Master Fencer, who played a role in building Japanese owners' confidence in entering the American classic races, sired his first winner July 30 when his daughter Angel Ring won in her second career start at Nagoya.
Master Fencer, a son of Just a Way out of the winning Deputy Minister mare Sexy Zamurai, raced as a homebred for Katsumi Yoshizawa. He registered four stakes wins in Japan in the 2020 and 2021 seasons.
Master Fencer ran in the 2019 Kentucky Derby (G1), where he finished a respectable sixth and followed with a fifth-place finish in the Belmont Stakes (G1). He was the third Japan-based horse to start in the Kentucky Derby following Sky Captain (1995) and Lani (2016). Koichi Tsunoda trained Master Fencer.
Angel Ring is the first foal out of Kyun, who is a daughter of Sinister Minister bought by Yoshizawa for US$203,040 as a yearling during the 2019 Hokkaido Summer Sale and became a winner at 3. Yoshizawa would sell Angel Ring for US$24,544 to Eiji Kondo during this year's Hokkaido Training Sale.
The new winner won a 1,500-meter (about 7 1/2 furlongs) race on the dirt in 1:38.5. She made her racing debut July 17 at Nagoya, where she ran second.
Angel Ring is inbred 3x5 to Deputy Minister and 4x4 to Sunday Silence.
