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 Japanese Derby weekend running at Tokyo Racecourse, including a name familiar to American racing fans:
Sunday, May 28, 2017
12th-TOK, ¥110m Meguro Kinen-G2 (US$990k), 3yo/up, 2500mT
Fan favorite LANI (c, 4, Tapit&log=">Tapit–Heavenly Romance {Jpn}, by Sunday Silence) is best known for his accomplishments on the dirt, including his victory in the 2016 G2 UAE Derby before rounding out a 1-3 finish for his sire in the GI Belmont S. behind Creator. Koji Maeda's homebred returns to the grass for the first time since a fourth on his career debut in 2015 (video), and while siblings Awardee (Jungle Pocket {Jpn}) and Amour Briller (Smart Strike) have also excelled on the main track, his dam was an accomplished turf runner. Heavenly Romance defeated the likes of Zenno Rob Roy (Jpn), Heart's Cry (Jpn), Hat Trick (Jpn) and Tap Dance City in the 2005 Tenno Sho (Autumn) en route to amassing career earnings of better than $3.5 million. B-North Hills Co Ltd (KY)
5th-TOK, ¥13,720,000 (US$123k), Alw, 3yo, 1600m
NILE STORY (c, 3, Pioneerof the Nile–Princess Two, by Two Punch), a $150K KEENOV weanling, matured into a $325K KEESEP purchase for Kazumi Yoshida and got his career off on a high note with a smart tally over 1800m of the local turf course last November (video, gate 5). A close third in his first try against winners in a mile test at Nakayama Mar. 19, the dark bay, bred in Florida by Michelle Redding and France Weiner, switches to the dirt for the first time here. Glencrest Farm-bred Chilly Silver (f, 3, Malibu Moon–Jacey's Reward, by Johannesburg) has not missed the frame in her three runs to date, including a close runner-up effort from gate 11 in her first dirt try at Nakayama Apr. 16 (video).
Saturday, May 27, 2017
3rd-TOK, ¥9,550,000 (US$86k), Maiden, 3yo, 1600m
SOLEIL DE PARIS (c, 3, Lemon Drop Kid–Chatham, by Maria's Mon), the most expensive of his sire's 44 yearlings to sell in 2015 on a bid of $535K at KEESEP, was a debut third beneath Ryan Moore over the Kyoto turf course Feb. 12 (video, gate 3), but ballooned to ninth at Nakayama Mar. 11. The half-brother to champion Air Force Blue (War Front) tries the dirt here for the first time and has the license to adapt, as his female family includes champion Flanders (Seeking the Gold), dam of Eclipse Award winner Surfside (Seattle Slew) and Battle Plan (Empire Maker), the latter of which has made an impression at stud in Japan. B-Stone Farm (KY)
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