By Alan Carasso
Lani (Tapit–Heavenly Romance {Jpn}, by Sunday Silence), who became a worldwide cult hero for his quirkiness and personality as much as his racetrack ability, has been retired from racing and will enter stud at Arrow Stud on the island of Hokkaido for the 2018 breeding season.
Bred and raced by the Maeda family's North Hills Co. Ltd., Lani won twice from four juvenile appearances, and despite a lacklustre performance in the Listed Hyacinth S., made the trip to Dubai and carried Yutaka Take to a defeat of 'TDN Rising Star' Polar River (Congrats) in the G2 UAE Derby (video). Having earned Kentucky Derby points for that victory, Lani shipped to the US to be ninth to Nyquist (Uncle Mo) in the Run for the Roses and fifth to Exaggerator (Curlin) in the GI Preakness S. He turned in his best stateside effort when a staying-on third, after looking dangerous for a stride or two, in the GI Belmont S.
Ninth, but not beaten far in last year's G1 Champions Cup at Chukyo, Lani failed to be a factor in two starts at the 2017 Dubai International Racing Carnival, including an eighth behind Arrogate (Unbridled's Song) in the G1 Dubai World Cup, and was unplaced in three subsequent stakes appearances in Japan.
Lani is a son of the Maedas' 2005 Tenno Sho (Autumn)-winning dam Heavenly Romance (Jpn), who dropped her first two foals in Japan, but has since been sent to America either to foal and/or to visit a variety of stallions. The mare's produce have excelled over Japan's deep dirt tracks and also include MGSW & MG1SP Awardee (Jungle Pocket {Jpn}) and the multiple stakes-winning mare Amour Briller (Smart Strike). In addition to a pair of fillies by Distorted Humor, now in training in Japan, Heavenly Romance is the dam of a yearling colt by Awesome Again and was covered this year by Tapit. Her Tapit foal of 2017 died.
Lani joins a stallion roster at Arrow Stud dominated by dirt-performed horses, including GSW & GISP Battle Plan (Empire Maker), GI Toyota Blue Grass S. romper Sinister Minister (Old Trieste), South Vigorous (End Sweep) and North Hills's MG1SW Transcend (Jpn) (Wild Rush).
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
