Drefong | Shadai Stallion Station
Via Alan Carasso
The first ponies bred by Award-winning Eclipse sprinter Drefong (Gio Ponti) have performed so well since the 2-year-old race in Japan started in early June, he saw his insurance premium increase from 3 million (about $26,400) up to 7 million (about $61,700) for the 2022 breeding season. Consigliere (Jpn) has fulfilled its role to help strengthen the position of males in Japan’s competitive breeding scene and hit its record with two wins versus many that started with an ancient defeat. Cafe Karma (Jpn) (Henny Hughes) during Saturday’s Cattleya S. (allowance) race at Tokyo Circuit, the first of four races on the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby.
After graduating from 9 1/2 1800 meters in Niigata in his only previous appearance on August 22, the bay was preferred at 7-10 and a pretty good jump for Christophe Lemaire, then settled into a slightly better position than midfield at the top of OBS March Clos de Mesnil (Realistic jokes) pierce through to run. Allowed to creep a little closer during the turn, colorist Kazumi Yoshida soars four widths at the top of the long straight Tokyo street, held together for the final half-long stretch and swayed in late on 21-1 Cafe Karma lunged at him to make a race of it (see below, SC 10). Geraldo Barows (Jpn) (The sinister minister) is further away in third place, while the second pick Connect the world (Link) is a meritorious Wednesday.
Consigliere, one of 21 first case winners for Drefong, is half brother to SW & GSP Esmeraldina Japan (Harlan’s Holiday) and Tasha’s Star dam (Spanish Steps) is half sister to MGSW & GISP Tasha’s Miracle (Harlan’s Holiday). Tasha’s Star has not produced a pony in 2020 and is the death of a weaned cub by Shadai’s two-time G1 hero Takamatsunomiya Kinen (1200mT) Kinshasa no Kiseki (Aus).
A total of 17 Kentucky Derby points (10-4-2-1) were awarded on Saturday. The series continues in Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun at Kawasaki on the NAR track on December 15.
SEE: Consigliere continues at Cattleya S.
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