Tag: Kizuna

Japan Success Generations In The Making

The main event on Saudi Cup Day two weeks ago was all about the host nation, with the locally owned and trained Emblem Road (Quality Road) posting a remarkable upset in the world's richest horse race. Saudi Arabia has announced its presence on the global horse racing scene loud and clear, and the country-with its ever-increasing investment in racehorses and breeding stock globally–will continue to be heard from for years to come.

When the layers are peeled back on the third running of the Saudi Cup card, however, it was another nation who made the biggest statement. Japan swept the first four international races on the card and finished second and third in the G3 Saudi Derby. In other words, the only race in which Japan did not hit the board was the Saudi Cup.

While Saudi Cup Day marked a breakout performance for Japan on the world stage, it was far from its first-the dust had still barely settled on Japan's two-win days at both the Breeders' Cup and Hong Kong International Meeting last year-and in fact, the crescendo has been rising for years. Japan's increasing frequency of success on racing's biggest days have gone hand-in-hand with the internationalization of its industry in recent decades, and indeed each of the nation's winners and placegetters on Saudi Cup Day boast pedigrees that have criss-crossed the continents for generations.

Undoubtedly the most major turning point in the history of Japanese breeding came when Zenya Yoshida–the father of current-day Japanese breeding doyens Teruya, Katsumi and Haruya Yoshida-purchased American Classic winner Sunday Silence to stand at stud at Shadai Stallion Station in Hokkaido, reportedly paying $7.5-million for 75% of the horse in 1991 (Yoshida had purchased 25% of Sunday Silence in training so was buying out his partners on the remainder). Sunday Silence, the 10-time champion sire in Japan, had his presence felt on Saudi Cup day not only through his best-known son Deep Impact (Jpn), whose son Kizuna (Jpn) sired the G3 1351 Turf Sprint winner Songline (Jpn), but also through another son, Stay Gold (Jpn), and his own son in turn Orfevre (Jpn).

Stay Gold (Jpn) was a member of Sunday Silence's third crop and was his sire's first major international winner, traveling to take the Dubai Sheema Classic and Hong Kong Vase. Stay Gold has sired 56 stakes winners and 10 Group 1 winners and Stay Foolish (Jpn), a member of Stay Gold's last full crop, joined his sire as an international winner with a victory in the 3000-metre G3 Red Sea Turf H., defeating the G1 Irish St Leger scorer Sonnyboyliston (Ire) (Power {GB}).

Another of Stay Gold's international winners-and, in fact, the second-richest racehorse in history-was Orfevre (Jpn), the Japanese Triple Crown and two-time G1 Arima Kinen scorer who is probably best known internationally for twice finishing second in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, including when he famously snatched defeat from the jaws of victory when hanging badly inside the final furlong while on the lead in 2012, once again dashing Japan's still unfulfilled Arc dreams.

Orfevre's Authority (Jpn) was already a triple group-race winner in Japan but he landed on the public radar in November when finishing second to Contrail (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in the Japan Cup, and he kicked off Japan's four-timer on Saudi Cup Day when justifying favouritism in the 2100-metre G3 Neom Turf Cup. Orfevre is also the sire of last year's GI Breeders' Cup Distaff winner Marche Lorraine (Jpn), who was sixth in her final start in the Saudi Cup.

Authority and Stay Foolish's victories bookended the filly Songline in the 1351 Turf Sprint, and she became the first stakes winner over 1200 metres for her exciting young sire Kizuna, a Japanese Derby-winning son of Deep Impact. Kizuna is another to have represented Japan admirably on the world stage: racing for the Maeda family, which regularly supplements its stock with American bloodlines, Kizuna traveled to France to beat the Derby winner Ruler Of The World (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the G2 Prix Niel and was fourth behind Treve (Fr) and Orfevre (Jpn) in the 2014 Arc.

