The Japan Racing Horse Association Select Sale birthed a dancing star July 15 as the first foals by Equinox sold for a combined ¥3,565,000,000 (US$23,937,874, ¥1=US$0.006708) during a record-smashing renewal of the sale.
The 23 foals sold by Shadai's six-time group/grade 1 winner made up a remarkable 20% of the record-breaking turnover of ¥17,154,000,000 (US$115,165,094), a 19% increase on last year's sale.
Tuesday's foal average of ¥75,236,842 (US$505,110) grew by 20% year-over-year, and JRHA chairman Teruya Yoshida expressed his astonishment at the demand.
He said: "This is an unbelievable market; I am amazed to see this. I've seen very strong markets all over the world in the past, but I have never seen such a market where it is so deep with strength at every level.
"I have to thank our long-established clients. I am very happy to see many new players coming into this market, and I am impressed with how they don't hesitate to invest such a lot of money in horses that we've bred.
"Japanese breeders have been investing a lot of money to buy the highest quality mares from all over the world, and now those mares we bought from America and Europe are producing nice foals who are selling well, so we can now afford to buy even nicer mares."
Ozasa goes all the way
Equinox's colt out of Midnight Bisou, consigned as Lot 344, was the headline act, bringing ¥580,000,000 (US$3,890,804) from Nebraska Racing and delivering the second-best result in the sale's history, but there was a galaxy of stars who shone for their sire.
Owner Yoshihisa Ozasa was emotional after being persuaded by trainer Yoshito Yahagi to go all the way to ¥450,000,000 for an Equinox colt out of dual Rodeo Drive Stakes (G1T) winner Going To Vegas.
Ozasa said, "I am about to cry, because this is too expensive. My trainer, Yoshito Yahagi, suggested I buy this colt and, as he was sitting next to me, I could not stop bidding."
Yahagi has shot to prominence through the worldwide success of horses such as Triple Crown winner and young sire Contrail; Forever Young, who defeated Romantic Warrior in an epic finish to this year's Saudi Cup (G1); Cox Plate (G1) heroine Lys Gracieux; and Real Steel, winner of the Dubai Turf (G1).
The trainer became the first Japanese trainer to win a Breeders' Cup race with Loves Only You in the 2021 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf (G1T) and promptly doubled up a few races later when Marche Lorraine struck in the Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1).
Yahagi said: "This is very nice horse and has a gorgeous pedigree behind him. As I am convinced this is the best foal in today's (Tuesday's) catalog, I tried to save my budget until this colt went up at sales ring.
"I hope he will be competitive in 3-year-old classic races in 2028."
Katsumi Yoshida, owner of Northern Farm, purchased Going To Vegas for $1.5 million at Keeneland's November Breeding Stock Sale in 2022 from Taylor Made Sales. The daughter of Goldencents has a yearling filly by Frankel and this is her second foal.
YF Racing Club holdS firm
Northern Farm also consigned the Equinox colt out of Argentinian grade 1 winner Global Beauty, who made ¥310,000,000 to YF Racing Club.
Global Beauty is the dam of 5-year-old Gun Runner mare Pulchritude, who was third in the Flower Cup (G3), and her 3-year-old son by Real Steel, Mikki Gold, has twice been listed-placed. The mare has a 2-year-old filly by Kitasan Black.
The top price for an Equinox-bred foal consigned by Teryuda Yoshida's Shadai Farm was ¥260,000,000, which the free-spending Fujita Susumu gave for the colt out of Mucho Unusual, another Rodeo Drive Stakes winner.
This was the second foal out of the Mucho Macho Man half sister to Transylvania Stakes (G3T) winner and Hollywood Derby (G1T) third Big Score. Now a 9-year-old, she was bought by Shadai for $1.1 million in 2022 at The November Sale at Fasig-Tipton in November.
