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New JRHA Record For Deep Impact Colt

Almost a year after his death, Deep Impact (Jpn) still casts a long shadow over Japanese racing and breeding and the legendary stallion was responsible for two new records and the six most expensive yearlings at the JHRA Select Sale, at which turnover was down only fractionally from a record-breaking session in 2019.

The first record was set just 56 lots into the yearling session when his son out of the GII Santa Ynez S. winner Forever Darling (Congrats) sold for ¥400 million (£2.95m/€3.28m/$3.73m) to Masahiro Noda of Danox Co Ltd. That stood for only a matter of hours until lot 114 entered the ring. The dark brown colt, a half-brother to the Kentucky Oaks winner Cathryn Sophia (Street Boss) and offered by Northern Farm, swiftly set a new high price for the sale of ¥510 million (£3.77m/€4.19m/$4.75m) when bought by Tetsuhide Kunimoto, who has already enjoyed top-level success with a son of Deep Impact in the 2015 Japan Cup winner Shonan Pandora (Jpn). Like that colt, Kunimoto’s latest acquisition will be trained by Tomokazu Takano.

“I have been involved in the ownership of racehorses for more than 35 years and I am sure this is one of the best yearlings I have ever seen,” said Kunimoto of the son of the unraced Mineshaft mare Sheave, whose Deep Impact 2-year-old has been named Satono Sky Turf. “I visited Northern Farm three times to inspect yearlings and went to the barn of Northern Farm at the sales ground this morning. I was determined to buy him. Price is no object with regard to this colt and I hope his quality is as high as his price.”

Absolute Lady (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), the dam of dual French Classic winner La Cressonniere (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}), was bought privately by Teruya Yoshida of Shadai Farm in 2016 and her first mating with Deep Impact produced a colt, who was offered as lot 67 and will in future race in the same colours as his sire after being bought by Kaneko Makoto Holdings Co Ltd for ¥220 million (£1.62m/€1.81m/$2.05m).

In all, 13 members of the penultimate crop of Deep Impact were catalogued for the sale, and 12 sold for an average price of ¥2.08 million (£1.54m/€1.71m/$1.94m). The stallion covered just 24 mares at Shadai in 2019 before succumbing to the neck injury that would ultimately claim his life.

Heart’s Cry (Jpn), Deep Impact’s erstwhile stud-mate and fellow son of Sunday Silence, has long been a dependable performer for Shadai and top among his 21 yearlings in the catalogue was lot 50, a half-brother to the American champion juvenile filly Champagne Room (Broken Vow), and another from leading consignor Northern Farm, who sold for ¥190 million (£1.4m/€1.56m/$1.77m). His dam Lucky To Be Me (Bernstein) was bought by Katsumi Yoshida for $1.25 million at the Keeneland November Sale of 2017 when carrying the colt now known as Lucky Mo (Jpn) (Uncle Mo).

The Shadai Stallion Station was dealt a double blow when King Kamehameha (Jpn) died just a fortnight after Deep Impact last August, having been pensioned before the 2019 covering season. Ten members of the former dual champion sire’s final crop were offered for sale at Northern Horse Park, including lot 258, the last horse through the ring who, according to sale custom, was sold without reserve. None was needed, however, as the daughter of Marciano (Jpn) (Fuji Kiseki {Jpn}) brought the hammer down in favour of Azabu Shoji at ¥170 million (£1.25m/€1.39m/$1.58m) to end the sale as the second-most expensive filly of the day. Her dam is a sister to the top-class sprinter-miler and stallion Kinshasa No Kiseki (Aus), while another half-sibling, Catshaan (Aus) (Catrail), has produced the G1 AJC Australian Oaks winner Absolutely (Aus) (Redoute’s Choice {Aus}).

Alongside the vast array of offspring of Japanese stallions, both Kitten’s Joy and Caravaggio made a mark when each represented by a ¥105 million (£775,063/€861,761/$979,461) yearling.

