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 Hanshin and Nakayama Racecourses:
Saturday, March 18, 2017
6th-HSN, ¥13,720,000 (US$121k), Alw, 3yo, 1400mT
Well-bet in each of her three trips to the post, MRS WATANABE (f, 3, Tapizar–Foxy Friend, by Crafty Friend) graduated at first asking on dirt at Tokyo last October ahead of a close runner-up effort in a six-furlong turf try Dec. 18. The bay filly, a $130K KEESEP yearling and $295K OBSMAR juvenile, returns to the grass for this try. A close relative to MGSP Tap for Luck (Tapit), Mrs Watanabe is a granddaughter of MSW & GSP Gerri N Jo Go (Top Command), dam of English GSW and the ultimately repatriated Freefourracing (French Deputy).
Sunday, March, 19, 2017
2nd-HSN, ¥9,550,000 (US$84k), Maiden, 3yo, 1400m
A $100K KEESEP yearling acquisition, ALPHABET (c, 3, The Factor–Oneminutetomidnite, by Street Cry {Ire}) breezed his eighth of a mile in :10 flat and was scooped up by Narvick International's Emmanuel de Seroux for $270K at last year's OBSMAR sale. The Maryland-bred is out of a half-sister to Wicapi (Waquoit), a graded winner on both turf and dirt. The Factor is already the sire of one Japanese winner in the form of the impressive Zuar.
6th-NKY, ¥13,720,000 (US$121k), Alw, 3yo, 1600mT
Racing in the colors of Kazumi Yoshida, NILE STORY (c, 3, Pioneerof the Nile–Princess Two, by Two Punch) opened his account in a single juvenile appearance, scoring by 1 1/4 lengths with Ryan Moore at the controls in a nine-furlong event at Tokyo last November. A $150K KEESEP weanling turned $325K KEESEP yearling, the Florida-bred is out of a full-sister to MSW & MGSP Tropical Punch, and makes his sophomore debut here.
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