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 Nakayama and Hanshin Racecourses, the latter of which plays host to the season's first Japanese Classic, the G1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) for the 3-year-old fillies:
Saturday, April 8, 2023
4th-NKY, ¥10,480,000 ($79k), Maiden, 3yo, 1200m
WORLDS COLLIDE (c, 3, War Front–Elizabeth Browning {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) is the first foal out of a winner of the G2 Kilboy Estate S. whose full-brother Johannes Vermeer (Ire) took the G1 Criterium International S. in France. Elizabeth Browning, who topped the 2017 Tattersalls Autumn Horses In Training Sale on a bid of 700,000gns from Alex Elliott, agent, is also a sister to the listed-winning Sapa Inca (Ire), G1 National S. runner-up Wembley (Ire) and Group 2-placed Petite Mustique (Ire). Worlds Collide was the most expensive of seven purchases by Paca Paca Farm at the 2020 Keeneland November Sale, hammering for $400,000. The second-priciest of those acquisitions, the $250,000 Freewheeling (War Front) offered less than 25 hips later, broke his maiden at second asking in Japan last weekend. B-Lynch Bages Ltd & MacQuarie Bloodstock (KY)
Sunday, April 9, 2023
2nd-HSN, ¥10,480,000 ($79k), Maiden, 3yo, 1200m
DIXIE GUNNER (c, 3, Gun Runner–Dixie Crisp, by Dixieland Band) made a pair of starts over 1400 meters last term, finishing second and third, respectively, and cuts back slightly for this seasonal comebacker. Purchased for $150,000 at KEENOV in 2020, the bay is a half-brother to SW & GSP Southern Freedom (Pure Prize), SW Reconstruction (Broken Vow) and GSP Epic Dreamer (Orb). Yuga Kawada has the call for trainer Mitsumasa Nakauchida, who will team with Oka Sho favorite Liberty Island (Jpn) later in the program. B-J D Stuart, P C Bance, AR Enterprises & G Todaro (KY)
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