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 final Group 1 event of the spring/early summer, the Takarazuka Kinen, is slated for Sunday at Hanshin and is led by its defending champion Chrono Genesis (Jpn) (Bago {Fr}):
Saturday, June 26, 2021
1st-HSN, ¥9,680,000 ($87k), Maiden, 2yo, 1600mT
CONCH PEARL (f, 2, American Pharoah–A Z Warrior, by Bernardini) makes her second start, having had the misfortune of running into a potential monster when clearly runner-up to 'TDN Rising Star' Command Line (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) on Tokyo debut June 5 (see below, gate 3). A daughter of the 2010 GI Frizette S. heroine, the half-sister to SW Key To My Heart (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and SP Cole Porter (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) is out of a half-sister to MGSW/GISP Jojo Warrior–a daughter of American Pharoah's sire Pioneerof the Nile–as well as MSW & GSP J Z Warrior (Harlan's Holiday) and GSW & GISP E Z Warrior (Exploit). Conch Pearl cost $340K at KEESEP last fall. B-Triemore Stud (KY)
10th-TOK, ¥28,600,000 ($258k), Allowance, 3yo/up, 1600m
VALKYRJA (JPN) (f, 4, Tapit–Peace and War, by War Front) is perfect in just two previous appearances, a debut victory at Kyoto in February 2020 before returning from a 13-month absence to add a first-level Chukyo allowance over a very sloppy strip this past Mar. 13 (see below, gate 9). Peace and War, upset winner of the 2014 GI Darley Alcibiades S., was sold for $1.45 million with this filly in utero at Keeneland November in 2016. B-Northern Racing
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