First Starters for I'll Have Another

U.S. champion and dual classic winner I'll Have Another will have his highly anticipated first starters June 5 in Japan, where he launched his stallion career in 2013 at Big Red Farm.

Meiner Sieger, by  I'll Have Another out of Japanese grade III winner Meine Canna (Agnes Tachyon), will make his debut against 11 opponents in the fifth race at Tokyo, a 1,600-meter (about one-mile) turf event for first-time starters.

K. Thoroughbred Club Ruffian owns the chestnut colt, who was bred by Big Red Farm and is trained by Sakae Kunieda. His dam is a half sister to 2009 Tenno Sho (Spring) (Jpn-I) winner Meiner Kitz (Chief Bearhart).

I'll Have Another also will be represented the same day at Hanshin by Double Split, a colt out of Heart no Earring (Heart's Cry) who is set for the fifth race, also for newcomers. Ten are entered for the 1,400-meter (about seven-furlong) turf contest

Double Split, bred by Tatsuo Yamagiwa, is owned by KT Racing Co. and trained by Masato Nishizono. The colt was sold to Ketsumi Kurokawa for ¥24,840,000 at the 2016 Japan Racing Association breeze-up sale of 2-year-olds.

I'll Have Another was named champion 3-year-old male of 2012 following an undefeated season that included the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands, Preakness Stakes, and Santa Anita Derby (all gr. I), and Robert B. Lewis Stakes (gr. II). He was retired because of a leg injury the day before the Belmont Stakes (gr. I).

By Flower Alley—Arch's Gal Edith (Arch), I'll Have Another entered stud in Japan after being sold by owner J. Paul Reddam for $10 million.