Another sire story of the day belonged to Symboli Kris S, broodmare sire of both Authority and Songline. Symboli Kris S was bred in Kentucky by Takahiro Wada and like Sunday Silence descends from the Hail To Reason line, he through Roberto and Kris S. Symboli Kris S was exported to Japan for his racing career and was highly successful, winning two renewals each of the G1 Arima Kinen and G1 Tenno Sho Autumn before retiring to Shadai. The best of Symboli Kris S's five Group 1 winners thus far has been the G1 Japan Cup and Classic-winning Epiphaneia (Jpn) and he, incidentally, is a full-brother to Authority's dam Rosalind (Jpn). Epiphaneia and Rosalind are out of Cesario (Jpn) (Special Week {Jpn}) who, like Stay Gold, was a pioneering Japanese shipper, traveling to California to win the GI American Oaks by four lengths in 2005 after taking the Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks). Cesario has become an excellent producer; in addition to Epiphaneia and Rosalind, she is the dam of the 2015 champion 2-year-old colt Leontes (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}); Saturnalia (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}), a Group 1 winner at two and a Classic winner, and two other Group 2-placed winners. Songline is a descendant of European champion filly Sonic Lady (Nureyev), and it is also the family of Deirdre (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}), who scored a hugely popular victory when winning the G1 Nassau S. at Glorious Goodwood in 2019 before staying on to train in Newmarket and traveling the world to run in Group 1s.

Dancing Prince (Jpn) (Pas De Trois {Jpn}), Japan's fourth winner on Saudi Cup Day in the G3 Riyadh Dirt Sprint, brings together influences of Mr. Prospector, Halo and Northern Dancer through their Japanese imported sons End Sweep, Sunday Silence and Northern Taste, respectively. The 7-year-old Dancing Prince, who won the G3 Capella S. on Dec. 12, is the most successful horse sired by the multiple Group 3-winning turf sprinter Pas de Trois, whose sire Swept Overboard won the GI Ancient Title S. in 2001 and the GI Met Mile in 2002. Swept Overboard was sold to stand in Japan upon the conclusion of his racing career and his best runner is Omega Perfume (Jpn), who won four straight renewals of the Tokyo Daishoten, a local Group 1, including the most recent renewal in December. Swept Overboard's sire and grandsire, End Sweep and Forty Niner, were both champion first-season sires in America before being sold to stand in Japan.

Dancing Prince is out of a mare by Bubble Gum Fellow (Jpn), a champion 2-year-old from Sunday Silence's first crop. His second dam, Sawayaka Princess (Northern Taste), produced the G1 Mile Championship winner Durandal (Jpn) (Sunday Silence). Japan was also third and fourth in the Dirt Sprint with Chain Of Love (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) and defending winner Copano Kicking (Spring At Last).

When it comes to passion for horse racing, it would be tough to top the Japanese. There is an incredible betting culture and fandom surrounding the sport in Japan, and international success seems to directly fuel not only increased global participation, but also the spend on bloodstock: just days removed from the nation's Breeders' Cup double with Marche Lorraine and Loves Only You (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), Japanese breeders headed to the Kentucky breeding stock sales and purchased 13 seven-figure mares, including the Classic-winning filly Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) for $4.7-million and four additional mares that topped $3-million.

Now, Japan is poised to bring an unprecedented squad to Dubai World Cup night that currently numbers 24. Authority and Stay Foolish are on the lists, respectively, for the G1 Sheema Classic and G2 Gold Cup. Sekifu (Jpn) (Henny Hughes), who was runner-up in the G3 Saudi Derby, is pencilled in for the G2 UAE Derby. Among those set to join Authority in the Sheema Classic are Glory Vase (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), the back-to-back winner of the G1 Hong Kong Vase, and last year's G1 Tokyo Yushun and G1 Yushun Himba scorers Shahryar (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and Uberleben (Jpn) (Gold Ship {Jpn}). Schnell Meister (Ger) (Kingman {GB}), who was bred in Germany but is campaigned in Japan by Sunday Racing and beat Songline in last year's G1 NHK Mile Cup, is among those earmarked for the G1 Dubai Turf, while Vin De Garde (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), who was runner-up in the 1800 metre event last year, is set to return. Copano Kicking and Chain Of Love lead the Japanese squad for the G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen. Japanese dirt star Chuwa Wizard (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}) will line up for the $12-million G1 Dubai World Cup.

Those are just a handful of the runners that could give Japan another night to remember in Dubai later this month. And regardless of the outcomes at Meydan, it is an odds-on bet that the global racing community will continue to see the effects of Japan's incredible investment in and commitment to its racing and breeding programme.

