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 Hanshin Racecourses:
Saturday, March 22, 2025
2nd-HSN, ¥10,600,000 ($71k), Maiden, 3yo, 1800m
GYLFI (JPN) (c, 3, Nyquist–Maedean, by Tapit) is the first foal from her dam, a $450,000 Keeneland September yearling who would go on to win the 2019 Tempted Stakes and subsequently finish runner-up in that year's GII Demoiselle Stakes. Acquired for $500,000 with this colt in utero at the 2021 Keeneland November Sale, Maedean is a daughter of GI Belmont Oaks Invitational placegetter Summer Solo (Arch), whose five winners also includes Canadian multiple Grade III winner Solo Album (Curlin). The French stakes-winning third dam Summer Solstice (Ire) (Caerleon) produced SWs Summer Breezing (Langfuhr) and Adirondack Summer (Thunder Gulch) as well as the dam of three-time Grade I winner She Feels Pretty (Karakontie {Jpn}). O-Insel Racing Co Ltd; B-Mishima Bokujo; T-Ryuji Okubo
5th-CKO, ¥10,600,000 ($71k), Maiden, 3yo, 1600mT
AURA EXERT (JPN) (c, 3, American Pharoah–Aunt Hattie {Ire}, by Camelot {GB}), a distant third on dirt debut to the impressive Taisei Dorado (Jpn) (American Pharoah), tries the turf for the first time in this spot. Aunt Hattie, a stakes-placed daughter of French Group 2 and U.S. Grade II winner Spring Star (Fr) (Danehill), was knocked down for $300,000 at Keeneland November in 2021, and Aura Exert more or less repaid that investment when fetching better than $305,000 at the JRHA Select Foal Sale in July 2022. O-Masanobu Habata; B-Kosho Bokujo; T-Kenichi Fujioka
Sunday, March 23, 2025
3rd-HSN, ¥10,600,000 ($71k), Maiden, 3yo, 1800m
G T PHARAOH (JPN) (c, 3, American Pharoah–Eqho, by Giant's Causeway) is out of a mare who earned her first black-type in the 2019 Latonia Stakes in her penultimate U.S. start, then amassed a record of of 4-3-3 from 10 starts in Puerto Rico, including a stakes win, for earnings of nearly $70,000. Polo Green Stable signed the ticket on Eqho at $30,000 at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton February Sale and she was bred to this Triple Crown winner prior to her export. O-Toshihiko Tabata; B-Hidaka Farm; T-Yoshito Yahagi
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