British Idiom, the champion 2-year-old female of 2019, has been sold to begin her broodmare career at Japan's Northern Farm, BloodHorse reports.
Bloodstock agent Liz Crow, an advisor for the filly's ownership group during her on-track career, told BloodHorse that the 4-year-old daughter of Flashback's sale was finalized in June, and she was exported to Japan in September. Her final start came in the Grade 3 Fantasy Stakes, which she exited with a chip in her right-front ankle.
British Idiom retired with three wins in five starts for earnings of $1,442,139.
She went unbeaten in three starts during her championship season, breaking her maiden by 3 1/2 lengths at Saratoga Race Course, then jumping up in class to take the G1 Alcibiades Stakes by a whopping 6 1/2 lengths. She secured her Eclipse Award in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Santa Anita Park, catching favorite Donna Veloce to win by a neck.
Trained by Brad Cox, British Idiom raced for the partnership of Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb, and The Elkstone Group.
British Idiom was bred in Kentucky by Hargus Sexton, Sandra Sexton, and Silver Fern Farm.
Silk Racing Co. Ltd.’s Almond Eye (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}), who was retired from racing following a second victory in the G1 Japan Cup last November, was named the recipient of the Horse of the Year award for the second time in the last three years Wednesday. She easily outpointed Triple Crown winners and unanimous champions Contrail (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and Daring Tact (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}), while champion sprinter/miler elect Gran Alegria (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) garnered a single vote for HOTY. Almond Eye, who was also the champion of her generation at three in 2018, was also named champion older filly or mare.
Programmed for a defence of her title in the G1 Dubai Turf last March, Almond Eye returned to Japan following the cancellation of the multi-million dollar race meeting in late March and instead made her 5-year-old debut in the G1 Victoria Mile, where–facing her own sex for the first time since completing the Fillies Triple Crown in the 2018 G1 Shuka Sho–she proved an easy winner, stopping the timer in 1:30.6. Runner-up to Gran Alegria in the G1 Yasuda Kinen in June, Almond Eye defeated champion older male Fierement (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) to win the G1 Tenno Sho (Autumn) for the second year in a row and handed Contrail his first career defeat when concluding her career victoriously in the Nov. 29 Japan Cup.
WATCH: Almond Eye wins the 2020 Japan Cup en route to HOTY honours
Gran Alegria put together a Horse of the Year-worthy campaign herself, defeating males in the G1 Sprinters’ S. (1200m) in October, the strength of which was amplified when that race’s runner-up Danon Smash (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) returned to land the G1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint. Gran Alegria closed a three-for-four season in the G1 Mile Championship, besting the classy Indy Champ (Jpn) (Stay Gold {Jpn}) with an irresistible late flourish. All but one of the 283 votes were cast for Gran Alegria (one was cast for Almond Eye).
Contrail was untouchable versus his age group, completing the Triple Crown with a hard-fought success in the G1 Kikuka Sho before finding only Almond Eye too strong in the Japan Cup. Fierement, whose retirement was announced Wednesday, made three trips to the post in 2020, winning the G1 Tenno Sho (Spring) over 3000 metres in May and was last seen finishing a close third to ‘Special Award’ winner Chrono Genesis (Jpn) (Bago {Fr}) in the G1 Arima Kinen. Deep Impact’s three champions for 2020 take his total to 21 in his illustrious career.
Daring Tact’s campaign very much mirrored that of Contrail, as she was untouchable in the Filly Triple Crown series before finishing third in the Japan Cup.
Danon the Kid (Jpn) (Just a Way {Jpn}) and the white filly Sodashi (Jpn) (Kurofune) locked up the 2-year-old male and female divisions, respectively, with victories in the G1 Asahi Hai Futurity S. and G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies, while Chuwa Wizard (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}) was given the nod as the country’s top dirt horse following his win in the G1 Champions Cup last month.
The Japan Racing Association (JRA) is the new official partner of the 55th International Conference of Horseracing Authorities. The conference, which is normally held in October, is organised by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA). The JRA will promote Japanese racing on the www.ifhaonline.org and social media channels, while the partnership is also expected to further development of international horse racing and international cooperation.
“We are pleased to have the JRA become our partner for the Federation’s signature conference,” said IFHA Chairman Louis Romanet. “Our conference, which traditionally is held in Paris, was virtual in 2020 due to COVID-19, but we are hopeful that it will be able to return to its traditional format this year.”
“The JRA is delighted to be the partner of the International Conference of Horseracing Authorities,” said JRA President and CEO Masayuki Goto. “For more than 50 years, the International Horse Racing Conference has played a major role in the development of the global horse racing industry and enables delegates from all over the world, as well as a number of other racing executives, to exchange information, provide mutual assistance and promote joint research. By becoming a partner of the historical IFHA Conference, JRA hopes to contribute to the further development of international horse racing.”
American Horse of the Year Azeri (Jade Hunter-Zodiac Miss {Aus}, by Ahonoora {GB}) has been pensioned from broodmare duty. The chestnut will instead become a lead horse, educating weanlings and yearlings at the Northern Horse Park in Japan according to a recent video posted by the park. The news was first reported by Daily Racing Form.
Bred by Allen E. Paulson, Azeri raced in his living trust’s colors to wins in 11 Grade I races, while picking up titles as Champion Older Mare in 2002/03/04 and a Horse of the Year title in 2002. She won three editions of the GI Apple Blossom H. (02-04) and two editions each of the GI Vanity H. (02/03) and GI Milady Breeders’ Cup H. in the same two years, respectively. In addition, she won the 2002 GI Breeders’ Cup Distaff, 2002 GI Santa Margarita Invitational H. as well as the 2004 GI Spinster S. and 2004 GI Go for Wand H. For the first several seasons of her career she was trained by Laura de Seroux before being transferred to D. Wayne Lukas for her 2004 campaign. In total the game chestnut earned $4,079,820 with 17 wins from 24 starts.
During the American portion of her broodmare career Azeri’s three foals were led by MGSW and GI Juddmonte Spinster third Wine Princess (Ghostzapper) and GSP Arienza (Giant’s Causeway). She was purchased for $2.25 million by Katsumi Yoshida at Keeneland November in 2009 and had another nine foals in Japan. From that bunch, the best were the MGSP Leukerbad (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and GSP Shirvanshah (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}). Overall, Azeri foaled nine winners from nine runners. Her latest produce is a Drefong filly of 2020.
