After two of his progeny topped the July 8 yearling session of the Japan Racing Horse Association Select Sale, Kitasan Black delivered a clean sweep July 9 when one of his colts, Hip 364, led the foal session of the two-day sale.
A two-time Japan Horse of the Year on the track, Kitasan Black is also the sire of two-time Japan Horse of the Year Equinox, who in 2023 earned the title of World's Best Racehorse from the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities.
Buyers at the JRHA Select Sale at Northern Horse Park are expecting further success. On Tuesday, Toshihiko Tabata of the Lion Race Horse racing syndicate went to ¥410 million (US$2,546,584, ¥1=US$0.0062) to land the session-topping colt, who is the sixth foal out of 2016 German Oaks (G1) winner Serienholde. Her first foal, by Kingman , is Japan grade 1 winner Schnell Meister.
Masahiro Noda of Danox Co., leading buyer at the yearling session Monday, was still hungry for recruiting young horses Tuesday. He spent ¥815 million in total to buy four foals, including Hip 386, a colt by Contrail, which Noda bought for ¥300 million.
At Tuesday's session, 231 foals were sold for ¥14,421,000,000 in total, which is down 2.4% from 2023. The ¥62,428,571 average price is off 7.5% from 12 months ago, while the median, at ¥42 million, is up 2.4% from 2023. The clearance rate, 96.7%, is better than 2023, when it was 94.8%.
Tuesday's session also saw a pair of weanlings by 2022 United States Horse of the Year and Kentucky-based sire Flightline each sell for ¥210 million (US$1,304,348). One of those weanlings, Hip 419, is out of 2023 Argentine champion 2-year-old filly Tan Gritona and was consigned by Northern Farm. The other, Hip 436, consigned by Grand Stud, is the first foal out of 2021 Del Mar Debutante Stakes (G1) winner Grace Adler, a daughter of Curlin .
Hip 419 was purchased by Tetsuhide Kunimoto, while Hip 436 went to Danox Co.
Another Kentucky-based sire making headlines Tuesday was 2017 Horse of the Year and record-breaking sire Gun Runner , who had a colt consigned by Shunsuke Yoshida, Hip 398, draw a winning bid of ¥300 million (US$1,863,335) from Y's Consignment Sales. The colt is a half brother to 2023 Arkansas Derby (G1) winner Angel of Empire .
For the two-day JRHA Select Sale, 455 lots sold for ¥28,918,000,000, which is a 2.7% increase as compared with 2023, and a record for gross at the JRHA Select Sale. Average price, ¥63,556,044, is down 1.8% from 2023 and median price, ¥42 million, is off 2.3%. Clearance rate through two days, 96.4%, is better than 2023, when it was 96.0%. It is the highest clearance rate in the sale's history.
"It was a much better market than I expected, and I would like to thank everybody involved in this amazing sale," said Teruya Yoshida, active chairman of JRHA. "There are so many players in the game, which is incredible.
"Yearlings and foals offered here on Monday and Tuesday are the cream of Japanese-breds. The quality of the catalog was very high."
Yoshida noted that buyers have seen the success horses out of this sale are enjoying on the track.
"Danon Decile, this year's Japanese Derby winner, was bought here, and Forever Young, winner of the Saudi Derby and UAE Derby, who was narrowly beaten in the Kentucky Derby, was bought here as well. I understand those successes by sales graduates encouraged buyers to spend more and more," Yoshida said. "I have had buyers from USA, Europe, Australia, South America, the Mideast, and Hong Kong this year. I am very happy to see those international buyers were very active at this market.
"I cannot wait for JRHA Select Sale in 2025, when the first crop by Equinox is offered."
One of the buyers from the United States was Mike Repole of Repole Stable. In advance of the weanling sale, the owner reported on social media that he purchased five yearlings: two colts by Drefong, one by Contrail, and fillies by Kizuna and Nadal. He also purchased two weanlings Tuesday, a Kizuna filly out of dual U.S. grade 1 winner Fashion Plate and a Lord Kanaloa filly out of Persi's Best.
Repole wrote on X that "Their open, transparent approach—with medical records and published reserves—is both efficient and refreshing."
It was a great “night” at the JRHA sale in Hokkaido 🇯🇵. We picked up 5 tonight: 2 colts by Drefong, one by Contrail, and fillies by Kizuna and Nadal.
— Repole Stable (@RepoleStable) July 8, 2024
So exciting!
Thank you Japan!!!!! 🇯🇵
It’s 3am now, time to get some sleep 😂#北海道 #セレクトセール #競馬 pic.twitter.com/HaBnXNwPk5
