In a release, the Japan Racing Horse Association reported its opening July 8 session was “stronger than expected,” as the yearling session of the JRHA yearling and foal sale saw records fall in gross and average, topped by a sale-record price for a yearling.
Leading the way was a colt by Kitasan Black who sold to Rodeo Japan for ¥590 million (US$3,664,597; $1=¥161), which marks the highest price ever paid at a yearling session of the JRHA Select Sale. Consigned by Northern Farm, the colt is the third foal out of Delphinia , who won two races and finished second in the British Champions Fillies’ and Mares’ Stakes (G1). Kitasan Black is the sire of the 2023 World’s Best Racehorse Award winner Equinox .
Also Monday, the second foal out of Irish Oaks (G1) winner Even So , a colt by Epiphaneia , was purchased by Susumu Fujita for ¥340 million (US$2,111,802). The colt, consigned by Northern Racing as Hip 24, is from the same family as Dr. Devious, Dancing Rain, and Saxon Warrior.
Epiphaneia is the sire of this year’s Japanese Derby (G1) winner Danon Decile, who was bought at the 2022 JRHA Select Sale for ¥135 million.
Fujita bought this year’s UAE Derby (G2) winner and Kentucky Derby (G1) third-place finisher Forever Young at the 2022 JRHA Select Sale for ¥98 million and has been as active this year as he was in 2022 and 2023 when he was a leading buyer at the JRHA Sale. At Monday’s yearling session, Fujita spent ¥850 million to acquire five yearlings, including Hip 127, a registered white yearling by Maurice that he bought for ¥190 million.
“As it has been one of my dreams to add a white horse in my string, I am very happy to buy this colt,” Fujita said. “And this colt is from a very successful Japanese family. I hope he runs well and becomes a popular horse, which racing fans like to support.”
Masahiro Noda of Danox, owner of Danon Decile, was also very active. Noda bought four yearlings for a total of ¥1.2 billion, including Hip 71, a colt by Kitasan Black out of Ascolti, who is a half sister to Japan’s 2023 champion juvenile filly, Ascoli Piceno, whom he bought for ¥400 million.
In total, 224 yearlings sold for ¥14.497 billion (US$90,043,478) in total, which is an 8.5% increase from last year (comparing yen to yen). The average price, ¥64,718,750, is a 4.6% increase from 2023. The clearance rate of 96.1% is slightly lower than 2023, when it was 97.3%; and the median price, ¥41 million, is down 8.9% from 2023.
“It is an amazing market,” Katsumi Yoshida of Northern Farm, the biggest consignor at the sale, said after the yearling session. “The number of buyers registered at this year’s sale is the biggest ever, and the number of owners and trainers that visited before the sale was the biggest ever. I am so glad to see so many people joined and supported the market.
“The stock exchange market in Japan is active recently and I think it is one of the factors behind the strong market here today. And another factor is the success of Japanese runners at international races in recent years.
“I am proud of the quality of foals we will offer tomorrow, and I hope the market tomorrow is as strong as today.”
The foal session of JRHA Select Sale starts at 9:30 a.m. local time July 9.
This press release has been edited for content and style by BloodHorse Staff.
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