2nd-Aqueduct, $84,000, Alw (NW2$X), Opt. Clm ($62,500), 4-21, 4yo/up, f/m, 1 1/16mT, 1:43.02, fm, 1 length.
YUKATA (IRE) (f, 4, Galileo {Ire}–Blue Kimono {Ire}, by Invincible Spirit {Ire}), victorious in a Deauville all-weather maiden at first asking for Jean-Claude Rouget in November 2021, took a conditions race on the turf at ParisLongchamp last April before finishing third as the favorite in the Listed Prix Finlande at the same venue May 19. Well-beaten when last seen in the G1 Prix de Diane (French Oaks) last June, she was part of a favored entry at 3-4 with Arina (Ger) (Soldier Hollow {GB}) on U.S. debut. Tugging a bit into the first turn beneath Manny Franco, Yukata–carrying the Brant colors–continued to race freely down the back while never far from the front. Given her cue three wide on the turn, she had dead aim on pacesettiing Canisy (Point of Entry) in upper stretch and took plenty of time to hit top gear, but did her best work late to take it by a length. Arina ran on for third ahead of a troubled Bramble Bay (Bullet Train {GB}), who complete a chalky triple. A half-sister to Brant's 2022 Oceanport S. heroine Kuramata (Ire) (Australia {GB}), SW, $143,809, Yukata is out of a daughter of French SW & MGSP Bastet (Ire) (Giant's Causeway), also the dam of Beauty Parlour (GB) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), who won the 2012 French 1000 Guineas and was second in that year's French Oaks. So enamored was Brant of the family that he first purchased Beauty Parlour's Dansili (GB) filly of 2016 for a second-dearest €450,000 at the Goffs November Foal Sale and a few days later, gave a sales-topping €1.7 million for Beauty Parlour herself at the November Breeding Stock Sale. The aforementioned Dansili foal was named Blowout (GB), who defeated the commonly owned 'TDN Rising Star' Regal Glory (Animal Kingdom) in the 2021 GI First Lady S. at Keeneland. Bastet was also responsible for Beauty Parlour's year-younger full-brother Barocci (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), a SW & GSP in France and MGSP in this country before being purchased to stand in Sweden. Yukata's third dam Benediction (Ire) (Day Is Done {Ire}) produced 11 winners, including two-time Australian Horse of the Year Might and Power (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}). Blue Kimono is the dam of the 2-year-old filly Courreges (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) and a yearling colt by the Banstead Manor-based superstar. Lifetime Record: SP-Fr, 5-3-0-1, $88,994. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
O-Peter M Brant, Mrs John Magnier & Michael Tabor; B-White Birch Farm SC (IRE); T-Chad C Brown.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
