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 Niigata and Sapporo Racecourses:Saturday, July 25, 20262nd-NII, ¥14,880,000 ($91k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1200mINITIAL POINT (f, 2, Flightline–Farrell, by Malibu Moon), one of three runners in Japan this weekend from the much-anticipated first crop of her sire (by Tapit), is the fourth runner from Coffeepot Stables' five-time graded winner and Grade I-placed Farrell and cost Big Red Farm $475,000 at last year's Keeneland September Sale. The mare is one of 10 winners from 11 runners out of SW & GSP Rebridled Dreams (Unbridled's Song), also the dam of Grade I winners Carpe Diem (Giant's Causeway) and J. B.'s Thunder (Harlan's Holiday), SW & GSP Doncaster Rover (War Chant) and GSP Semper Fortis (Distorted Humor). O-Big Red Farm; B-Coffee Pot Stable (KY); T-Noboru TakagiON A ROLL (JPN) (f, 2, Life Is Good–Love in the Air, by Constitution) becomes the first runner outside the boundaries of the U.S. for her freshman sire (by Into Mischief). The Apr. 5 foal's dam, a two-time winner in Pennsylvania-restricted stakes company and placed in the GIII Dr. James Penny Memorial Stakes, was purchased by Chiyoda Farm's Dr. Masatake Iida for $450,000 with this filly in utero at the 2023 Keeneland November Sale and the mare's yearling colt by Horse of the Year Equinox (Jpn) fetched approximately $359,000 at last week's JRHA Select Sale. O-Masatake Iida; B-Chiyoda Farm Shizunai; T-Tomokazu Takano5th-SAP, ¥14,880,000 ($91k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1700mG T IRIS (f, 2, Flightline–Miss Scout, by Pleasant Tap), a $450,000 KEESEP purchase by JS Company, is set to become the third to face the starter for her dam, whose best foal to date is Speaking Scout (Mr Speaker), Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners' upset winner of the 2022 GI Hollywood Derby and who hails from the same Pulpit sire line as this Feb. 1 foal. O-Toshihiko Tabata; B-Mike Abraham, Pierre & Leslie Amestoy & Roger K Beasley (KY); T-Yoshito YahagiTROPHIUS (JPN) (c, 2, Authentic–Joy Velika {Arg}, by Fortify) is the first produce from his dam, a Group 2 winner and Group 1-placed at home before being bred to this stallion and exported to Japan in 2023. A half-sister to a yearling Kizuna (Jpn) filly that fetched $186,000 at the Select Sale a week ago, the Mar. 13 foal is bred on a variant of the Into Mischief cross over Distorted Humor that has been responsible for the likes of Grade I winners Life Is Good, Practical Joke, Citizen Bull and Tappan Street. Yutaka Take is an eye-catching jockey booking. O-Tomohiro Abe; B-Asrun; T-Yukihiro KatoSunday, July 26, 20265th-SAP, ¥14,880,000 ($91k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1800mTSATONO FLUG (c, 2, Flightline–Danceforthecause, by Giant's Causeway) is a half-brother to five winners from his dam, a $925,000 purchase by Gainesway in foal to Twirling Candy out of the Sam-Son Broodmare Dispersal at the 2021 Keeneland January Sale. A Mar. 19 foal, this chestnut colt is a half-brother to Say The Word (More Than Ready), the Sovereign Award-winning turf male of 2020 and winner of the GI Northern Dancer Turf; and GII Canadian Stakes victress Rideforthecause (Candy Ride {Arg}). The colt's third dam is Canadian Horse of the Year and Eclipse Award winner Dance Smartly (Danzig), dam of champion Canadian 3-year-old filly Dancethruthedawn (Mr. Prospector) among others. O-Hajime Satomi; B-Gainesway Thoroughbreds Ltd, A R Enterprises Inc & LNJ Foxwoods (KY); T-Noriyuki Hori.The post Three More Flightline Firsters Down to Debut In Japan appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.