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 Hanshin and Toyko Racecourses. The latter plays host to Saturday's G3 Queen Cup, featuring the seasonal debut of the talented, but (very) quirky Reframe (American Pharoah):
Saturday, February 13, 2021
6th-HSN, ¥13,830,000 ($132k), Allowance, 3yo, 1400m
OLYMPIC DAY (c, 3, Medaglia d'Oro–Flagstaff {GB}, by Dansili {GB}), a respectable fifth in a sloppy Chukyo maiden Sept. 26, returned to graduate handily at Niigata Oct. 25 and makes his sophomore debut here. A $400K Keeneland September buyback and $420K OBS March breezer, the bay is out of a daughter of G1 Prix de la Foret heroine and US MGSW/GISP Etoile Montante (Miswaki), whose MGSW daughter Starformer (Dynaformer) produced SW & GSP Flavius (War Front). This is the same Juddmonte female family as Tates Creek (Rahy) and Sightseek (Distant View). B-Fred W Hertrich III (KY)
11th-TOK, Queen Cup-G3, ¥66.6m ($636k), 3yo, f, 1600mT
REFRAME (c, 3, American Pharoah–Careless Jewel, by Tapit) overcame single-minded ways to break her maiden at first asking in July (see below, gate 15) and was much better behaved taking out a 1400-meter allowance when saved for a late run at this venue in October (video, gate 6). Last seen finishing a close fifth in Group 2 company here Nov. 7, the daughter of the 2009 GI Alabama S. winner has undergone plenty of retraining for this return to the races. Reframe was a $410K purchase out of the 2019 KEESEP sale. B-Summer Wind Equine LLC (KY)
Sunday, February 14, 2021
2nd-TOK, ¥11,400,000 ($109k), Newcomers, 3yo, 1400m
SLAP SHOT (JPN) (c, 3, Air Force Blue–Laxfield Road, by Quality Road) is out of a stakes-placed half-sister to 2018 GI Del Mar Futurity third Zatter (Midnight Lute) and was sold for $200K in utero at the 2018 KEEJAN sale. Subsequently moved on for ¥32.9 million ($305,354) at the Hokkaido Summer Select Yearling Sale, Slap Shot hails from the female family of GISWs Secret Hello and Monba. Air Force Blue's year-younger half-brother Soleil de Paris (Lemon Drop Kid) was a $535K KEESEP grad and won three of eight starts in Japan. B-Sakurai Bokujo
4th-HSN, ¥11,400,000 ($109k), Newcomers, 3yo, 1400m
ROSE EMPEROR (c, 3, Medaglia d'Oro–Arch Support, by Arch) was bought back on a bid of $220K at KEESEP in 2019, then hammered for $350K at OBSMAR last winter after breezing an eighth of a mile in :10 1/5. The April foal, whose Grade III-placed dam is a daughter of SW Two Ninety Jones (Sir Harry Lewis), is bred on the cross over Roberto-line mares responsible for this sire's GISW Marketing Mix and other graded winners Dark Cove and Golden Award, the last of which is also out of an Arch mare. B-Lee Pokoik (KY)
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