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Akai Ito Upsets Japan’s Queen Elizabeth II Cup

Akai Ito marked an upset victory at odds of 64.9-1 in this year's Queen Elizabeth II Cup to score her first graded title and became the first Kizuna filly or colt to capture a JRA-G1 title. Debuting in September of her two-year-old season, she broke her maiden in her second start and concluded the season with one win out of five starts. The Kizuna brown marked another win out of eight starts last year and stepped up to open class after marking two wins out of five starts in the first half of this season but came off a seventh in the Fuchu Himba Stakes (G2) on Oct. 16. Trainer Kazuya Nakatake marked his third JRA-G1 win following his win in the 2018 Hopeful Stakes with Saturnalia while jockey Hideaki Miyuki claimed his eighth JRA-G1 victory following his 2018 Victoria Mile title with Jour Polaire.

Missing her break from stall 16, four-year-old Akai Ito traveled fifth from last and advanced boldly turning the last two corners wide to enter the lane in third. The four-year-old brown continued to accelerate powerfully in the stretch, pinning race-favorite Lei Papale passing the 200-meter pole, and easily held off the rest of the field with her incredible late drive that marked the fastest last three furlongs in the field for a two-length victory.

“As she seemed to be a bit tense when I trained her the other day, I tried to race her in her own rhythm. Though I could not break her smoothly out of the gate, I was able to eventually race her in the intended position at the backstretch. I was confident that she will stretch well at the end and, because it was a G1 race, I made bid earlier than usual. We were able to take the front earlier than I had expected and, as there was no horse right behind us, I just kept on urging her to go until,” commented Hideaki Miyuki.

Seventh choice Stellaria, another Kizuna filly, broke smoothly and settled around seventh to eighth from the front. The three-year-old dark bay rounded the last two corners the widest of the field, persistently chased the leaders in the straight and produced a remarkable turn of speed in the last 100 meters to cross the wire in second.

Ninth pick Clavel saved ground around 14th behind eventual winner, found a narrow space entering the homestretch, showed the tied third fastest late drive between horses and closed in on Stellaria but was neck short in third.

Race favorite Lei Papale settled around fourth, advanced in the last two corners and was leading the field when entering the stretch. The Deep Impact filly, however, lost momentum in the last 200 meters and succumbed to sixth.

The post Akai Ito Upsets Japan’s Queen Elizabeth II Cup appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Frankel Colt Among Japan Sale Leaders

Frankel (GB) is having a stellar season and currently holds a narrow lead over his sire Galileo (Ire) on the European sires' table, and his proficiency has extended to Japan; in fact, it was there that he posted his first Group 1 win as a sire with the subsequent Classic winner Soul Stirring (Jpn) in the 2016 G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies, and he now has three Group 1 winners in Japan with Mozu Ascot (Jpn) and Grenadier Guards (Jpn) also making the grade. It should have come as no surprise, then, that his lone horse in the JRHA Select Sale would be popular, and lot 329, a colt foal out of GI Las Virgenes S. winner Callback (Street Sense), certainly was that when selling to Thoroughbred Club Lion for ¥240-million ($2,173,380/€1,839,360/£1,571,566)-the fourth-highest price of the session on Tuesday.

“This is an outstanding individual,” said trainer Yoshito Yahagi, who signed the ticket. “I visited Northern Farm for inspection three times and I have a feeling this colt has been getting better, better and better. While he may not be a typical Frankel, I like him a lot and am sure he is worth paying this amount of money.”

The colt is the third foal out of Callback, who was purchased by Katsumi Yoshida for $2-million in foal to Medaglia d'Oro at Keeneland November in 2019, having previously produced a colt by that same sire who was bought by Donato Lanni for $175,000 at Fasig-Tipton's March Sale of 2-year-olds in training this year.

The JRHA Select Sale began on Monday at Hokkaido's Northern Horse Park with a strong session of yearling trade and wrapped up on Tuesday with foals and another blockbuster day. Twenty-four foals sold for in excess of ¥100-million ($906,935/€765,600/£654,500). Seven of those breached the ¥200-million ($1,814,001/€1,531,778/£1,309,000) mark, with trade topped by a ¥410-million ($3,718,702/€3,139,868/£2,683,471) colt from Northern Farm by Deep Impact (Jpn)'s son Kizuna (Jpn) out of the G2 Diana-Trial winner Selkis (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}) (lot 428) bought by Yoshihisa Ozasa on the phone with his trainer Yoshito Yahagi. New investor Susumu Fujita was underbidder.

