By Alan Carasso
In this ongoing 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 Tokyo and Hanshin Racecourses, including the first US-bred by Frankel in the country:
Saturday, June 10, 2017
3rd-HSN, ¥9,550,000 (US$86k), Maiden, 3yo, 2000m
Masatake Iida homebred LA LODE (f, 3, Shackleford–Million Seller, by A.P. Indy) shaped with promise in her first two trips to the post, filling the runner-up spot at Kyoto in February and at this track Mar. 11 (video, gate 7). The lone filly in this field of 16, La Lode–a $175K buyback out of the 2015 KEESEP sale–is a maternal great-granddaughter of Maplejinsky (Nijinsky II), the dam of champion Sky Beauty (Blushing Groom {Fr}), while the further female family includes Darby Dan sire Tale of Ekati (Tale of the Cat) and GI Breeders' Cup Distaff winner Pleasant Home (Seeking the Gold). B-Chiyoda Farm Shizunai (KY)
6th-HSN, ¥9,550,000 (US$86k), Maiden, 3yo, 2000mT
MOZU ASCOT (c, 3, Frankel (GB)&log=">Frankel {GB}–India, by Hennessy) is set to become the eighth Japanese starter for his outstanding young sire and first to be bred in the U.S. The March-foaled chestnut is the latest produce from this breeder's talented racemare India, a $400K FTSAUG yearling purchase and dual graded winner who is already responsible for the stakes-winning 'TDN Rising Star' Kareena (Medaglia d'Oro). India's stakes winning half-sister Pilfer (Deputy Minister) is the dam of MGISW To Honor and Serve (Bernardini), GISW & 'TDN Rising Star' Angela Renee (Bernardini) and SW & GISP Elnaawi (Street Sense). Mozu Ascot, the 19-10 ante-post favorite, breaks from gate seven and has the services of Yutaka Take. Frankel is the sire of champion and G1 Oka Sho winner Soul Stirring (Jpn) (ex Stacelita {Fr}). B-Summer Wind Farm (KY)
Sunday, June 11, 2017
5th-TOK, ¥13,400,000 ($121k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1800mT
VIEL SPASS (c, 2, Kitten's Joy–Mighty Renee, by Maria's Mon), a $180K KEESEP yearling purchase, gets his career underway for Koji Maeda's North Hills Co. Ltd. in this newcomers' event. The chestnut is a half-brother to Saratoga turf debut winner Cyclogenisis (Stormy Atlantic) and Mighty Caroline (Stormy Atlantic), also a first-out winner and later victorious in the GIII Sorrento S. at Del Mar. Third dam Over All (Mr. Prospector) won the 1987 GI Spinaway S. and GI Matron S. B-Sierra Farm (KY)
12th-HSN, ¥14,250,000 ($129k), Allowance, 3yo/up, 1200m
TEN MOHS (f, 3, Speightstown–Lemon Kiss, by Lemon Drop Kid) opened her account with a two-length victory as the heavy favorite going this distance at Kyoto Jan. 29 (video, gate 1), earning herself an entry into the GI Kentucky Oaks. She stubbed her toe when eighth in her first go against winners over a rain-affected strip at this venue and makes her first appearance since that Feb. 25 effort. A $230K KEESEP graduate, Ten Mohs is a half-sister to GISW Lochte (Medaglia d'Oro) while her stakes-winning dam is a full-sister to MGSW Kiss the Kid. Third dam Hat Tab Girl (Al Hattab) produced U.S. Horse of the Year Black Tie Affair (Ire) (Miswaki). B-Mark Gittins (KY)
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