Justify Represented By First Japanese Starter

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 Fukushima and Kokura Racecourses:

Sunday, July 3, 2022
3rd-FKS, ¥9,900,000 ($73k), Maiden, 3yo, 1150m
THEURGIST (c, 3, Ghostzapper–Orphea, by Medaglia d'Oro) was the most expensive of this outstanding sire's weanlings to sell in 2019, hammering to Paca Paca Farm on behalf of Godolphin for $410K at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale. A half-brother to Grade III-placed Born to Be Winner (Einstein {Brz}), the March foal is out of an unraced daughter of MGSW & MGISP Nasty Storm (Gulch), the dam of Irish MGSW/G1SP Actress (Ire) (Declaration of War). B-Ghostzapper Syndicate & Paul Tackett Revocable Trust (KY)

6th-KOK, ¥13,400,000 ($99k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1200mT
JASPER TIARA (f, 2, Justify–Sweetgrass, by Street Sense), a $150K Keeneland September graduate, is the first Japanese starter for her freshman sire (by Scat Daddy) and is the first to make the races from her dam, who was placed no fewer than five times at graded level–including the 2015 GII Indiana Oaks–and was purchased by Baccari Bloodstock for $250,000 at FTKNOV in 2017. The cross of Scat Daddy over Street Cry (Ire)-line dams is responsible for the outstanding multiple Australian Group 1 winner Con Te Partiro and Irish top-level scorer Skitter Scatter. B-Chris Baccari, Brad Stephens & Breeze Easy (KY)