By Alan Carasso
In this continuing series, Alan Carasso takes 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 Nakayama Racecourse. The weekend's other meetings take place at Hanshin, which on Sunday stages the G1 Osaka Hai, featuring a mouth-watering clash between Triple Crown hero Contrail (Jpn) (Deep Imact {Jpn}) and Gran Alegria (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), who tries 10 furlongs for the first time in her career:
Saturday, April 3, 2021
12th-NKY, ¥14,360,000 ($130k), Allowance, 4yo/up, 1200m
BEST MAGIC (h, 5, Speightstown–Glinda the Good, by Hard Spun), a half-brother to champion MGISW Good Magic (Curlin) put together a three-race winning streak against much softer at Nagoya on the National Association of Racing circuit last season and most recently hinted at a return to his best form with a runner-up effort over this track and distance Mar. 6. A $200K Keeneland September yearling turned $700K OBS April breezer, Best Magic is out of Glinda the Good, a MSW & GSP half-sister to GSW/GISP Take the Ribbon (Chester House), whose yearling full-brother to Good Magic fetched $800K at KEESEP last fall. B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC (KY)
Sunday, April 4, 2021
2nd-NKY, ¥9,680,000 ($88k), Maiden, 3yo, 1800m
AIR SEIRAN (JPN) (c, 3, Air Force Blue–Verbouwen, by Kitten's Joy) is the first foal from his dam, third in the GIII Boiling Springs S. in 2016 and sold with this colt in utero for $160K at KEENOV in 2017. The Apr. 3 foal proceeded to the JRHA Select Foal Sale a little over three months later, hammering to Lucky Field Co. for ¥21 million ($189,420). Champion Air Force Blue is the sire of two winners from as many to race in Japan, one of which is also from a Kitten's Joy dam. B-Sweet Farm
6th-NKY, ¥13,830,000 ($125k), Allowance, 3yo, 1800m
BLACK LOTUS (c, 3, American Pharoah–Arravale, by Arch) made a successful career bow, overcoming a slow start and brutally wide trip to score narrowly over this surface and distance Dec. 20 (video, gate 12), but beat just one home when finishing 11th in the G3 Keisei Hai over the local turf course the following month. It's back to the dirt this time around for the son of Canada's Horse of the Year in 2006, who is also responsible for GSP Nancy O (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}). Arravale, who once RNAd for 1.05 million gns ($1.81 million) at Tattersalls, was acquired by Merriebelle Stables for $490,000 in foal to Animal Kingdom at KEENOV in 2016. Black Lotus cost $200K at KEESEP in 2019. B-Merriebelle Stable LLC (KY)
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