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 Saturday running at Hanshin Racecourse. Sunday's action at Nakyama features the sophomore debut of last year's champion 2-year-old male Do Deuce (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) in the G2 Yayoi Sho over the metric mile and a quarter. Last year's G1 Asahi Hai Futurity hero is a son of the American-sourced Dust and Diamonds (Vindication):
Saturday, March 5, 2022
2nd-HSN, ¥9,900,000 ($86k), Maiden, 3yo, 1200m
LE VERGER (f, 3, Maclean's Music–Wine Train, by Tiz Wonderful) is the second foal to race out of a daughter of the stakes-winning Stage Stop (Valid Expectation), the dam of MSW & GSP Stageplay (Curlin), GSW She Digs Me (Henny Hughes) and Mylute (Midnight Lute), third to Oxbow (Awesome Again) in the GI Preakness S. back in 2013. A $31K purchase as a short yearling at Keeneland January in 2020, Le Verger was bought back on a bid of $50K at that year's KEESEP sale and was sold for $100,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Sale after breezing a quarter in :21 4/5 (see below). B-Robert & Lawana Low (KY)
6th-HSN, ¥14,250,000 ($123k), Allowance, 3yo, 1800m
SHAILENE (f, 3, Arrogate–Amen Hallelujah, by Montbrook) completed a 1-2 finish for her late sire behind Foolish Hobby on her course-and-distance debut Nov. 29 and most recently proved narrowly best going this same trip at Chukyo Jan. 9 (see below, SC 10). A daughter of the dual Group II winner and six-time Grade I-placed Amen Hallelujah, the mid-May foal was a $150K KEESEP grad and matured into a $1-million OBS April breezer (:10 flat), a price bettered only by champion 'TDN Rising Star' Corniche (Quality Road). B-Town & Country Horse Farms LLC (KY)
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