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 Sunday and Monday running at Chukyo Racecourse:
Sunday, January 5, 2025
3rd-CKO, ¥10,600,000 ($67k), Maiden, 3yo, 1900m
HUG (JPN) (c, 3, Justify–Fleet Bertie, by Afleet Alex) made a single visit to the races as a 2-year-old, finishing a good second over 1800 meters at Kyoto Dec. 15 and will be tough to beat here with expected improvement. Narvick International acquired the colt's stakes-placed dam at Keeneland November in 2021 for $185,000 and the colt repaid that bill when selling to Yoshizawa Holdings for the equivalent of $312,000 as a foal at the JRHA Select Sale in 2022. Second dam Whirlie Birdie (Stormin Fever) and third dam De Bertie (De Niro) were both successful at the graded stakes level. B-Matsuura Bokujo
Monday, January 6, 2025
4th-CKO, ¥15,200,000 ($97k), Allowance, 3yo, 1800m
SHIN BELIEVE (c, 3, Constitution–Sand Puce {Arg}, by Footstepsinthesand {GB}) could not have been more impressive in breaking his maiden by five resounding lengths as the 9-5 favorite in a newcomers' test going this distance at Niigata in early August (see below, SC 10), but the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile proved a task too tall, as he faded to finish a distant 10th to Citizen Bull (Into Mischief) after racing prominently in the first half of the contest. A $385,000 buyback as a yearling at Fasig-Tipton Saratoga, he was hammered down to Forever Young (Jpn)'s owner Susumu Fujita for $800,000 at last year's OBS March Sale. B-Don Alberto Corporation (KY)
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