Rags to Riches' sibling impressively captures debut in Japan

The three-year-old colt CASINO DRIVE (Mineshaft), younger brother to classic winners Rags to Riches

(A.P. Indy) and Jazil (Seeking the Gold), easily won at first asking in Japan on Saturday.

A nominee to the American Triple Crown, the

colt wired a nine-furlong race for newcomers on the dirt at Kyoto, winning by

about 11 1/2 lengths for trainer Kazuo Fujisawa.

"He is still green, but he is very smart and listens to me carefully,"

winning jockey Yutaka Take commented. "He was shying a bit in the stretch, so I

pushed him a little. He won the race very easily, so if he keeps in good form he

will be able to compete in a higher class."

Casino Drive was purchased by Nobutaka Tada on behalf of

Hidetoshi Yamamoto for $950,000 out of the 2006 Keeneland September Sale -- some

three months after Jazil captured the Belmont S. (G1) and nine months before

Rags to Riches did the same. From the initial crop of A.P. Indy's son Mineshaft, Casino Drive is a three-parts brother to Rags to Riches.

"He was a big, pretty colt that we liked," said Craig Bandoroff, whose Denali

Stud consigned Casino Drive as a yearling. "A little upright, like the A.P.

Indys can be sometimes, but he was a nice yearling that sold well."

Casino Drive's dam, Broodmare of the Year Better Than Honour (Deputy Minister), currently has a

two-year-old colt and yearling colt, both by Giant's Causeway.