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, with a holiday Friday providing three days of racing (still spectator-free) at Nakayama and Hanshin Racecourses. The latter hosts the Listed Wakaba S. Saturday in which the promising American Seed (Tapit) makes his black-type debut:
Friday, March 20, 2020
4th-NKY, ¥13,830,000 ($127k), Allowance, 3yo, 1800m
AINOA (f, 3, Blame&log=#tot">Blame–Summer On the Lawn, by First Defence) was unplaced in a pair of turf starts to begin her career, but made a smooth transition to the dirt last time, graduating narrowly in a 1600-meter event at Tokyo Feb. 15 (video, gate 15). A $185K Fasig-Tipton NY-Bred yearling and $150K OBS April breezer, the Mar. 19 foal is out of a half-sister to three-time graded winner and GI Juddmonte Spinster S. runner-up Summer Applause (Harlan's Holiday). B-Fred Hertrich III, John D Fielding & Robert L Tribbett (NY)
Saturday, March 21, 2020
6th-HSN, ¥9,680,000 ($89k), Maiden, 3yo, 2200mT
BONDING TIME (c, 3, Kitten's Joy–Imagistic, by Deputy Minister) is one of four winners–all full-siblings–from six to race, including SW & MGSP Gentleman's Kitten. The Maryland-bred is out of a winning half-sister to GSP Instrumentalist (Bernstein) and was purchased in utero for $30K at KEEJAN in 2017 before fetching $65K as a KEENOV weanling and $210K at KEESEP the next fall. B-Country Life Farm & Imagistic LLC (MD)
11th-HSN, Wakaba S.-Listed, ¥38,000,000 ($350k), 3yo, 2000mT
AMERICAN SEED (c, 3, Tapit–Sweet Talker, by Stormin Fever) has yet to finish worse than second in his three starts to date, following a debut victory at this track Dec. 8 (see below, gate 5) with runner-up efforts at Kyoto Jan. 5 and at Tokyo Feb. 22, both over this trip. Don Adam's Courtlandt Farm acquired this dam for $1.15 million at KEENOV about a month after her victory in the 2005 GI QE II Challenge Cup and has since bred from her SW & GSP Sweet Tapper (Tapit) and MGSP Perregaux (Distorted Humor). An $825K KEESEP yearling, American Seed is out of a half to MGSW Silver Medallion (Badge of Silver) and the deeper female family includes GISWs Sam's Sister (Brother Derek) and Check the Label (Stormin Fever). B-Courtlandt Farm (KY)
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