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Familiar Names Front and Center at JRHA Select Yearling Sale

As reported in more detail by European Editor Emma Berry in Tuesday’s TDN European Edition, members of the final crop of the late Deep Impact (Jpn) predictably dominated the yearling section of the JRHA Select Sale Monday on the island of Hokkaido, accounting for the day’s top six sellers and eight of the top nine. Lot 114, the second Japanese foal from Sheave (Mineshaft)–the dam of GI Kentucky Oaks winner Cathryn Sophia (Street Boss)–led the way on a record final bid of ¥510 million ($4,766,356), as the offspring of American-bred and -raced mares acquired by the Yoshida family lit up the board one after the next.

Sheave, an unraced daughter of GSW & GISP Belterra (Unbridled), was bred by the late Bob Manfuso and was carrying a full-sister to Cathryn Sophia when she was acquired privately and exported to Japan. In February 2017, she produced Sharie al Malika (Jpn), who was a close second on debut in a Nakayama dirt maiden this past March. Sheave is the dam of the 2-year-old colt Satono Sky Turf (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and her colt foal by Heart’s Cry (Jpn) sells Tuesday as lot 383.

The session’s second-dearest offering at ¥400 million ($3,738,318) was lot 56, a colt out of Forever Darling (Congrats), who won the 2016 GII Santa Ynez S. for owner/trainer Richard Baltas and partners before continuing her career in the colors of Katsumi Yoshida. Forever Darling is a daughter of MSW & MGISP Darling My Darling (Deputy Minister), whose half-brother Zenno Rob Roy (Jpn) (Sunday Silence) won the 2004 G1 Japan Cup en route to Horse of the Year honors. Forever Darling’s first produce, Mon Favori (Jpn) (Frankel {GB}), won a newcomers’ event on turf over 1200 meters June 20 at Hakodate, scoring by five lengths in 1:08.7 (see below, gate 9). Daughters of Congrats have produced eight winners from nine starters in Japan, including Group 2 winner Hartley (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}).

During her racing career, Teddy’s Promise (Salt Lake) registered her biggest victory in the 2011 GI La Brea S. and her Deep Impact foal of 2019 (lot 36) was the session’s most expensive filly on a bid of ¥240 million ($2,242,991). Teddy’s Promise is the dam of two winners from as many to race in Japan, most prominently My Rhapsody (Jpn) (Heart’s Cry {Jpn}), victorious in Group 3 company last year and ninth, but not beaten far, behind Contrail (Jpn) (Deep Impact) in this year’s G1 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby). Teddy’s Promise’s current 2-year-old, a filly by 2015 Derby hero Duramente (Jpn), fetched ¥52 million last year.

In other results of note, lot 108, a Deep Impact son of GI American Oaks winner Cambina (Ire) (Hawk Wing) and kin to two group-placed runners, hammered at ¥200 million ($1,869,159); lot 92, a Deep Impact half-brother to Classic winner and Three Chimneys stallion Palace Malice (Curlin) made ¥190 million ($1,775,701); lot 23, a colt by Duramente out of GI Kentucky Oaks winner Proud Spell (Proud Citizen), sold early in the session for ¥160 million ($1,495,328); a Deep Impact daughter of GI Beverly D. S. winner Euro Charline (Ire) (Myboycharlie {Ire}) realized ¥145 million ($1,335,141) as lot 171; and lot 106, a Screen Hero (Jpn) half-brother to recent Listed Japan Dirt Derby winner Danon Pharaoh (Jpn) (American Pharoah) fetched ¥96 million ($897,197).

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ParisLongchamp Hosts Fete Nationale Card

France’s Fête Nationale is without its racing centrepiece on Tuesday, with the G1 Grand Prix de Paris moved to September, but there are still three pattern races and a listed race for 2-year-olds for the recalled crowds at ParisLongchamp. Perhaps the most intriguing contest on the fixture is the G2 Prix de Malleret for 3-year-old fillies over 12 furlongs, where Khalid Abdullah’s Bonne Idee (GB) (Frankel {GB}) bids to extend her winning streak. Looking in need of this trip when beating her subsequent Listed Prix Melisande-winning stablemate Alkandora (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) in a 10 1/2-furlong conditions event at Chantilly a month ago, she will be tested by Gerard Augustin-Normand’s Vaucelles (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) who was fourth in the G1 Prix Saint Alary on that same card.

Opening the card is the G3 Prix du Lys, where a potential contender for the aforementioned Grand Prix de Paris surfaces in the unbeaten Magnier/Tabor/Smith representative Measure of Time (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}). Trainer Andre Fabre has won this on 15 occasions and the bay is his sole runner this time, having won with authority over this 12-furlong trip at Clairefontaine June 4. He faces Godolphin’s gelding Volkan Star (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}), who beat the subsequent G2 Dante S. winner Thunderous (Ire) (Night of Thunder {Ire}) in the Listed Fairway S. over 10 furlongs at Newmarket June 27. “Volkan Star has some very solid form around him now and came out of the Fairway S. well,” Charlie Appleby said. “He has galloped all the way to the line on both his starts this season and the step up to a mile and a half shouldn’t be a problem. A repeat of his last run should make him hard to beat.”

