By Alan Carasso
In this continuing series, Alan Carasso takes 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 Hakodate, Kyoto and Tokyo Racecourses:
Saturday, June 8, 2024
3rd-HAK, ¥10,480,000 ($67k), Maiden, 3yo, 1000m
ARGENTINITA (JPN) (f, 3, Constitution–Way to Versailles, by Tizway) fetched just $16,000 at the 2016 OBS June Sale, then punched well above her weight under the care of Kevin Attard, winning the GII Royal North S. in 2018. Bought back on a bid of $575,000 when offered in foal to Quality Road at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton November Sale, the mare was hammered down to Emmanuel de Seroux's Narvick International for $300,000 with this filly in utero at the 2020 Keeneland November Sale. B-Pride Rock Ltd
3rd-KYO, ¥10,480,000 ($67k), Maiden, 3yo, 1800m
MOD FLAME (JPN) (c, 3, Uncle Mo–Inflamed, by Unusual Heat) is out of an unplaced full-sister to GSW Burns who first sold to Glen Hill Farm for $170,000 in foal to Tapiture at Keeneland November in 2019, but the mare was the recipient of the best sort of pedigree update when her son Mo Forza (Uncle Mo) validated favoritism in the GI Hollywood Derby a matter of weeks later. Inflamed was returned to Keeneland for the 2020 January Sale and was knocked down to Shadai Farm for $525,000. B-Shadai Farm
Sunday, June 9, 2024
5th-TOK, ¥13,720,000 ($88k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1800mT
JASPER CROSS (c, 2, American Pharoah–Tepin Thru Life {Ire}, by Curlin), a $140,000 Keeneland November buyback turned $185,000 Keeneland September grad, gets his career underway just four days after his unraced dam's half-sister Grateful (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) opened her account at second asking at the Curragh for Coolmore and trainer Aidan O'Brien June 5. Second dam Tepin (Bernstein) needs no introduction. Trained by Mark Casse for Robert Masterson, Tepin won no fewer than a half-dozen times at the elite level, three of those against the boys, including a championship-clinching success in the 2015 Breeders' Cup Mile. Tepin's finest hour–at the races–occurred at Royal Ascot the following season where she defeated a talented bunch in the G1 Queen Anne S. before adding the GI Ricoh Woodbine Mile a few months later. Retired and bred to Curlin in 2017, Tepin was hammered down to M.V. Magnier for $8 million–second only to the $9.5 million for Songbird–at that year's Fasig-Tipton November Sale while carrying Tepin Thru Life. B-Orpendale/Chelston/Wynatt (KY)
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