Despite prevailing COVID-19 restrictions and uncertainties in Japan, a strong desire for bloodstock among the local ownership ranks remains; the number of registered buyers at the sale was up 10% from last year, and figures climbed decisively on 2020 figures, which was itself a strong renewal of the sale despite falling in the midst of the pandemic.

Tuesday's foal session saw 213 youngsters sold for ¥10,923,000,000 ($98,915,957/€83,783,637/£71,652,375), up 31.1% from last year. The average and median were likewise up at ¥51,281,690 ($464,824/€393,420/£336,396) (+24.9%) and ¥33,000,000 ($299,116/€253,203/£216,472) (+13.8%), respectively. The clearance rate for the foal session was 92.6%.

Cumulatively across two days of yearling and foal trade, ¥22,561,000,000 ($204,302,263/€172,936,517/£147,994,986) was spent on 439 lots from 472 offered, with the clearance rate rounding out at 93%. The cumulative average of ¥51,391,780 ($465,380/€393,932/£336,751) was up 18.3% on 2020.

The JRHA Select Sale catalogue was for the first time this year absent of progeny of leading sire King Kamehameha (Jpn) and included just four yearlings by the likewise late Deep Impact (Jpn), and thus trade could have been expected to fall short of previous renewals where they were so dominant, but the investment of Japanese breeders, in particular the Yoshida family, in quality bloodstock that has built up both the stallion and broodmare ranks shone through.

“This was a much stronger market than I expected,” admitted Teruya Yoshida, active chairman of the Japan Racing Horse Association. “As the catalogue this year did not include King Kamehameha and very few Deep Impacts, I thought the market would shrink, but I was wrong.”

Also pivotal to the good returns was the significant investment of new owner Susumu Fujita, who started buying horses in the spring and this week spent ¥2,367,000,000 ($21,413,893/€18,156,519/£15,510,062) on six foals and 12 yearlings.

“I am very impressed to see so many new players active through the two days of the 2021 Select Sale,” Yoshida continued. “Most impressive was Mr. Susumu Fujita, who attended at JRHA Select Sale for the first time and spent ¥2,367,000,000 in total through the two days, which is more than 10% of the gross sale.

“The number of buyers registered at this year's sale is more than 700, which is 10% more than  last year, and the market has a number of players at every price range. I think that is what created this strong market. And I think we have a variation of stallions standing in Japan now. There are sires who produce good sprinters, milers and stayers. There are sires of turf runners and dirt runners. The quality of broodmares we have in Japan is much higher than before, and many stallions have a chance to produce class racehorses, and have a chance to have expensive horses at the bloodstock market.

“Breeders including myself will re-invest the funds to acquire more quality mares to improve the quality of Japanese-bred horses. I hope horse racing in Japan will become a more attractive sport.”

Kizuna Colt Leads The Way

Campaigned as a homebred by Gestut Schlenderhan, Selkis won the 2011 G2 Diana-Trial by a nose but was unable to beat another horse home in the G1 Preis der Diana won by Dancing Rain (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}). Purchased privately by Katsumi Yoshida, Selkis produced Velox (Jpn) (Just A Way {Jpn}) as her fourth foal, and he placed in all three 2019 Japanese colts' Classics. Six of Selkis's foals have been offered at this sale, with prior to Tuesday four foals averaging $329,458 and two yearlings averaging $373,520. Velox himself was a ¥48-million ($435,348/€367,651/£314,162) yearling.

“This is the one I was firmly resolved to acquire,” Ozasa said. “Yoshito Yahagi strongly recommended him, and others who inspected him told me unanimously that this is very nice horse. I thought he would cost ¥300 million or more or less, but I didn't intend to retreat at all. I won the bidding war and hope the colt will win big races.”

Kizuna is proving a rising star of the sire ranks, currently sitting fourth in the sire standings behind only his sire, Lord Kanaloa (Jpn) and Heart's Cry (Jpn). He is the sire of eight group winners from three crops of racing age.