The Kitten’s Joy colt (lot 147), bought by Masahiro Noda and consigned by Shadai Farm, is out of the GI Santa Margarita S. winner Joyful Victory (Tapit). The mare’s current 3-year-old Saqqara King (American Pharoah) is in training for Godolphin with Charlie Appleby and won last year at Newmarket as well as twice being listed-placed in France.

The War Front mare Old Time Waltz, a daughter of the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup winner Together (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) was exported to Japan in 2018 when carrying a foal from the first crop of Coolmore’s Caravaggio. The resultant offspring, also a first foal for the mare, was offered as lot 174 through Northern Farm and will race, like the King Kamehameha filly, for Azabu Shoji.

Despite the fact that international visitors were unable to travel to the sale this year, and that Japanese travel restrictions had meant late inspections for most domestic purchasers, the yearling section of the JRHA Select Sale posted its second-highest level of turnover in its history following the record returns of 2019. The aggregate of ¥10.43 billion (£77m/€85.5m/$97.2m) was amassed by the sale of 229 yearlings at an average price of ¥45,537,118 (£336,330/€373,427/$424,557). The median of ¥31 million (£228,958/€254,202/$289,023) was unchanged from last year.

Assessing the market at the end of the yearling session, Northern Farm principal Katsumi Yoshida, said, “This is an amazing market. I was actually worried about the market because there were travel restrictions in Japan until June 19 and owners and trainers could not come [to Hokkaido] to inspect yearlings catalogued until then. I am very happy with the gross, which is the second highest at the yearling session, and am more than happy with the clearance rate of 92%. I would like to express my sincere thanks to owners and trainers who supported the market.”

The JRHA Select Sale concludes on Tuesday with a single session of 238 foals.

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U.S.-Born Broodmares Power Record Prices At Japan Select Yearling Sale

While the yearling session of 2020 Japan Racing Horse Association Select Sale started under cool weather with a little rain at Northern Horse Park on Monday, July 13, the market was hot all way through the day.

Hip 36, a Deep Impact filly by Teddy's Promise, was bought by Kieffers Co. Ltd. for 240,000,000 yen (US$2,242,991).

“I think this is the one which I shouldn't miss to buy today,” Masaaki Matsushima representing Kieffers said of the latest recruit. “As always, my dream is to win Arc de Triomphe and this is the one to aim the Arc in 2022.”

Mikio Matsunaga at Ritto Training Center will train the filly out of the winner of Grade 1 La Brea Stakes at Santa Anita.

Masaaka Matsushima has kept some horses in training in Europe recently. One of them is the British-born multiple Group 1 winner Japan, trained by Aiden O'Brien, and Matsushima co-owns the Galileo colt with Coolmore partnership.

A record price at the JRHA yearling session was established when Hip 56, colt by Deep Impact out of Forever Darling, went through the ring.

The consignment from Northern Farm, out of the G2 Santa Ynez Stakes winner, was bought by Masahiro Noda's Danox Co.Ltd for 400,000,000 yen, (US$3,738,318), which surpassed the price of Last Groove, who was bought for 360,000,000 yen in 2011, and The Rest Nowhere, who was bought for 360,000,000 yen in 2019.

“I think there are two outstanding yearlings in the catalog and this is one them,” Yoshiki Okada, racing manager to Masahiro Noda, commented about the colt. “This is big strong colt, which may not be typical progeny by Deep Impact. But he is a very good mover. I visited Northern Farm to inspect yearlings for several time and he always looked fantastic. And Mr. Noda saw him yesterday and decided to buy him. I believe he stays a mile and half, and hope he will be our Derby horse.”

“While I expected high price, as several major owners are interested in this colt, I did not expect the price more than 300 million yen.” said Katsumi Yoshida of Northern Farm, the consignor of colt. “Mr. Noda visited Northern Farm yesterday and said this is the pick of day. I would like to express my sincere thanks to owners and trainers who travel to Hokkaido under the current challenging situation.”

As expected, a hot bidding war was seen for Hip 67, colt by Deep Impact and a half-brother to La Cressoniere, the unbeaten winner of French 1000 Guineas and French Oaks, bought by Kaneko Makoto Holdings Co/ Ltd/ for 220,000,000yen, (US$2,056,075). The colt is out of the unplaced Galileo mare Absolute Lady.

