Pivotal Colt Sets Japanese Yearling Record, Sells for Nearly $1.8 Million

A Pivotal colt set a record Monday for Japanese yearling sold at public auction when he brought 205,000,000 yen ($1,798,245) at the Northern Horse Park in Japan. Tokyo bloodstock agent Nobutaka Tada purchased the racy-looking bay colt, which is from the family of 2005 Japanese Horse of the Year Deep Impact, during the Japan Racing Horse Association (JRHA) select yearling sale.

Tada declined to reveal who would own the colt, but said it would be one of trainer Kazuo Fujisawa's clients. Fujisawa saddled Dance in the Mood to win the July 1 CashCall Mile Invitational Stakes (gr. IIIT) at Hollywood Park.

"He's from a good family," said Tada of the sale-topping colt. "He's a good athlete, and he has a beautiful face. He's a smooth, fluid mover."

Consigned by Katsumi Yoshida's Northern Farm, the colt is out of the 9-year-old Thunder Gulch mare Veil of Avalon. A grade III winner on grass, Veil of Avalon is a half-sister to Deep Impact and to Japanese group II winner Black Tide.

Yoshida said the colt brought the price that he expected.

The JRHA reported that the 109 yearlings were sold in all for a gross of 3,414,000,000 yen. They averaged 31,320,000 yen. Fifty-six (33.9%) of the 165 horses offered failed to find new homes.

"The sale went very well," said Teruya Yoshida of Shadai Farm. "The good horses sold were very expensive, and the medium-range horses, if they were good-bodied, had bidders.

The JRHA had not conducted a select yearling sale since 1998, when only 18 of the 47 horses offered were sold. They grossed 306,500,000 yen and averaged 17,027,777 yen.

Flamboyant owner Fusao Sekiguchi, who raced Kentucky Derby (gr. I) winner Fusaichi Pegasus, purchased a Dance in the Dark -- Silk Prima Donna colt for the sale's second-highest price of 120 million yen ($1,052,631) from Northern Farm. The bay colt is the second foal is out of Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks, Jpn-I) winner Silk Prima Donna (by Brian's Time).

Following the yearling sale is a select foal auction on Tuesday and Wednesday. The JRHA has held a foal sale each year at the Northern Horse Park since 1998.