A Deep Impact filly out of U.S. grade I winner Weemissfrankie sold for the highest price of ¥180 million ($1.46 million) July 14 at the foal session of the Japan Racing Horse Association select sale in Hokkaido.
Teruya Yoshida's Elusive Kate easily captured the Prix Rothschild at Deauville for the second straight year July 28.
Elusive Kate dueled favorite Sky Lantern from the start in the Etihad Airways Falmouth Stakes (Eng-I) July 12 at Newmarket and prevailed by a neck over Great Britain's top 3-year-old filly after a stewards' inquiry.
The Japan Racing Horse Association enjoyed record sales July 8 at its opening session and yearling sale, which saw great demand for the offspring of leading sire Deep Impact.
Teruya Yoshida's homebred Logotype, Japan's champion 2-year-old male last season, stormed to a course-record win in the Satsuki Sho (Jpn-I) or Japanese Two Thousand Guineas at Nakayama Racecourse April 14.
Foreign buyers taking a little off the top of America's best bloodlines.
Contested, a dual grade I-winning daughter of Ghostzapper, brought the highest price during the first two hours of the Nov. 5 Fasig-Tipton November sale when she fetched $2.3 million as Hip No. 41.
Danedream, winner of last year's Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (Fr-I), might not be able to contest this year's running Oct. 7 because of an outbreak of a serious equine disease in Cologne, Germany.
Top German filly Danedream defended her title in the Grosser Preis von Baden (Ger-I) with a determined half-length win over Ovambo Queen at Baden-Baden Sept. 2.
Great Britain-based Elusive Kate proved her affinity for French racecourses as she notched her second group I victory with a decisive 1 3/4-length win in the Prix Rothschild (Fr-I) at Deauville July 29.
The Japan Race Horse Association reported gains for its select sale, which was held July 9-10 at the Northern Horse Park in Hokkaido.
Strong Return came from off the pace to capture the $2.6 million Yasuda Kinen (Jpn-I), Japan's spring championship event for turf milers, in record time at Tokyo Racecourse June 3.
Grade I winner Stacelita, an Eclipse Award finalist for 2011 champion female turf runner, has been retired from racing and booked to Smart Strike.
Victoire Pisa, winner of the 2011 Dubai World Cup Sponsored by Emirates Airline (UAE-I), has been retired from racing to stand at stud at Teruya Yoshida's Shadai Farm in Japan.
The Fasig-Tipton November select mixed sale enjoyed a tidal wave-like surge in business. The gross revenue rose 17% from a year ago even though the number of lots sold declined 11.2%. The average price increased 31.8%.
Grade I winner Funny Moon, who is foal to Indian Charlie and carrying her first offspring, shot into the price lead at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky November select mixed sale around 7 p.m. (EST) Nov. 6, bringing $2.3 million.
Danedream, winner of the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (Fr-I) Oct. 2, will not participate in the Breeders' Cup World Championships in November at Churchill Downs, according to an Oct. 10 Daily Racing Form story.
Sahpresa made history with a third straight victory in the $272,000 Kingdom of Bahrain Sun Chariot Stakes (Eng-I) at Newmarket Sept. 24.
Making her first start in a group I event, Erin Court held off a pair of strong challenges to win the $2.3 million Yushun Himba, or Japanese Oaks, at rainy Tokyo Racecourse May 22.
The devastation in Japan that was caused by an earthquake and a tsunami March 11 did little harm to Sheikh Mohammed's Darley operation in Japan.
Average price also increases even though the second session wasn't as strong as the first during the 2011 Keeneland January horses of all ages sale in Lexington
Grade II winner Secret Gypsy is headed to Japan after being sold for $540,000 early in the afternoon of the second session of the Keeneland January horses of all ages sale in Lexington.
Grade I winner Ave became the first horse to bring a seven-figure price at the Keeneland January horses of all age sale when she sold for $1.4 million three-quarters of the way through the first session in Lexington Jan. 10.
The mare, named Lucky One, is carrying a full sibling to the 2010 Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) winner.
The first dead heat in a grade I race in Japanese history took place May 23 when favored Apapane and Saint Emilion battled to a draw in the $2.2 million Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) at a rainy and soggy Tokyo Racecourse.
The Japan Racing Horse Association (JRHA) foal sale suffered downturns of 33.1% in gross and 32.3% in average during its two-day run that ended July 15 at the Northern Horse Park on the Japanese island of Hokkaido. The three-day gross for the foal and yearling sales combined was down 21.4% from the previous year and the average fell 21.9%.
A classic good news/bad news scenario loomed a day before Japan's key bloodstock market was to open, leaving both buyers and sellers alike wondering how the Japan Racing Horse Association's three-day select sale would unfold.
A squadron of bold new buyers in the middle market lifted up the Japan Racing Horse Association select sale, keeping the foal portion nearly on pace with last year's scorching record results even though there were fewer players competing for the most expensive horses.
Japanese breeders and consignors celebrated the tenth anniversary of the Japan Racing Horse Association select sale with collective jumps in the air while clapping their hands on Sunday night at the urging of JRHA Vice Chairman Teruya Yoshida.
After five frustrating years of trying to coax dual American classic winner War Emblem into performing regular breeding duties, Shadai Stallion Station officials may be reaching the limit of their patience with the horse they purchased for about $17 million as a stallion prospect.
The Japan Racing Horse Association's select foal sale hit the wire Wednesday ahead of last year's pace, posting all-time highs for gross revenue of 8,340,500,000 yen ($72,526,087) and average price of 37,739,819 yen ($328,172).
War Emblem's problems in the breeding shed have gotten worse. There will be no foals sired by the 7-year-old champion son of Our Emblem born in 2007.
Unheralded Marbye finished the best of several runners in the closing stages to register a half-length victory in the Prix d'Astarte (Fr-I) for fillies and mares at Deauville Sunday.
The owners of multiple group I winner Falbrav have opted for the John Deere Breeders' Cup Turf (gr. IT) rather than the Breeders' Cup Classic – Powered by Dodge (gr. I) for the Italian champion's next start.
Fusaichi Zenon, one of Sunday Silence's 94 stakes winners, will enter stud at Rich and Gaby Sulpizio's Magali Farms near Santa Ynez, Calif.
The second day of the Japanese Racing Horse Association select foal sale lacked the glitter of the first, but was still a success, helping produce a record gross for the auction.
Gross revenue reached a record high of ¥3.792 billion ($32,081,218) Monday, the first day of the two-day Japan Racing Horse Association Select Sale held on Japan's northern island of Hokkaido.
A colt from the final crop of North American Horse of the Year and Japan's perennial leading sire Sunday Silence brought the top price of 330 million yen ($2,791,878) Monday during the first session of the Japan Racing Horse Association's foal sale.
<a href="viewstory.asp?id=12868">From preceding page</a>
<i>By Barbara Bayer </i> -- For Japanese racing fans, the death of Sunday Silence has left a huge hole.
