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 Hanshin and Tokyo Racecourses, the latter of which hosts the best race on the planet this weekend, Sunday's G1 Yasuda Kinen, featuring 2018 Horse of the Year Almond Eye (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) as well as US-bred G1SW Mr Melody (Scat Daddy) (see below for more):
Saturday, June 6, 2020
5th-TOK, ¥13,400,000 ($123k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1600mT
SHOVELHEAD (c, 2, Curlin">Curlin–Date to Remember, by Bernardini), a half-brother to 2018 GIII Bay Shore S. hero National Flag (Speightstown) and to GISP Bernina Star (Harlan's Holiday), cost $700K as a Keeneland September yearling last fall. The late March foal is out of a daughter of MGSP Fashion Star (Chief's Crown), dam of GISW Eddington (Unbridled) and GISP Star Crowned (Kingmambo) and is bred on the exact same cross as GSW/GISP Point of Honor. Curlin is the sire of 100% winners to runners in Japan to date (15/15). B-Siena Farms LLC (KY)
Sunday, June 7, 2020
11th-TOK, Yasuda Kinen-G1, ¥248m ($2.28m), 3yo/up, 1600mT
MR MELODY (h, 5, Scat Daddy–Trusty Lady, by Deputy Minister) took a pass on a title defense in the 1200-meter G1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen (see below, gate 3) in late March in favor of a trip to Dubai for the G1 Al Quoz Sprint over that same distance, only to have the World Cup program called off at the 11th hour because of the pandemic. The 5-year-old is a winner of four of his 13 trips to the post lifetime, which also includes a victory in the G3 Falcon S. (1400m) in 2018. He tries a mile for the first time here since finishing a competitive fourth to the reopposing Keiai Nautique (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in the course-and-distance G1 NHK Mile Cup two years ago. Bought back for $75K at KEENOV in 2015, Mr Melody fetched $100K as a KEESEP yearling and blossomed into a $400K OBS April juvenile. B-Bell Tower Thoroughbreds (KY)
12th-HSN, ¥14,360,000 ($132k), Allowance, 3yo/up, 1400m
TRAIN BEARER (f, 3, Carpe Diem–Cabaret Starlet, by Tale of the Cat) missed the board in a pair of starts on the grass to begin her career, but has improved markedly with a switch to the dirt and exits handy five-length maiden win at Chukyo Mar. 29 (see below, gate 15). A $90K KEENOV weanling, $150K Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling and $250K OBSMAR breezer, Train Bearer is out of an unraced half-sister to Canadian Horse of the Year Arravale (Arch). B-Daniel S Mallory, Amy Bayle & Allen Racing LLC (KY)
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