682; and
Regal Glory (Animal Kingdom), MGSW-US, $773,884. Click for
   the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick Rating: A++.
2–Air Spinel (Jpn), 126, h, 8, King Kamehameha (Jpn)–Air
Messiah (Jpn), by Sunday Silence. O-Lucky Field Inc.; B-Shadai
Farm (Jpn); ¥40,960,000.
3–Wonder Lider (Jpn), 126, h, 8, Statue of Liberty–Astrea Peace
(Jpn), by Mayano Top Gun (Jpn). O-Yoshinari Yamamoto;
B-Oshima Farm (Jpn); ¥25,480,000.
Margins: 3/4, 1 3/4, HF. Odds: 2.30, 27.00, 18.30.
Also Ran: Red le Zele (Jpn), Air Almas, Inti (Jpn), Mutually (Jpn), Soliste Thunder (Jpn), Arctos (Jpn), Yamanin Imprime (Jpn), Sunrise Nova (Jpn), Smart Dandy (Jpn), Auvergne (Jpn), Wide Pharaoh (Jpn), Success Energy (Jpn), Helios (Jpn).
Click for the JRA chart & video or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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Derby Points On the Line In Hyacinth

Sunday's live program at Tokyo Racecourse features the return of Group 1 action in the one-mile February S., but about 90 minutes earlier, the nation's 3-year-old set will compete for a Kentucky Derby points that are up for grabs in the $347,257 Listed Hyacinth S. over the same distance.

Nobutaka Tada's La Perouse (Jpn) (Pelusa {Jpn}) is the only member of the 11-strong field that was given an entry into the Triple Crown series at its first closing stage in late January. The homebred was well beaten trying the turf on his career debut last June, but won two of his first three starts on dirt against easier competition at Mombetsu on the National Association of Racing circuit. He proved that he could handle JRA company in his last start, a 2 1/2-length victory in a nine-furlong allowance at Nakayama Dec. 13. Leading rider Christophe Lemaire sees fit to take the call.

The Frenchman partnered with Takeru Pegasus (Jpn) (Dunkirk) in his three juvenile appearances, including a nine-length graduation over Sunday's course and trip Nov. 7 ahead of a runner-up effort to Lemon Pop (Lemon Drop Kid) in the first leg of the Japan Road to the Derby, the Nov. 28 Cattleya Sho (allowance). Yuga Kawada takes over from Lemaire.

Bakushin (Jpn) (Henny Hughes) was a 10-length maiden winner going seven furlongs over this strip Oct. 17 and added a Nov. 14 allowance before finishing fifth to Triple Crown nominee Alain Barows (Jpn) (Henny Hughes) in the second leg of the series, the Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun at Kawasaki Dec. 16.

Ladybug (Jpn) (Hokko Tarumae {Jpn}), one of three fillies in the Hyacinth, belied debut odds of 50-1 to score by five at Hanshin Nov. 14 and was a latest second in the Hyogo Junior Grand Prix at NAR track Sonoda Dec. 2.

The Hyacinth offers Derby points on a 30-12-6-3 scale.

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