The juveniles get their chance in the seven-furlong Listed Prix Roland de Chambure, with a trio of unbeaten colts headed by the Haras de la Gousserie’s June 19 Chantilly conditions scorer Sealiway (Fr) (Galiway {GB}) from the Frederic Rossi stable, while the 14-furlong G2 Prix Maurice de Nieuil sees the June 14 G2 Prix Vicomtesse Vigier winner San Huberto (Ire) (Speightstown) bid to defy a three-pound penalty. Fourth that day, Called To the Bar (Ire) (Henrythenavigator) re-opposes alongside the veteran Holdthasigreen (Fr) (Hold That Tiger) who was uncharacteristically tame effort when 10th in that contest.

Click here for the group fields.

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Average Handle Increases at Belmont Spring/Summer Meet

Belmont Park’s abbreviated Spring/Summer Meet generated $15,466,198 in average daily handle from all sources, a 42% increase over the 2019 spring/summer meet. Held over 25 days and without spectators due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the live meet marked the return of professional sports to the New York area and was conducted with strict health and safety protocols in place.

“We would like to thank the horseplayers for their enthusiastic support of New York racing during this most unusual spring/ summer meet,” said NYRA President and CEO Dave O’Rourke. “That we were able to resume racing on June 3, and usher in the return of professional sports in New York, reflects the dedication and professionalism of the racing community during these uncertain and challenging times.”

All sources handle during this year’s spring/summer meet totaled $386,654,955. Average field size over the 248 races carded was 8.61.

The 2019 spring/summer meet, which was contested over 48 live race days, generated all-sources handle of $524,051,324 and average daily handle of $10,917,736. With 448 races run, the average field size was 6.98.

Racing shifts upstate for the 40-day Saratoga meeting which begins Thursday. Under current New York State guidelines, the track will open without spectators in attendance.

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OBS July Sale Starts Tuesday

The Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company’s July 2-Year-Olds and Horses of Racing Age sale, the last of the company’s traditional three juvenile auctions which this year have all been billowed and buffeted by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, gets underway Tuesday morning at 10 a.m. OBS staged its March sale just as the pandemic was causing mass shutdowns and economic upheaval across the globe and, at the close of business, the two-day auction had suffered across-the-board declines and a buy-back rate of 40%. The OBS Spring Sale, pushed from its normal April dates to mid-June, seemed to fare better as racing began opening up again, with a buy-back rate of just 19%, albeit with a significant number of horses scratched from the catalogue. The July sale, which is being held a full month later than its originally scheduled date, comes as summer racing heats up at the marquee Del Mar and Saratoga meets, but uncertainty still looms as virus cases continue to spike in some parts of the U.S.

“We are starting to see more racing around the country and we are glad to see racing going forward,” said OBS Director of Sales Tod Wojciechowski. “But we are still dealing with a level of uncertainty. What you hear every day on the news isn’t necessarily helpful to our cause, but we’ve got a good group of horses here and if somebody needs a 2-year-old, there are plenty of them here.”

OBS unveiled its online bidding platform during the Spring Sale and is expecting increased internet participation at its three-day July sale.

“I think we’ve created a great avenue for buyers, in the event that they are not comfortable traveling or are unable to travel, with the online bidding,” Wojciechowski said. “That proved to be wildly successful in the first sale and I think it will become a bigger part of the process moving forward. There have been more registrations [ahead of the July sale] and even anecdotal information with people saying, ‘Hey, I am not going to be able to make it down, but I plan to bid online,’ and ‘I’ve got somebody there looking at horses for me.'”

OBS staged a six-session under-tack show ahead of the July sale. A pair of New York-bred juveniles shared the fastest furlong time, a filly by Not This Time (hip 640, :9 4/5) and a colt by Laoban (hip 983, :9 4/5), while a colt by Half Hours (hip 383) turned in the fastest quarter-mile work of :20 1/5.

“I thought the under-tack show went very well,” Wojciechowski said. “Nobody sells more 2-year-olds or breezes more 2-year-olds anywhere in the world than OBS. Nobody has six-day breeze shows or seven-day breeze shows. For us to be able to maintain a fair surface for six or seven days in a row, dealing with variable conditions, with the heat, the rain and the wind, all of those things. I think it was a very fair breeze show from day one to day six.”

Consignors will have another opportunity to sell 2-year-olds at OBS this year. The company has added a 2-year-olds in training session to its October Yearling Sale.

“There has been a lot of positive feedback from consignors on it and we are definitely having a 2-year-old section in our October Yearling Sale,” Wojciechowski said.

At the close of business of last year’s June sale, OBS had sold 183 horses for a total of $7,426,100. The average was $40,580 and the median was $17,000. The buy-back rate was 19%. A filly by Into Mischief attracted the highest price ever at the auction when bringing a final bid of $900,000.

The July sale will run Tuesday through Thursday with bidding beginning each day at 10 a.m.

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