“Mr. Kaneko visited our barn this morning and this colt caught his fancy”, said Teruya Yoshida of Shadai Farm, the consignor of colt. “I am very happy with the price of this colt and very happy with today's market, which is stronger than I expected.”

The record price of Hip 56 lived very shortly – only for two hours – as Hip 114, a colt by Deep Impact out of Sheave, consigned by Northern Farm, was bought for 510,000,000yen, (US$4,766,356), by Tetsuhide Kunimoto.

“I am involved in ownership of racehorses for more than 35 years and I am sure this is one of the best yearlings I have ever seen,” Kunimoto said of the sales topper. “I visited Northern Farm three times to inspect yearlings and went to the barn of Northern Farm at sales ground this morning, when I am determined to buy him. Price is no object with regard to this colt and I hope his quality is as high as his price.”

Sheave, an unraced daughter of Mineshaft, is the dam of 2016 Kentucky Oaks winner Cathryn Sophia.

Kunimoto also says the colt will be trained by Tomokazu Takano, who trained Shonan Pandora, winner of Japan Cup in 2015, for Tetsuhide Kunimoto.

It is obvious that the second-to-last crop by Deep Impact boosted the market. From 13 yearlings by Deep Impact were offered, 12 of them were sold for 2,497,000,000 yen (US$23,281,187) in total and the average price was 208,083,333yen, (US$1.94 million).

On Monday, 229 lots were sold for 10,428,000,000 yen (US$97,227,161) in total, which is a 2.8 percent decline as compares with 2019. The average price, 45,537,118 yen (US$424,490), marked a 5.9 percent decline. The clearance rate was 92 percent, down slightly from 92.9 percent last year.

“This is amazing market” Katsumi Yoshida of Northern Farm, the leading consignor at the session, commented at the conclusion of first day. “I was actually worried about the market, because there were travel restrictions until June 19 in Japan and owners/trainers could not come here to inspect yearlings cataloged until then. I am very happy with the gross sale, which is the second-highest at yearling session, and am more than happy with the clearance rate, 92 percent. I would like to express my sincerely thanks to owners and trainers who supported the market.”

The foal session of the JRHA Select Sale begins Tuesday.

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Impact Felt Greater Than Ever

It’s not as if the bloodstock world needed a reminder of the global efficacy of Japan’s late breed-shaping sire Deep Impact (Jpn), but nonetheless last weekend Fancy Blue (Ire) served up just that when handing her sire a third European Classic winner in the space of three seasons after Saxon Warrior (Jpn) and Study Of Man (Ire) took the G1 2000 Guineas and G1 Prix du Jockey Club, respectively, in 2018. Few sires ever can lay claim to the kind of global influence that Deep Impact has had; his 47 Group 1 winners include top-level scorers in Australia, Dubai, Britain, France, Hong Kong and, of course, Japan.

Deep Impact died last July and-having had his final breeding season cut short by the neck injury that ultimately led to his demise-has around 20 foals on the ground this year. None of those are catalogued to Tuesday’s JRHA Foal Sale on the Japanese island of Hokkaido, but 13 yearlings from his penultimate crop are set to sell at the JRHA Yearling Sale the day prior. They represent some of the very last opportunities for buyers from around the world to tussle for Deep Impact’s game-changing genes.

That baker’s dozen includes a filly out of GI La Brea S. winner Teddy’s Promise (Salt Lake), already the dam of Group 3 winner My Rhapsody (Jpn) (Heart’s Cry {Jpn}) (lot 36); a half-brother to dual French Classic winner La Cressonniere (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) (lot 67) who is bred on the same cross as Saxon Warrior; a half-brother to GI Belmont S. and GI Met Mile winner and exciting young sire Palace Malice (Curlin) (lot 92); a half-brother to GI Kentucky Oaks victress Cathryn Sophia (Street Boss) (lot 114); a half-brother to G1 Prix Rothschild winner Qemah (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) (lot 126); a colt out of Grade I winner Wickedly Perfect (Congrats), already the dam of G2 Hopeful S. winner Hartley (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) (lot 139); and a filly who is the second foal out of Grade I winner Euro Charline (GB)(Myboycharlie {Ire}) (lot 171).