Ozasa's Tuesday haul also included a first-crop colt by Rey De Oro (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}), who will have high hopes riding on him as a sire being by the same sire as Lord Kanaloa and having been both champion 3-year-old and champion older horse courtesy of wins in the G1 Tokyo Yushun and G1 Tenno Sho Autumn. Rey De Oro enjoyed a profitable debut sale, his 15 foals offered all sold for an average of ¥76,133,333 ($690,510/€583,222/£498,749). Ozasa's purchase, (lot 334), was the joint highest-priced of those at ¥180-million ($1,632,987/€1,378,837/£1,179,180). He is a half-brother to the G3 Tokyo Shimbun Hai scorer Black Spinel (Jpn) (Tanino Gimlet {Jpn}).

Ozasa also put his faith in another young sire, champion Satono Diamond (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) with the purchase of his second-most expensive colt, lot 374, the second foal out of GI Spinaway S. winner Lady Ivanka (Tiz Wonderful), for ¥130-million ($1,179,379/€995,870/£851,567). Satono Diamond, whose eldest progeny are yearlings, had a top price of ¥180-million ($1,632,879/€1,378,800/£1,179,093) on Tuesday via lot 390, a colt out of Argentine champion Positive Mind (Arg) (Equal Stripes {Arg}) bought by new owner Susumu Fujita.

Lord Kanaloa (Jpn) has made a meteoric rise through the sire ranks and was on Monday responsible by three of the top five prices during the yearling session. He likewise sired the second-highest-priced colt during the foal session, a son of Australian champion 2- and 3-year-old filly Yankee Rose (Aus) (All American {Aus}) (lot 398) who fetched ¥370-million ($3,356,473/€2,833,331/£2,422,832) from prominent owner Masahiro Noda's Danox Co. Ltd. Yankee Rose, who was purchased privately by Katsumi Yoshida upon conclusion of her racing career, has an as-yet unraced 2-year-old filly by Deep Impact named Romneya (Jpn) and did not produce a foal in 2020.

All Heart

The recently pensioned Heart's Cry (Jpn) sired the three top-priced foals at last year's sale, and made a strong showing again on Tuesday when siring three of the top seven foals. Chief among those was lot 361, who boasted one of the best pedigrees in the book being a half-brother to international Group 1 winners Real Steel (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and Loves Only You (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}). He was knocked down to Miki Masahiro for ¥280-million ($2,536,025/€2,147,600/£1,834,891). The pedigree goes from strength to strength down the page, his second dam Monevassia (Mr. Prospector) being a full-sister to Kingmambo and also the dam of Group 1 winner and producer Rumplestiltskin (Ire) (Danehill). Monevassia is therefore a daughter of the great Miesque.

Heart's Cry's haul also included the top-priced filly of the session, a ¥200-million ($1,809,370/€1,534,085/£1,310,636) daughter of American champion 2-year-old filly She's A Tiger (Tale of the Cat) (lot 342). She's A Tiger's Deep Impact filly foal was the second-top lot at this sale last year when selling for ¥270-million.

Alterite (Fr) (Literato {Fr}) has certainly racked up plenty of air miles in her 11 years. Having started her racing career in her native France, she was soon purchased privately by Martin Schwartz and transferred to the U.S. after winning at listed level and finishing second in the G1 Prix Saint-Alary. She promptly won the GI Garden City S. in New York and placed in two more Grade Is before returning to France, where she was sold to Katsumi Yoshida for €1.1-million at Arqana December in 2014. Alterite has two winners from three foals of racing age and on Tuesday her latest produce, a son of rising young sire Epiphaneia (Jpn) (lot 366), made ¥220-million ($1,992,591/€1,686,270/£1,440,780) to the bid of Y's Consignment Sales.

Next Generation

Shunsuke Yoshida, son of Northern Farm principal Katsumi Yoshida, has been a pivotal figure in that operation and this year for the first time he offered horses at the JRHA Sale under his own name. He enjoyed three ¥100-million-plus sales on Tuesday, including the joint top-priced Rey de Oro colt and an American Pharoah colt (lot 337) who fetched ¥150-million ($1,358,632/€1,148,825/£982,350) from Danox. The colt is the second foal out of Switch In Time (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), a daughter of dual Grade I winner Switch (Quiet American). Lot 337 is bred on the same cross as American Pharoah's G2 Park Hill S. winner Pista, and similarly to last year's G1 Criterium International winner and European champion 2-year-old Van Gogh, who is out of a daughter of Sadler's Wells. This was the lone horse in the sale by American Pharoah, who has had two stakes winners in Japan: G1 February S. winner Cafe Pharoah and Listed Japan Dirt Derby scorer Danon Pharaoh.

