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 extended holiday weekend running at Nakayama and Kyoto Racecourses:
Saturday, January 6, 2024
4th-NKY, ¥11,850,000 ($82k), Newcomers, 3yo, 1800m
KITSUNENO YOMEIRI (f, 3, Justify–Aloof {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) looks to become the fifth winner from six to race from her dam, a Group 3 winner in Ireland who was purchased by Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm for a sales-topping $3.9 million in foal to War Front at the 2014 Keeneland November Sale. A daughter of Group 1-winning juvenile Airwave (GB) (Air Express {Ire}), Aloof is a full-sister to SW & MGSP Keats (Ire) and SW Orator (Ire) and a half-to Broodmare of the Year Meow (Ire) (Storm Cat), the dam of champion MG1SW Churchill (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) G1SW Clemmie (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and GSW Blenheim Palace (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Aloof sold for $75,000 in foal to Olympiad at KEENOV this past fall. The cross of Justify over Galileo is responsible for undefeated G1 Dewhurst S. winner City of Troy and the additional graded/group winners Buchu and Red Riding Hood (Ire). B-Whisper Hill Farm LLC (KY)
ECORO BLADE (JPN) (c, 3, Mendelssohn–Entropia {Arg}, by Mount Nelson {GB}) is the first foal out of his G1 Criadores-winning dam, who was bred to this sire before being exported to Japan. A Mar. 6 foal, Ecoro Blade was knocked down for the equivalent of $235,606 at the JRHA Select Sale a few months later, and his now-yearling half-brother by Equinox's sire Kitasan Black (Jpn) was purchased for better than $1 million at the same event last summer. B-Grand Stud
Sunday, January 7, 2024
7th-NKY, ¥14,880,000 ($103k), Allowance, 3yo, 1800m
COSMO GIN BUCK (c, 3, Good Magic–Disposablepleasure, by Holy Bull) belied debut odds of 9-1 to graduate by a half-length going this track and distance Dec. 9 and will try to put them back-to-back here. The May foal's dam won the 2011 GII Demoiselle S., was runner-up in the GI Mother Goose S. the following season and was purchased by Big Red Farm for $35,000 carrying this colt at Keeneland November in 2020. Disposablepleasure is a half-sister to SW & GSP Romantic Hideaway (City Zip). B-Big Red Farm
Monday, January 8, 2024
11th-KYO, Shinzan Kinen-G3, ¥77.3m ($535k), 3yo, 1600mT
NOBLE ROGER (c, 3, Palace Malice–Noble Ready, by More Than Ready), a $70,000 OBS April breezer, was bet into even-money favoritism for his Nov. 12 debut going a mile over the Tokyo turf course and did not disappoint in graduating by a handy 1 3/4 lengths (see below, SC 5). Noble Ready, who was placed three times in stakes company on the turf, is a full-sister to GSW Zindaya, the dam of MGSW 'TDN Rising Star' Carl Spackler (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) and a half to Grade I winner Western Aristocrat (Mr. Greeley). Adding to the intrigue is the presence of 2023 second-leading jockey Yuga Kawada. B-Candy Meadows LLC (KY)
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