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 Kyoto and Tokyo Racecourses. Group 1 racing takes the week off in Japan, giving leading riders Christophe Lemaire and Yuga Kawada an opportunity to make the trans-Pacific trip to the Breeders' Cup, but plenty of action to be witnessed all the same:
Saturday, November 4, 2023
4th-TOK, ¥13,720,000 ($91k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1600m
ASSURBANIPAL (c, 2, Arrogate–Georgie's Angel, by Bellamy Road) is the latest to the races from the 2011 GIII Schuylerville S. victress whose biggest claim to fame thus far is this colt's full-brother Cave Rock, named a 'TDN Rising Star' when graduating by six lengths at first asking two days before this year-younger sibling sold to Tom McCrocklin, agent for Champion Equine, for $700,000 to top the 2022 Fasig-Tipton New York-Bred Sale. Cave Rock would go on to add the GI Del Mar Futurity and GI American Pharoah S. before settling for second in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile, and those efforts helped assure that Assurbanipal would be one of the star turns at OBS March, where he fetched $1.05 million from Katsumi Yoshida (breeze video). Joao Moreira takes the call. Longford Farm acquired Georgie's Angel for $75,000 with this colt in utero at Keeneland November in 2020. Also debuting here is $125,000 KEESEP grad American Runner (Gun Runner), a son of Uruguayan champion 3-year-old filly Acqua Fresh (Uru) (Ecclesiastic). B-Kathleen Schweizer (NY)
5th-KYO, ¥13,720,000 ($91k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1600mT
LA LA MONSTRE (c, 2, Mitole–Speightstastic, by Speightstown) was the third-priciest of 105 yearlings reported as sold in 2022 (121 ring) for this first-crop sire (by Eskendereya) when hammering for $390,000 at the Keeneland September sale. Cove Springs acquired this colt's dam, a full-sister to MGSW & GSP Bayerd and half to MSP Sphene (Bodemeister), for $65,000 at Keeneland November in 2017, and the mare's current yearling, a colt by Not This Time, made $725,000 from Repole/Spendthrift at this year's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale. B-Cove Springs LLC (KY)
DEFERLER (f, 2, Mendelssohn–Heavenly Romance {Jpn}, by Sunday Silence) is out of a dam that upset Zenno Rob Roy (Jpn) in the 2005 Tenno Sho (Autumn) and has since gone on to be an important producer for North Hills, accounting for the likes of MGSW/MG1SP Awardee (Jungle Pocket {Jpn}), MSW Amour Briller (Smart Strike) and Lani (Tapit), winner of the G2 UAE Derby and later placed in the GI Belmont S. B-North Hills Co Ltd (KY)
11th-TOK, Keio Hai Nisai S.-G2, ¥72m ($480k), 2yo, 1400mT
Just hours before the commonly owned Jasper Krone (Frosted) takes his place in the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint, JASPER NOIR (c, 2, Frosted–Funny Bay, by Medaglia d'Oro) makes his black-type debut here. A $35,000 KEENOV weanling turned $280,000 OBSMAR breezer, the chestnut, who is out of a half-sister to MGSW Stanford (Malibu Moon), exits an easy front-running maiden-breaking victory over 1200 meters at Niigata Oct. 15 (video, SC 1). B-Nina Theodora Camperlengo (KY)
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