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 weekend running at Chukyo and Hanshin Racecourses:
Sunday, March 10, 2024
3rd-CKO, ¥10,400,000 ($71k), Maiden, 3yo, 1400mT
KAFUJI NIHONIUM (c, 3, Kitten's Joy–Broken Dreams, by Broken Vow) represents six generations of Glen Hill Farm breeding and is out of a Grade III-winning dam who produced Caribou Club (City Zip), a graded winner in California, Maryland and Canada. A $190,000 Keeneland September yearling, the May-foaled chestnut counts GI Breeders' Cup Distaff upsetter One Dreamer (Relaunch) as his third dam. B-Glen Hill Farm (KY)
3rd-HSN, ¥10,480,000 ($71k), Maiden, 3yo, 1800m
JUN FIRENZE (JPN) (c, 3, Ghostzapper–Street Cash, by Street Boss), whose dam cost $95,000 with this colt in utero at the 2020 Keeneland November sale, is out of a daughter of 2000 GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup winner Collect the Cash (Dynaformer), also the dam of 2010 GI Toyota Blue Grass S. winner Stately Victor (Ghostzapper) and the GSP duo of Hot Cash (Ghostzapper) and Bay Street Money (Street Sense). An April foal, the bay colt changed hands for ¥16.5 million ($120,495) at the 2022 Hokkaido Selection Yearling Sale. B-Yuki Dendo
11th-HSN, Fillies' Revue-G2, ¥99m ($688k), 3yo, f, 1400mT
JUNE BLAIR (f, 3, American Pharoah–Lap of Luxury {Ire}) carried Yutaka Take to a half-length victory in a 1200-meter newcomers event at Nakayama Oct. 1 (see below, SC 1) and was not beaten far when seventh behind eventual champion Jantar Mantar (Jpn) (Palace Malice) in the G2 Daily Hai Nisai S. when tried over a mile at Kyoto Nov. 11. The $275,000 Keeneland September acquisition is out of a half-sister to Group 1-winning sire Dutch Art (GB) (Medicean {GB}) and a full-sister to GSW/G1SP Keeneland November topper Up (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), whose four winners from six to race include last year's GII Lake Placid S. winner Aspray (Quality Road), G1SP Monarch of Egypt (American Pharoah) and GSP Khartoum (Pioneerof the Nile). She makes her first start in sex-restricted company here. B-Diamond Creek Farm (KY)
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