The Shimokobe Farm bred/consigned colt (Hip 49) by Leontes claimed top honors during the HBA Training Sale of 2-Year-Olds realizing ¥24,200,000 (US$172,022, Y1=US$0.0071) May 23 at Sapporo Racecourse.
The colt is the seventh foal out of the winning Hold That Tiger mare Pisa no Prive; the dam was purchased in utero with broodmare Guinevere K by Shimokobe during the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale for $80,000 in 2005. The colt comes from the family of 1988 Test Stakes (G1) and Prioress Stakes (G2) winner Fara's Team, the dam of 1991 Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) winner and sire Concern.
During the May 22 under tack show, the juvenile breezed two furlongs on the dirt track in :23 2/5. Sapporo-based businessman Koji Yasuhara purchased the sales topper; he owns newly group 1-crowned First Force, winner of the March 26 Takamatsunomiya Kinen at Chukyo.
The smaller catalog, by 14% over last year, saw 91 horses change hands for a gross of ¥606,400,000 ($4,347,576), down 13.3% from the previous year. An average price of ¥6,663,736 ($47,776), down 8.6% over last year, and a median of ¥6,000,000 ($43,017), up 5.3% from 2022, were recorded. The buy-back rate decreased to 21.6% over 26.6% in 2022, the lowest record for this sale.
While the top end of the sale was not so active, with the sale-topping price of ¥24,200,000 being the lowest recorded in the last 15 years, the middle and lower end of the market was solid.