Another American Horse of the Year, Bricks and Mortar, was represented by his first foals on Tuesday, with all seven offered selling for an average of ¥54,142,857 ($490,401/€414,681/£354,419). And yet another, California Chrome, saw his first Japanese-bred foals go through the ring; three sold from four offered for an average of ¥22,666,666 ($205,448/€173,626/£148,376). Justify, whose one offering at the yearling sale sold for ¥200-million, had a one foal offered on Tuesday, a colt out of American champion 2-year-old filly Caledonia Road (Quality Road) (lot 344) who sold to Miki Masahiro for ¥135-million ($1,223,629/€1,034,235/£884,097).

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Million-Dollar Matings

The fireworks at the annual Keeneland and Fasig-Tipton November sales are always a highlight of the year as seven-figure bids abound on some of racing's top broodmares and broodmare prospects. But after the dust settles, it can be years before words get out on the breeding careers of the sales' top offerings. We catch up with the connections of a few of these most recent million-dollar broodmares and learn of their mating plans for 2021 in our ongoing 'Million-Dollar Matings' series.

 

 

CONSTELLATION (Bellamy Road-For Royalty, by Not For Love)

Sale: 2018 Fasig-Tipton November Sale

Purchaser/Owner: Don Alberto Corporation

Produce Record: 2019 Curlin colt, 2021 Into Mischief filly

2021 Booking: Quality Road

Offered carrying her first foal by Curlin, Grade I winner and 'TDN Rising Star' Constellation was purchased for $3.15 million by the Don Alberto Corporation at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton November Sale.

Her Curlin colt would go on to sell for $250,000 to Repole Stables and St. Elias Stables at last year's Keeneland September Sale.

After visiting Into Mischief but failing to produce a foal in her first year with Don Alberto, she was bred back to the Spendthrift sire last year.

Don Alberto's former Executive Director Fabricio Buffolo reported that Constellation foaled her Into Mischief filly on Jan. 31.

“We are extremely happy that she had a nice, robust filly,” he said. “She has been developing well. You can tell that she has all the parts there to turn into a nice filly as she grows.”

Buffolo said that Constellation will be bred to Quality Road this year.

“It will be interesting to see how she will produce with a horse like him with more scope and size,” he noted. “It's all about getting to know the mares and how they produce and it's a mating that has some contrasts on the physical aspect, which sometimes can be rewarding. Bellamy Road has only three blacktype winners as a broodmares sire and all three are from Mr. Prospector-line stallions.”

After a 'Rising Star'-worthy debut win as a juvenile for LNJ Foxwoods, Constellation ran in the money in her next two graded starts before capping off her 2-year-old season with a win in the Furlough S. As a sophomore, she added two more stakes wins before taking the GI La Brea S. At four, the chestnut ran second in four straight graded races including the GI Madison S. at Keeneland.

 

CALEDONIA ROAD (Quality Road-Come A Callin, by Dixie Union)

Sale: 2018 Fasig-Tipton November Sale

Purchaser/Owner: Narvick International

Produce Record: 2020 Justify filly, 2021 Justify colt

2021 Booking: Kizuna (Jpn)

Eclipse Champion Caledonia Road was purchased by agent Emmanuel de Seroux of Narvick International for $2.3 million at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton November Sale.

The million-dollar earner was bred to Justify as a maiden and produced a filly in January last year. De Seroux reported that the filly is “doing great” at the Ito family's Grand Farm in Japan, where Caledonia Road also resides.

The mare was bred back to Justify and foaled a colt on Jan. 27 this year.

“He's reported to be a very good foal,” de Seroux said.

This year, Caledonia Road will visit champion Kizuna, a son of the late influential Japanese sire Deep Impact and the leading Japanese freshman sire in 2019.

