The sale topper was a Sunday Silence colt sold during Monday's opening session for 320,000,000 yen (about US$2,962,962), a record for a foal offered at public auction in Japan. The colt, produced April 9 from the Kentucky-bred mare Franc Argument (by Argument), was purchased by Misako Okada, whose husband, Shigeyuki Okada, operates Big Red Farm.
Demand for foals of 2000 sired by 1989 Kentucky Derby winner and Japanese leading sire Sunday Silence continued Tuesday as the Japan Racing Horse Association concluded its record-breaking sale at the Northern Horse Park on the island of Hokkaido.Tuesday's top price of 220,000,000 yen (about US$2,037,037) was paid by Tokyo computer software company owner Makoto Kaneko for a Sunday Silence colt produced from the Fappiano mare Fadetta, who finished second in the Rare Perfume Stakes (gr. II). The session's second highest price of 185,000,000 yen (US$1,712,962) was paid by Isao Okawa for a Sunday Silence colt who was produced from the Danzig mare Daring Danzig, the dam also of North American grade I winner Ecton Park.The JRHA reported 173 foals were sold for a record gross of 6,066,400,000 yen (about US$56,170,370), with a record average price of 35,070,000 yen ($324,722). During last year's sale, 173 foals averaged 29,220,809 yen from a gross of 5,005,200,000 yen.
