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 Saturday running at Niigata Racecourse:
Saturday, August 17, 2024
5th-NII, ¥13,720,000 ($92k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1200mT
ECORO SIEG (c, 2, Twirling Candy–Lily Pod, by Bernstein), bred on a variant of the highly successful cross of Candy Ride (Arg) over Storm Cat, cost $95,000 at last year's Keeneland September Sale and was snapped up by trainer Hideyuki Mori for $250,000 after he breezed an eighth of a mile in :9 4/5 (see below) at this year's OBS March Sale. A half-brother to the stakes-placed She's Got a Way (Tonalist), Ecoro Sieg is out of a granddaughter of Snit (Fit to Fight), the dam of GIII Virginia Oaks winner Blind Date (Not For Love). Christophe Lemaire has the call. B-Caldara Farm Inc & William R Hilliard Jr (KY)
6th-NII, ¥13,720,000 ($92k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1800m
FLOWER DUET (JPN) (f, 2, American Pharoah–Elizabeth Way {Ire}, by Frankel {GB}) is out of a mare who placed twice from five stars for Godolphin and Mick Halford before changing hands for €58,000 at the 2019 Goffs November Sale. Trained in North America by Roger Attfield, Elizabeth Way won the GIII The Very One Stakes at Gulfstream Park and the GII Nassau Stakes at Woodbine before being retired at the end of 2020 and was bred to this sire the following season. Flower Duet's second dam Maids Causeway (Ire) (Giant's Causeway) won the 2005 G1 Coronation Stakes after finishing runner-up in that year's 1000 Guineas. B-Northern Farm
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