Trained by Ralph Nicks, Caledonia Road won on debut and ran second in the GI Frizette S. before taking the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Filles to win Eclipse honors for Champion 2-Year-Old Filly in 2017. She is a half-sister to stakes winner One of a Kind (Lemon Drop Kid) and hails from the family of Grade I winners Data Link (War Front) and Hymn Book (Arch).

 

CATHRYN SOPHIA (Street Boss-Sheave, by Mineshaft)

Sale: 2017 Keeneland November Sale

Purchaser/Owner: Bridlewood Farm and Don Alberto

Produce Record: 2018 Pioneerof the Nile filly, 2019 Medaglia d'Oro filly, 2020 Into Mischief colt. In foal to Curlin.

2021 Booking: None

One year after Bridlewood Farm and Don Alberto partnered up to buy a sales-topping Baffled (Distorted Humor) for $3.5 million, the same duo went to $2.3 million at the 2017 Keeneland November Sale to purchase 'TDN Rising Star' Cathryn Sophia. The 2016 Oaks heroine was carrying her first foal by Pioneerof the Nile.

The Pioneerof the Nile filly, now named Mezcal, was purchased for $625,000 at the 2019 Keeneland September Sale by Bobby Flay, but does not yet have any recorded works or starts.

Cathryn Sophia produced a Medaglia d'Oro filly in 2019 and last year, foaled an Into Mischief colt in May.

“He is a late foal that has developed so well over the last few months,” said Don Alberto's Fabricio Buffolo. “He is a strong individual and typical of what you expect of the sire.”

Buffolo reported that this year, Cathryn Sophia is in foal to Curlin. A similar mating proved successful when the Hill 'n' Dale sire produced champion and young sire Vino Rosso with a Street Cry (Ire) mare.

Because Cathryn Sophia's Curlin foal is expected to arrive late, Buffolo said that she will take a year off this year.

Purchased as a yearling by Cash Is King LLC and trained by John Servis, Cathryn Sophia broke her maiden on debut by 12 3/4 lengths before crushing the competition in the Gin Talking S. by 16 1/4 lengths in her next start. She won her sophomore debut in the GII Forward Gal. and maintained the undefeated streak in the GII Davona Dale S. After a third-place finish in the GI Ashland S., the Maryland-bred scored a victory in the GI Kentucky Oaks. In the later half of her sophomore season, she ran third in both the GI Acorn S. and GI Cotillion S. and caught a win in the Princess of Sylmar S.

Cathryn Sophia was offered at the 2016 Fasig-Tipton November Sale as a broodmare or racing prospect and sold to SF Bloodstock for $1.4 million. It was announced a month later that she would retire from racing, and she returned to the sales ring a year later in foal to Pioneerof the Nile.

 

GALILEO GAL (Galileo (Ire)-Alpha Lupi (Ire), by Rahy)

Sale: 2018 Fasig-Tipton November Sale

Purchaser/Owner: Craig Bernick

Produce Record: 2020 Kingman (GB) filly. In foal to Lope de Vega (Ire).

2021 Booking: Kingman (GB)

The regally-bred Galileo Gal was offered at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton November Sale. Watch out feature leading up to the sale here. She was purchased by Craig Bernick for $1.4 million.

She was sent to Norelands Stud in Ireland and was first bred to Juddmonte's hot young sire Kingman.

That mating produced a filly that is now a yearling.

“We are happy with [her],” Bernick said. “Our plan is to put her into training with Jessica Harrington next year.”

Galileo Gal was next bred to Ballylinch Stud's Lope de Vega (Ire) and Bernick reported that she is expected to foal any day now. She will return to Kingman later this year.

Bred by the Niarchos family, Galileo Gal was purchased by Gary Barber as a yearling and brought to race in North America, where she was a winner at three and four. The chestnut is a half-sister to champion and four-time Group 1 winner Alpha Centauri (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}), as well a second G1 Coronation S. winner in Alpine Star (Ire) (Sea the Moon {Ger}) and stakes winner Tenth Star (Ire) (Dansili {GB}). Her family includes several other champions in Miesque (Nureyev), East of the Moon (Private Account) and Rumplestiltskin (Ire) (Danehill), as well as Group 1 winners and sires Kingmambo (Mr. Prospector) and Karakontie (Jpn) (Bernstein).

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