Japanese breeders are on the hunt for stallions to take the baton from Deep Impact, and chief among those is Lord Kanaloa (Jpn). The standout young sire has some particularly well-pedigreed foals catalogued including a colt out of G1 Premio Lydia Tesio victress Final Score (Ire) (Dylan Thomas {Ire}) (lot 316), whose first two foals are black-type placed; a half-sister to champion sprinter/miler Mikki Isle (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) (lot 343); and a colt out of GI Santa Anita Oaks winner Crisp (El Corredor) who is a half-brother to last week’s Japan Dirt Derby (a local Group 1) winner Danon Pharaoh (Jpn) (American Pharoah) (lot 445). A Lord Kanaloa colt out of G1 Australian Oaks scorer Kirramosa (NZ) (Alamosa {NZ}) (lot 539) should close the sale on a high note as the final foal through the ring.

In addition to the Deep Impact yearlings, the yearling section of the catalogue is anchored by full siblings to a pair of recent Japanese-bred stars. Gracing the ring within the first hour of the sale as lot 12 will be a full-sister to Deirdre (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}), who was herself foaled in Hokkaido and sold at this sale but is now a global citizen who has made Newmarket her home for the better part of a year. The G1 Shuka Sho winner has from that base won the G1 Nassau S. and raced with credit in Ireland, Hong Kong and Saudi Arabia. She was also third in the G1 Dubai Turf in 2018.

It is rare to see a highlight horse at this sale not from the Northern Farm or Shadai consignments, and Hasegawa Bokujo has a chance to steal a slice of the limelight with a full-sister to this year’s G1 Oka Sho and G1 Yushun Himba (Japanese 1000 Guineas and Oaks) winner Daring Tact (Jpn) (lot 93), by another emerging young sire in Epiphaneia (Jpn).

With Deep Impact and King Kamehameha (Jpn) having died within weeks of each other last summer, Heart’s Cry has taken up the mantle among the elder brigade at Shadai Stallion Station and he has a few of note set for sale. Those include a yearling colt out of G1 Nunthorpe S. winner Margot Did (Ire) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) (lot 145), who has made an excellent start to her second career as the dam of G2 Prix de Sandringham winner Mission Impassible (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and this year’s G3 Prix Vanteaux winner Magic Attitude (GB) (Galileo {Ire}). In the foal sale Heart’s Cry has a full-brother to GI Woodward S. and GI Turf Classic victor Yoshida (Jpn) (lot 365), who recently completed his first season at stud at WinStar Farm in Kentucky, as well as a half-brother to Kentucky Oaks winner Cathryn Sophia-the mare has both her foal and yearling on offer-and a colt out of American champion 2-year-old filly She’s A Tiger (Tale of the Cat) (lot 407).

Befitting a sale of international stature, the JRHA Select Sale catalogue has a healthy smattering of sires and pedigrees from around the globe contained within. Among the highlights on paper of the yearling section are lot 75, an American Pharoah filly out of a half-sister to Grade III winner Tapicat (Tapit); lot 147, a colt by Kitten’s Joy out of Grade I winner and dual stakes producer Joyful Victory (Tapit); lot 158, a colt by No Nay Never from the family of Godolphin’s talented 3-year-old filly Final Song (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}); lot 172, a second-crop filly by highly anticipated young American sire Frosted (Tapit); lot 174, a colt from the first crop of dual Group 1-winning sprinter Caravaggio; and lot 207, a Dark Angel (Ire) filly who is the second foal of the French Group 3 winner Great Page (Ire) (Roderic O’Connor {Ire}).

Among the foals, Triple Crown winner Justify and the aforementioned Classic winner Saxon Warrior both have members of their first crops catalogued (lots 397 and 323, respectively). Lope De Vega (Ire) (lot 472) and Golden Horn (GB) (lot 375) are also in the mix.

