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 Hanshin Racecourse, including well-related half-siblings, each by a very successful son of El Prado (Ire)
Saturday, September 9, 2017
5th-HSN, ¥13,400,000 ($124k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1600mT
In stark contrast to his talented and speedy half-sister Fiducia (Medaglia d'Oro) (see below), GENDARME (c, 2, Kitten's Joy–Believe {Jpn}, by Sunday Silence) looks more a staying type and debuts over the metric mile here. In addition to the SW & GSP Fiducia, the North Hills runner is also kin to SW & GISP Faridat (Kingmambo) and all three are out of champion Believe, winner of the Takamatsunomiya Kinen and Sprinters' S. in their pre-graded days. Both Gendarme and Fiducia share paternal grandsire El Prado (Ire). Yutaka Take is at the controls for Yasutoshi Ikee. B-North Hills Co Ltd (KY)
8th-HSN, ¥14,250,000 ($132k), Allowance, 1400m
HONEY JADE (f, 3, Harlan's Holiday–Hard Hat, by Hard Spun) posted a third-place effort from three tries on turf, but has found a new home on the dirt, breaking her maiden over this course and distance June 3 (video, gate 15) before going down to a narrow defeat over what is likely an insufficient 1000m at Kokura Aug. 13 (video, gate 11). Top jockey Mirco Demuro, who rode the filly to her debut third on the grass, sees fit to get back in the saddle. A $130K FTKJUL yearling, the dark bay, who is out of a half to GISW Albert the Great (Go For Gin), cost $300K as an FTFMAR breezer. B-John P Hicks William D Hart Dr. Jerry Bilinski & John Murdza (NY)
Sunday, September 10, 2017
2nd-HSN, ¥9,550,000 ($88k), Maiden, 2yo, 1600mT
JASPER PRINCE (c, 2, Violence&log=">Violence–Ambitious Journey, by Bernardini) rounded out a US-bred exacta on his 1200m debut Aug. 19 at Kokura, missing by a half-length to the talented filly Mozu Superflare (Speightstown) (video, gate 9). The late May foal, whose Sovereign Award-winning turf mare Ambitious Cat (Storm Cat) produced SP Cool Faith (Pulpit), also hails from the female family of Hong Kong Horse of the Year Electronic Unicorn (Housebuster) and 1997 GI Kentucky Oaks winner Blushing K. D. (Blushing John). B-Hill 'n' Dale Equine Holdings Inc (KY)
11th-HSN, Centaur S.-G2, ¥112,800,000 ($1.04m), 3/up, 1200mT
FIDUCIA (m, 5, Medaglia d'Oro-Believe {Jpn}, by Sunday Silence), winner of a listed stakes going this distance in April (video, gate 10), cut back to a straight five furlongs for her last two, scoring at Niigata May 21 (video, gate 8) before suffering an excruciating defeat in the G3 Ibis Summer Dash July 30 (video, gate 10). The Centaur is the main lead-up event for the G1 Sprinters' S. (1200m) at Nakayama Oct. 1. B-North Hills Co Ltd (KY)
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