Beautifully Bred War Front Filly Gets Going at Headquarters

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 Tokyo Racecourse. The headline event of the weekend is the G1 Shuka Sho, where Liberty Island (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}) goes for a sweep of the Triple Tiara. Click here for our preview:

Saturday, October 14, 2023
3rd-TOK, ¥13,720,000 ($92k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1400mT
ERIKA MARGHERITA (f, 2, War Front–Deceptive Vision, by A.P. Indy), whose dam was a Grade III winner on dirt, a Grade II victress and Grade I-placed on the turf and sold for $900,000 with this filly in utero from the Sam-Son dispersal at the 2021 Keeneland January sale, is a full-sister to Ancient Piece, runner-up in this year's GII Summertime Oaks and third in the GIII Remington Oaks after being purchased for $650,000 at KEEJAN this past winter. Erika Margherita, a $400,000 Keeneland September acquisition, is out of a daughter of Sovereign Award-winning 3-year-old filly Eye of the Sphynx (Smart Strike), whose other produce include champion and Queen's Plate winner Eye of the Leopard (A.P. Indy) MSW/MGSP Hotep (A.P. Indy) and SW Desert Isle (Bernardini). This is also the family of Canadian Horse of the Year Quiet Resolve (Affirmed). B-Hill 'n' Dale Equine Holdings Inc & Spry Family Farm LP (KY)

ECORO EIGHT (c, 2, Take Charge Indy–Lighthouse Bay, by Speightstown) is the latest to the races for his dam, the 2013 GI Prioress S. winner, who was purchased by Newgate Farm for $1.2 million in foal to Tapit at Fasig-Tipton November in 2014 and was RNAd for $850,000 at Keeneland November the next year. Lighthouse Bay was acquired by this breeder in 2017, and her first foal Easy Fact (The Factor)–bred in the name of Teruya Yoshida–was an allowance winner at Funabashi in August. B-Shadai Farm (KY)

Sunday, October 15, 2023
4th-TOK, ¥13,720,000 ($92k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1600m
AMERICAN TICKET (c, 2, Justify–A Z Warrior, by Bernardini), a $350,000 Keeneland September grad, is out of the 2010 GI Frizette S. winner and is a full-brother to Justa Warrior, winner of last year's Ellis Park Debutante S., and a half to Irish listed winner Key to My Heart (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and to Japanese track-record setter Conch Pearl (American Pharoah). The MSP second dam Carson Jen (Carson City) produced two-time graded winner Jojo Warrior (Pioneerof the Nile) and fellow 'TDN Rising Stars' GSW/GISP E Z Warrior (Exploit) and MSW/GSP J Z Warrior (Harlan's Holiday). B-Triemore Stud (KY)

GOLDEN ROOKIE (c, 2, Catholic Boy–Gold N Shaft, by Mineshaft) is a half-brother to two-time graded winner My Boy Jack (Creative Cause) and fetched $35,000 at KEESEP last fall before selling for $60,000 at OBS this past April. The Feb. 12 foal is out of a daughter of John Franks's GSW & GISP Gold N Delicious (Gold Alert). B-SF Bloodstock (KY)