Less than a week after Soul Stirring (Jpn) became Frankel's first Group 1 winner in the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies, another of his daughters, 'TDN Rising Star' Mi Suerte (Jpn) will bid to add to her sire's fine record in Sunday's G1 Asahi Futurity S., also at Hanshin trained by Yasutoshi Ikee for Sunday Racing Co Ltd, the daughter of Pulpit's Grade 1 winner Mi Sueno is already a black-type winner having landed the seven-furlong GIII Kyoto Sho Fantasy S. against members of her own sex on Nov. 5, a performance which sees her as the warm favourite for the mile contest, despite the extra distance and the fact that she is taking on colts.
Mi Suerte is one of only two fillies, along with Bee Kali (Jpn) (Admire Max {Jpn}), in the 18-runner field, in which the second-favourite looks likely to be Christophe Lemaire's mount Danburite (Jpn), runner-up in the GIII Saudi Arabia Royal Cup in Tokyo on Oct. 8 after winning on debut over a mile back in July.
Red En Ciel (Jpn) (Manhattan Café {Jpn}) is unbeaten in his two starts to date, including the Momiji S. over seven furlongs in mid-October, while Satono Ares (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) has been more highly tried than most, winning two of his four starts, with his most recent victory coming three weeks ago in the Begonia Sho over a mile on firm ground at Tokyo.
The American-bred Levante Lion (Pioneerof The Nile) showed decent form earlier in the summer when winning the GIII Hakodate Nisai S. over six furlongs in July but could manage only an eleventh place finish from the 13 runners who went to post for his comeback run in the GII Keio Hai Nisai S. of Nov. 5. Fellow import Trillionaire (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), a son of Godolphin's Listed winner Many Colours (GB) (Green Desert), only made his debut on Nov. 13, finishing second in a seven-furlong maiden at Tokyo, and he followed this up with victory over course and distance two weeks later.
Last year's winning trainer-jockey combination of Katsuhiko Sumii and Mirco Demuro, who struck with Leontes (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {JPN}), team up again, this time with recent newcomer winner Clear The Track (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}).
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