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 Sunday running at Niigata Racecourse:
Sunday, August 4, 2024
2nd-NII, ¥13,720,000 ($92k), Newcomers, 2yo, f, 1600mT
T O NILSSON (JPN) (f, 2, McKinzie–American Legend, by American Pharoah) was purchased by Tomoya Ozasa for the equivalent of $84,390 at last year's JRHA Select Sale and is out of a half-sister to four winners, including the Grade III-placed Co Cola (Candy Ride {Arg}), the dam of 2021 GI Acorn Stakes winner Search Results (Flatter). American Legend, also kin to the Peruvial Group 1-placed Kingdom Road (Arg) (Bellamy Road), was purchased for $120,000 with this filly in utero at the 2021 Keeneland November Sale. This is the female family of successful young Japanese sire Mind Your Biscuits (Posse). B-Yuki Dendo
7th-NII, Leopard S.-G3, ¥71,360,000 ($486k), 3yo, 1800m
SONIC STAR (c, 3, Into Mischief–Carolina Bertie, by Speightstown) brings a record of three wins from four starts into this first go at group level, having suffered his lone career defeat when down the field in the first leg of the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby–the Cattleya Stakes (allowance)–last November. The $300,000 Keeneland September yearling has since won twice going the one-turn mile at Tokyo, including a narrow defeat of fellow American-bred Sorrel Bullet (Malibu Moon) May 4 (see below, SC 7). Sonic Star, whose unraced dam is a half-sister to MGISW and current Japanese sire Beach Patrol (Lemon Drop Kid), has the services of leading rider Yuga Kawada. B-Nancy C Shuford (KY)
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