Andrew Caulfield, Dec. 20, 2011-Alfredo (Jpn) PEDIGREE INSIGHTS B Y A N D R E W C A U L F I E L D Sunday, Nakayama, Japan ASAHI HAI FUTURITY S.-G1, -135,680,000, Nakayama, 12-18, 2yo, c/f, 1600mT, 1:33.40, fm. 1Bs@#ALFREDO (JPN), 121, c, 2, by Symboli Kris S. 1st Dam: Princess Camellia (Jpn), by Sunday Silence 2nd Dam: La Traviata (Jpn), by Sakura Yutaka-Oh 3rd Dam: Sakura Hagoromo (Jpn), by Northern Taste O-Carrot Farm; B-Northern Farm; T-Takahisa Tezuka; J-Craig Williams; -71,176,000. Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the Japanracing.jp chart, the Japanracing.jp PPs or the free brisnet.com catalogue-style pedigree. Click for Japanracing.jp video. Last weekend saw the running of two Grade I 2-year-old races carrying the word AFuturity@ in their titles. Appropriately, both races were won by colts whose bloodlines could make them a part of the Thoroughbred=s future, as their pedigrees represent something of an outcross to many mares in the U.S. and Europe. The Cashcall Futurity fell to Liaison, an Indian Charlie colt with no duplications in the first four generations of his pedigree. The sires of his first three dams include Victory Gallop and Gleaming, so only A.P. Indy--sire of his second dam Indy Flash--is widely represented in America=s gene pool. The names of Mr. Prospector, Northern Dancer and Raise A Native don=t appear until Liaison=s fifth generation, so they would be back in the sixth generation of Liaison=s progeny if he ultimately earns a place at stud, as seems likely. Over in Japan the Asahi Hai Futurity was won decisively by Alfredo, an unbeaten grandson of Kris S. As the concept of shuttle stallions means that pedigrees in the Southern Hemisphere are becoming more and more like our own, I remain convinced that the future will see us looking to Japan for some different bloodlines, such as though embodied in Alfredo. While Alfredo=s 4x4 inbreeding to Hail To Reason makes him far from an outcross in Japan, his pedigree is free of such ubiquitous occidental forces as Raise A Native, Mr. Prospector, Danzig, Danehill and Sadler=s Wells. His only line of Northern Dancer comes via the many times champion Japanese stallion Northern Taste, sire of Alfredo=s third dam, Sakura Hagoromo. The Asahi Hai Futurity is firmly established as Japan=s most important juvenile event. Its history also highlights how rapidly Japanese racing has changed in recent years. When I reviewed the pedigree of the 1997 winner Grass Wonder in the Sporting Life, I pointed out that eight of the first nine finishers were well-connected youngsters bred in the USA. Compare this to Sunday=s 16-runner edition, which was contested entirely by colts conceived and foaled in Japan. Does this change reflect the fact that Japanese Alfredo is just the latest in a long line of important racing and breeding have simply become more Japanese winners from the Roberto male line. Roberto=s self-sufficient, or is it another indication of the Florida Derby winner Brian=s Time sired Asahi Hai suspicion which surrounds the modern American-bred? Futurity winners Meiner Max and Narita Brian (who While the latter may be a factor, I would say the went on to win the Japanese Triple Crown). Then there change is more a reflection of the rewards that the was Silver Hawk, sire of Grass Wonder, the 1997 Japanese have reaped from importing so much winner who in turn sired the 2008 winner Seiun high-class bloodstock over the years. This is similar to Wonder. what happened in Europe after so many top quality If Alfredo can build on his excellent juvenile record, American-bred yearlings were imported during the he will be much in demand as a stallion. You can 1970s and >80s. With the likes of Sadler=s Wells, quickly gauge the quality of his bloodlines from the fact Danehill, Green Desert, Caerleon, Rainbow Quest and that his yearling half-brother by Deep Impact sold for Machiavellian among the imports, breeders quickly had the equivalent of around $800,000 in July. access to American bloodlines, but with the Alfredo=s third dam Sakura Hagoromo (out of the reassurance of knowing that these bloodlines had American import Clear Amber) was a sister to Amber proven themselves under local conditions. Shadai, a top-class middle-distance winner who It almost goes without saying that the driving force developed into a successful sire. Alfredo=s second dam, behind the change to self-sufficiency in Japan has been La Traviata, is also a sister to a leading stallion, namely Sunday Silence. Seven sons of this American Horse of Sakura Bakushin O. the Year supplied eight of the 16 runners in Alfredo=s Speed was Sakura Bakushin O=s main asset, as he race, and it was a Sunday Silence mare, Princess showed with a pair of victories in the G1 Sprinters S. Camellia, which produced Alfredo. This was the fourth over six furlongs. Sakura Bakushin O has passed on his consecutive year that a daughter of Sunday Silence has speed to the likes of Grand Prix Boss, Shonan Kampf (a been responsible for the winner, and the fifth time in Group 1 winner over six furlongs) and She is Tosho, all. Dasher Go Go and Kanoya Zakura (all Group 2 winners It=s worth pointing out that the first two finishers in over six furlongs). both the 2009 and 2010 editions of the Asahi Hai This stallion=s record might raise a few doubts about Futurity all went on to Group 1 success and there is whether Alfredo will stay well enough for the Japanese every reason to expect Alfredo to continue to shine Triple Crown races, which start at a mile and a quarter. after the age of two. On the plus side, all four of his great-grandsires-- He is a son of Symboli Kris S., who was bought in Roberto, Gold Meridian, Halo and Sakura Yutaka O-- utero in Kentucky by Narvick International on behalf of scored over at least a mile and a quarter. He could be Takahiro Wada. The price for Symboli Kris S.=s dam Tee an exciting prospect. Kay was $300,000 in 1998. As might be expected of a son of Kris S., Symboli Kris S. improved with age. After winning a newcomers= race from only two juvenile Alfredo (Jpn), c, 2009 starts, Symboli Kris S. developed into Japan=s champion Hail To Reason Roberto three-year-old of 2002, when he won the Tenno Sho Bramalea Kris S (Autumn) and Arima Kinen. He won the same two Princequilo (Ire) Sharp Queen Group 1 races as a 4-year-old, when Timeform rated Bridgework Symboli Kris S him a world-class 132. Seattle Slew Gold Meridian Symboli Kris S. currently holds fourth place on Queen Louie Tee Kay Japan=s combined leading sires= list, behind King Tri Jet Tri Argo Kamehameha, Kurofune and Deep Impact. As he Hail Proudly finished third in 2009 and fourth in 2010, he is firmly Hail To Reason Halo established among the leading sires. It is interesting Cosmah Sunday Silence that he usually also ranks among the leading sires of Understanding Princess Camillia Wishing Well dirt runners, one of his best being Success Brocken, (Jpn) Mountain Flower who--like Alfredo--is out of a Sunday Silence mare. 8:1-1-0, $76,350 Sakura Yutaka O Tesco Boy (GB) La Traviata (Jpn) Although Symboli Kris S. thrived over a mile and a 2Fls, 1GSW (Jpn) Angelica (Jpn) 12:5-1-2, $626,209 quarter and a mile and a half, some of his best winners 5Fls, 1SW Sakura Hagoromo Northen Taste have displayed more speed, including his sons Strong 13Fls, 1Ch Clear Amber Return and San Carlo, both of whom have won group races over seven furlongs this year at the age of five. Interestingly, these two are both out of grand-daughters of Mr. Prospector, by Smart Strike and Crafty Prospector, respectively. All European post times in the TDN are local time.