By Alan Carasso
Saturday, February 4, 2017
7th-TOK, ¥13,720,000 (US$122k), Alw, 3yo, 1400m
MRS WATANABE (Tapizar), a $130K KEESEP yearling turned $295K OBSMAR breezer, overcame post position 16 to graduate at first asking over course and trip at Tokyo Oct. 15 and gave a good account of herself last time, finishing runner-up in a 1200-meter turf test at Hanshin Dec. 18. Mrs Watanabe is closely related to MGSP Tap for Luck (Tapit), while her MSW & GSP second dam Gerri N Jo Go (Top Command) is the dam of GSW Freefourracing (French Deputy). She squares off here with Animal In Me (Run Away and Hide), an impressive debut winner at Nakayama on Christmas Day.
Sunday, February 5, 2017
3rd-KYO, ¥13,720,000 (US$122k), Alw, 3yo, 1400m
BLANC ECLAT (Hansen), a $24K OBSJAN short yearling purchase in 2015 was resold for $38K as an FTKOCT yearling several months later, but fetched $225K at the 2016 FTFMAR sale, the top price for a colt from 31 to sell from his sire's first crop. The gray colt defeated fellow US-bred Baskerville (Bernardini) in a 1600-meter maiden at Tokyo Oct. 23 and exits a third to Triple Crown nominee Mont Saint Legame (Jpn) (Came Home) in the Nov. 26 Cattleya Sho (1600m). He hails from a family that has raced successfully in this country, as his champion second dam Katies (Ire) (Nonoalco) produced three-time Japanese champion Hishi Amazon (Theatrical {Ire}).
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