Escobar breaks maiden at Tokyo
Arrowfield Stud shuttler Maurice (Screen Hero) was represented by his 24th first-crop winner as Escobar (2 c ex Smash Heart by King Kamehameha) got off the mark on his second attempt when he broke his maiden over 2000 metres at Tokyo on Saturday.
Last seen running second on debut at Sapporo, the two-year-old colt broke through for his maiden victory when beating Hishi Chouchou (Deep Impact) by half a length, while Cardinal (Harbinger) was a further length and quarter further away in third.
Purchased by Northern Farm for ¥32,000,000 ($420,632) at the 2019 Hokkaido July Yearling Selection Sale, the colt becomes the third winner of out of Smash Heart (King Kamehameha), who is herself a daughter of Listed winner Venus Line (Fuji Kiseki).
Venus Line herself is a half-sister to stakes winner Chokai Fight (Agnes Tachyon).
The Shadai Stallion Station-based Maurice has stood at Arrowfield Stud for the past three seasons, but due to coronavirus the son of Screen Hero (Grass Wonder) did not return to the Hunter Valley stud this season. He currently sits at the head of the leading first season sires table in Japan by earnings.
