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 weekend running at Chukyo and Niigata Racecourses:
Sunday, August 31, 2025
6th-NII, ¥14,250,000 ($97k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1800m
MATENRO DA VINCI (c, 2, Uncle Mo–Spring Eclipse, by Unbridled's Song) was sold to trainer Mitsumasa Nakauchida for an even $1 million at last year's Keeneland September Sale and has the services of leading jockey Yuga Kawada for this first spin. The Mar. 29 foal is out of a stakes-placed mare whose four winners from five runners to date includes Bet She Wins (First Samurai), winner at two of the Arlington-Washington Lassie. Spring Eclipse is a daughter of the late Jim Tafel's SP Coragil (Metfield), the dam of the graded winners Softly (Binalong), Coragil Cat (Forest Wildcat) and the granddam of GSW Conquest Big E (Tapit). Under the third dam White Jasmine (Whitesburg) is GSW & MGISP Til Forbid (Temperence Hill), herself the dam of GSW Scoop (Gone West). The Not This Time yearling half-sister to Matenro Da Vinci made $775,000 to the bid of Live Oak Plantation at this month's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale. O-Chiyono Terada; B-Camas Park Stud (KY); T-Mitsumasa Nakauchida
【２歳馬写真Check🐎】
マテンロウダビンチ 牡（父Uncle Mo・母Spring Eclipse）ゼッケン378、米・Camas Park Stud生産＝鹿毛 #新馬戦 #中内田厩舎#２歳馬通信 pic.twitter.com/dh5PoIXvBr
— 競馬エイト栗東班【２歳馬通信🏇】 (@2saiba_keiba8) August 27, 2025
11th-CKO, Chukyo Nisai S.-G3, ¥58.6m ($399k), 2yo, 1400mT
ENVY ME (f, 2, Munnings–Seattle Slang, by Tapit) belied debut odds of 23-1 to finish a promising third in a 1400-meter newcomers' event at Tokyo June 14 and got it right last time, taking out a 1200-meter Fukushima maiden by 2 1/2 lengths June 28 (video, SC 2). A $275,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling, the April-foaled chestnut is out of a Grade III-placed daughter of GISW Seattle Smooth (Quiet American), whose five additional winners includes SP Gunfire (Tapit). O-Kodai Maeda; B-Phoenix Thoroughbreds (III) Ltd (KY); T-Hideyuki Mori
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