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 Sapporo Racecourse on Saturday and three runners of note–including a US-bred Group 1 winner this season-Sunday at Kokura.
Saturday, August 22, 2020
5th-SAP, ¥13,400,000 ($127k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1200mT
ASCALON (c, 2, Speightstown–Coco as in Chanel, by Awesome Again), a $50K Keeneland September yearling acquisition, is the first foal from his dam, front-running winner of the 2016 Stormy Blues S. for Heider Family Stables and trainer Tom Proctor. Christophe Lemaire takes the call. Coco as in Chanel was purchased by SF Bloodstock and Newgate Farm for $150K in foal to Violence at KEENOV in 2018. She did not produce a foal for 2019 and was covered last September by Newgate's MG1SW Russian Revolution (Aus) (Snitzel {Aus}). B-Heider Family Stable (KY)
Sunday, August 23, 2020
5th-SAP, ¥13,400,000 ($127k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1800mT
WAR BUDDY (JPN) (c, 2, War Front–Tammy the Torpedo, by More Than Ready) is the first produce for his dam, a former Chad Brown-trained 'TDN Rising Star' and MGSW who was purchased by Dr. Masatake Iida with this colt in utero for $1.65m at KEENOV in 2017. A half-sister to MGSW Seek and Destroy (Verrazano) and hailing from the Stuart Janney III family of MGSW Criminologist (Maria's Mon), her MGSW son Inspector Lynley (Lemon Drop Kid) and MGSP Rescue Squad (Dynaformer), War Buddy is a half-brother to a Deep Impact (Jpn) colt that fetched ¥180m ($1,656,000) as a foal at the 2019 JRHA Select Sale and to a colt by Heart's Cry (Jpn) who realized ¥45m ($419,422) at the same event last month. B-Chiyoda Farm Shizunai
8th-KOK, ¥14,360,000 ($136k), Allowance, 3yo/up, 1700m
ABUL HAUL (c, 3, American Pharoah–Kitten's Dumplings, by Kitten's Joy), a debut seventh in a single start on turf at two, graduated when switching to the dirt this past February (see below, gate 6) and makes his first start since an unplaced effort in May. Kitten's Dumplings, winner of the 2013 GI QE II Challenge Cup for Ken and Sarah Ramsey, was acquired privately in 2016 and produced this–her first foal–in April 2017. She returned to American Pharoah before being exported to Japan and is now the dam of a 2-year-old full-brother to Abul Haul. Among the competition is fellow US-bred Train Bearer (Carpe Diem). B-Teruya Yoshida (KY)
11th-KOK, ¥74.6m ($705k), Kitakyushu Kinen-G3, 3/up, 1200mT
MOZU SUPERFLARE (m, 5, Speightstown-Christies Treasure, by Belong to Me) has won seven of her 20 career trips to the post and makes her first appearance since being promoted to the victory in the G1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen back in March (see below, gate 16). A $125K KEESEP graduate, the chestnut is a half-sister to GSW Sacrity (Pulpit), dam of SW/GISP 'TDN Rising Star' Flor de la Mar (Tiznow); and to Zighy Bay (Tapit), whose daughter Qafila (Aus) (Not A Single Doubt {Aus}) upset the boys in the 2019 G1 South Australian Derby for Shadwell and Lindsay Park trainers David Hayes and Tom Dabernig. An Honor Code half-brother is catalogued as hip 103 for next month's September sale. B-Alpha Delta Stables LLC (KY)
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