Justify Colt Makes Belated Sophomore Debut at Hanshin

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 Hanshin and Nakayama Racecourses. The latter venue plays host to the first Group 1 event of the fall season, Sunday's Sprinters' S., which features the lightning-quick US-bred Jasper Krone (Frosted):

Saturday, September 30, 2023
4th-HSN, ¥13,720,000 ($92k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1400mT
IN YOUR PALACE (c, 2, Palace Malice–Queen's Turf {Jpn}, by Deep Impact {Jpn}) is the second foal to the races for his dam, a ¥39 million ($489,553) purchase as a foal at the 2012 JRHA Select Sale by Eiichi Kobayashi who won her debut as the favorite going this distance over the local dirt track in late 2014. In Your Palace hails from the extended female family of 10-time stakes winner Furioso (Jpn) (Brian's Time), and this sire's half-brother Justin Palace (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) won this year's G1 Tenno Sho (Spring) at two miles on turf and is set to face Equinox (Jpn) in the Autumn Tenno Sho going 10 furlongs at the end of October. B-Winchester Farm (KY)

Sunday, October 1, 2023
3rd-NKY, ¥13,720,000 ($92k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1200mT
JUNE BLAIR (f, 2, American Pharoah–Lap of Luxury {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}), a $275,000 Keeneland September yearling acquisition, is out of a winning full-sister to MGSW/G1SP and Keeneland January sales-topper Up (Ire), whose daughter Aspray (Quality Road) won this year's GII Lake Placid S. and who is also represented by G1SP former 'TDN Rising Star' Monarch of Egypt (American Pharoah); the now Saudi-based Irish GSP Khartoum (Pioneerof the Nile); and a Medaglia d'Oro filly that sold to Shadwell for $1.1 million at KEESEP this year. Lap of Luxury is also the dam of G1SW sire Dutch Art (GB) (Medicean {GB}). B-Diamond Creek Farm (KY)

4th-HSN, ¥15,200,000 ($102k), Allowance, 3yo/up, 1800m
JOVIAN (c, 3, Justify–Runway Doll, by Majestic Warrior) made two starts at this track as a juvenile, finishing a fractionally disappointing second at 6-5 on seven-furlong debut Nov. 19 before returning a week later to crush by seven lengths going this distance (video, SC 5). DS Stable acquired this colt's dam for $380,000 in foal to American Pharoah at Keeneland November in 2018 and sold this colt for $250,000 at the 2022 OBS March Sale. His yearling half-brother by Nyquist fetched $400,000 at the recently concluded September sale. B-DS Stable LLC (KY)