By Alan Carasso
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 Kyoto and Tokyo Racecourses:
Saturday, February 8, 2020
2nd-KYO, ¥9,680,000 ($88k), Maiden, 3yo, 1800m
QUALITY TIME (JPN) (f, 3, Quality Road–Gypsy {GB}, by Distorted Humor) is out of a winning daughter of Glia (A.P. Indy), a stakes winner and GSP in both France and America, and was acquired in utero for $35K at Keeneland November in 2016. From the family of MGISW Emollient (Empire Maker), SW & MGISP Hofburg (Tapit) and Machiavellian, Quality Time was a respectable third on course-and-distance unveiling last month and gets a positive rider switch to Yutaka Take. B-Tomita Bokujo
2nd-TOK, ¥11,400,000 ($104k), Newcomers, 3yo, 1400m
LECCE BAROQUE (f, 3, Uncle Mo–My Fast One, by Elusive Quality) is out of a half-sister to SW No Mo Dough (Uncle Mo) and cost Carlo Vaccarezza $410K as a KEESEP yearling before fetching $525K as an OBS March breezer (co-bullet :9 4/5). Bred on the same cross responsible for GISW Gomo and Grade III winner Lost Raven, the January foal gets the endorsement of top rider Christophe Lemaire. B-MMM Stables (KY)
PRECIOUS GIRL (f, 3, Speightstown–Pressurizing, by Henrythenavigator), a $375K Fasig-Tipton November weanling acquisition by Hugo Merry Bloodstock in 2017, is out of an unraced daughter of Vertigineux (Kris S.), whose daughter Zenyatta (Street Cry {Ire}) was the 2010 U.S. Horse of the Year and three-time Eclipse Award-winning older mare who retired with 19 victories from her 20 career starts and over $7.3 million in earnings. Zenyatta's older half-sister Balance (Thunder Gulch) was herself a treble Grade I winner, while the stakes-winning Where's Bailey (Aljabr) went on to become the dam of GSW She's Not Here (Street Cry {Ire}). B-Gilgai Farm (KY)
Sunday, February 9, 2020
3rd-KYO, ¥13,830,000 ($126k), Allowance, 3yo, 1200m
PINGXIANG (c, 3, Speightstown-Beauty and Light, by Unbridled's Song) hit the board in three of his first four career starts, all on the turf, but most recently switched to the dirt to best fellow US-bred Primo d'Arc (Bernardini) by two lengths over track and trip Jan. 18 (see below, gate 12). A $100K KEESEP yearling after his dam was sold for $260K at KEENOV with the colt in utero in 2016, the chestnut descends from the same female family as MGSW/MGISP Munnings (Speightstown) and MSW & MGSP Munnings Sister (Speightstown). B-Dream With Me Stables Inc (KY)
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