Buyers will have the chance to lay their eyes on the first two crops of dual Japanese Horse of the Year Kitasan Black (Jpn) at the sale, and one of his that catches the eye on paper is the foal half-brother to last year’s champion 2-year-old filly Resistencia (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}) (lot 334). Resistencia is the second foal of the Argentine Group 1 winner Malacostumbrada (Arg) (Lizard Island), and is the latest in a growing line up of Japanese-bred standouts from South American mares. The 2018 Japanese champion 2-year-old filly Danon Fantasy (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) is also from an Argentine mare, as is dual Group 1 winner Satono Diamond (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), who recently completed his second season at Shadai Stallion Station. Certainly not by coincidence there are a handful of offerings out of South American Group 1 winners and champions catalogued, particularly in the foal section. Those include a colt by the aforementioned Satono Diamond out of the G1 Gran Premio Giliberto Lerena winner Conviction (Arg) (City Banker {Arg}) (lot 303); colts by Duramente (Jpn) out of the dual Argentine Group 1 winner Schoolmistress (Arg) (Equal Stripes {Arg}) (lot 301) and Argentine champion 2-year-old filly Positive Mind (Arg) (EqualStripes {Arg}) (lot 371); and a trio by Heart’s Cry, including a filly out of Chilean champion Divine Preciosa (Chi) (Crocker Road) (lot 387), already the dam of two winners in Japan.

Like every other auction house around the world, the JRHA has not escaped the threat of COVID-19 and the necessity of implementing safety measures. JRHA International Representative Naohiro Goda said the sales pavilion at the Northern Horse Park in Hokkaido will be at half capacity. Attendees will be asked to wear masks, and all associated sale festivities have been cancelled. The sale will be conducted live and while internet bidding will not be introduced, the capacity for telephone bidding will be increased including two international lines for English speakers.

Goda said that the lifting of domestic travel restrictions within Japan on June 19 has meant that buyers have already had the opportunity to travel to Hokkaido to inspect the foals and yearlings.

“Teruya Yoshida of Shadai Farm has said they have had an usually [high] number of visitors to Shadai Farm to inspect the foals and yearlings,” Goda said. “While there are a few major players who will have suffered from the slow down of the general economy and we may miss a couple of big names at the sale grounds this year, we have seen considerable numbers of new buyers visiting the consignors’ farms in Hokkaido and we expect it will be an active market.”

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Yoshida Purchases Pouliches Winner

Katsumi Yoshida of Northern Farm has purchased last month’s G1 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches winner Dream And Do (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) privately, Jour de Galop reports.

The deal was brokered by Emmanuel de Seroux of Narvick International, who said, “Dream And Do is a very pretty filly who is precocious with abundant class and speed, and she comes from an excellent maternal line. She will continue her career with [trainer] Frederic Rossi before retiring to Northern Farm in Japan. She matches perfectly the type of mare that Katsumi likes to have.”

Indeed, Yoshida enjoyed a purple patch over the winter with mares sourced from Japan; he purchased the dams of G1 Tenno Sho winner Fierement (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and triple Group 1 winner Admire Mars (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}) at Arqana’s December Breeding Stock Sale, and the dam of last year’s Japanese Horse of the Year Lys Gracieux (Jpn) (Heart’s Cry {Jpn}) was a private transaction. Yoshida has continued to be active at the top of the market at that sale, and his brother Teruya has also made a big splash for French-bred mares, his collection including Classic winners Avenir Certain (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}), La Cressonniere (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) and Stacelita (Fr) (Monsun {Ger}), who has already producing Japanese champion and Classic winner Soul Stirring (Jpn) (Frankel {GB}).

Dream And Do had been previously campaigned as a homebred by Haras Du Logis Saint Germain, having been led out unsold at €80,000 from Arqana’s August yearling sale. Out of the placed Librettist mare Venetias Dream (Ire), Dream And Do is from the family of Group 1-winning miler Charm Spirit (Ire) and influential broodmare Fanfreluche.

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