Gainesway’s freshman sire Tapizar got his second Japanese maiden winner and 10th overall winner Oct. 15 when his 2-year-old daughter Mrs Watanabe won her career debut over 1400m at Tokyo Racecourse.
Tapizar was already represented in Japan by Gekirin, the colt who wired an 1800m maiden by six lengths Sept. 17 at Hanshin Racecourse. Mrs Watanabe employed similar tactics, making the early lead and drawing away to as many as 10 lengths before turning back the challenge of Twirling Candy colt and race favorite Seiun Stream. Owned by Ms. Kazuko Yoshida and trained by Tetsuya Kimura, Mrs Watanabe was ridden to victory by Christophe Lemaire.
Bred in Kentucky by Charles Kidder, Nancy Cole, John K. Griggs, and Linda Griggs, Mrs Watanabe was produced from the Crafty Friend mare Foxy Friend, who is also the dam of multiple graded stakes-placed Tap for Luck (by Tapit).
The bay filly was a $130,000 yearling pinhook by agent Barry Berkelhammer from Gainesway’s 2015 Keeneland September consignment. Offered at this year’s OBS March sale by Cary Frommer, Mrs Watanabe sold to Narvick International for $295,000 after breezing an eighth in :10 flat.
