By Alan Carasso
6th-Tokyo, ¥14,880,000 ($95,336), Allowance, 5-18, 3yo, 1600m, 1:36.2, ft.
ASSURBANIPAL (c, 3, Arrogate–Georgie's Angel {GSW, $129,564}, by Bellamy Road), the year-younger full-brother to Cave Rock, MGISW, $748,000, opened his account impressively at first asking over this course and distance last November and was just beaten by Authentic (Into Mischief)'s brother Bushin when last seen under these conditions at this venue Apr. 20. Sent off as the $1.10 (1-10) mortal, the dark bay was away fairly, and found himself in a forward position for the run down the back straight. Racing with his mouth open as they hit the 600-meter marker, Assurbanipal gained four wide under his own courage into the homestretch, struck the front in hand at the quarter pole and ran out a seven-length winner under hands-and-heels steering from Christophe Lemaire. “He traveled comfortably and picked up nicely in the stretch,” said the Frenchman, who added Sunday's G1 Yushun Himba aboard Cervinia (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}). “I look forward to his future runs.” Georgie's Angel, winner of the 2011 GIII Schuylerville S., produced a colt from the second crop of Arrogate in 2020 and was purchased by Kathleen Schweizer's Longford Farm for $75,000 back in foal to the late Juddmonte stallion at that year's Keeneland November Sale. The foal of 2020 made $210,000 as a weanling at the same auction and was subsequently hammered down to Three Amigos for $550,000 at the 2021 Keeneland September Sale. Under the care of Bob Baffert, Cave Rock would proceed to win the GI Del Mar Futurity and GI American Pharoah S. ahead of a runner-up effort in the 2022 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile. Two days after Cave Rock was named a 'TDN Rising Star' on his career debut, Assurbanipal was purchased by Michael Sucher's Champion Equine for a sales-topping $700,000 at the Fasig-Tipton New York-Bred Sale in Saratoga and a handful of months later, fetched $1.05 million from Katsumi Yoshida at the OBS March Sale. Georgie's Angel is also responsible for the newly named 2-year-old filly Lakeside (Improbable), a $135,000 purchase by Solis/Litt at FTNAUG last summer, a yearling filly by Connect and a filly from the initial crop of Flightline foaled Apr. 25. Schweizer reports that Georgie's Angel will visit Good Magic this season. Sales history: $700,000 Ylg '22 FTNAUG; $1,050,000 2yo '23 OBSMAR. Lifetime Record: 3-2-1-0, $118,352.
O-Kazumi Yoshida; B-Kathleen Schweizer (NY); T-Hiroyasu Tanaka.
1600m 1W Allowance at Tokyo:
Very impressive by 3c 6. ASSURBANIPAL🇺🇸 (Arrogate
Georgie's Angel (Bellamy Road)) under Lemaire🇫🇷1.36.2
Now won 2 from 3#DirtMonster#JRA
— Graham Pavey (@LongBallToNoOne) May 18, 2024
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