Kitasan Black (JPN), sire of Equinox (JPN), the world’s highest-rated horse in 2023, was popular at the foal session of the 2024 JRHA Select Sale at Northern Horse Park on July 9th. Hip#364, a colt by Kitasan Black, was bought for 410,000,000 yen (approximately US$2,546,584) by Toshihiko Tabata, who runs Lion Race Horse, a racing syndication based in Tokyo. Additionally, many horses are running in his colors, including Mr. G.T., a three-year-old colt by Duramente (JPN), winner of the LR/Wakaba Stakes on March 16, 2024, which Tabata purchased at JRHA for 82,000,000 yen. This colt is the sixth foal out of Serienholde (GER), a winner of the G1 German Oaks, and her first foal by Kingman (GB) is Schnell Meister (GER), winner of the G1 NHK Mile Cup.

Hip#384, a colt by Epiphaneia (JPN) out of Carina Mia (USA), was bought by Hirosaki Toshihiro HD Co., Ltd for 370,000,000 yen (approximately US$2,298,137). “My trainer, Yoshito Yahagi, and I have agreed this is the best yearling in the catalogue,” Hirosaki said of his purchase. “I was determined to win the bidding battle on this colt.” “I feel a lot of pressure on my shoulders,” Yoshito Yahagi said with a smile. “I understand this is an outstanding individual. The dam is an Acorn Stakes winner, and the colt has a beautiful pedigree. He has everything.” Carina Mia was bought at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale for US$2.7 million by Teruya Yoshida of Shadai Farm, the consignor of Hip#384. Carina Mia is now in foal to Equinox.Masahiro Noda of Danox Co., Ltd, the leading buyer at the yearling session on Monday, continued to seek young horses on Tuesday, spending a total of 815,000,000 yen to acquire four foals, including Hip#386, a colt by Contrail (JPN), which Noda bought for 300,000,000 yen (approximately US$1,863,355). This colt is the fifth foal out of Caledonia Road (USA), the US Champion Juvenile Filly, which was purchased by Grand Stud, the consignor of Hip#386, at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale for US$2.3 million through Narvick International.

Another major buyer on Tuesday was Susumu Fujita, who spent 990,000,000 yen in total, acquiring six foals, including Hip#447, a colt by Contrail (JPN), bought for 250,000,000 yen (approximately US$1,552,796). This colt is the second foal out of Brilliant Cut (USA), who won two races and finished second in the G1 La Brea Stakes in the U.S. Brilliant Cut was purchased at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Winter Mixed Sale by Katsumi Yoshida of Northern Farm for US$750,000.

At the Tuesday session of the 2024 JRHA Select Sale, 231 foals were sold for a total of 14,421,000,000 yen, reflecting a 2.4% decline from 2013. The average price was 62,428,571 yen, a 7.5% decrease from the previous year, while the median price was 42,000,000 yen, up 2.4% from 2023. The clearance rate was 96.7%, an improvement over 2023's 94.8%.

Over the two-day session of the 2024 JRHA Select Sale, 455 lots sold for a total of 28,918,000,000 yen, a 2.7% increase compared to 2023, setting a new record for gross sales at the JRHA Select Sale. The average price was 63,556,044 yen, a 1.8% decrease from 2023, and the median price was 42,000,000 yen, a 2.3% decline. The clearance rate over the two days was 96.4%, slightly better than the 96.0% achieved in 2023, marking the highest clearance rate in the history of the two-day JRHA Select Sale.

“It was a much better market than I expected, and I would like to thank everyone involved in this amazing sale,” commented Teruya Yoshida, the active chairman of JRHA, at the conclusion of the 2024 Select Sale. “There are so many players in the game, which is incredible. Yearlings and foals offered here on Monday and Tuesday represent the cream of Japanese breeding. The quality of the catalogue was very high.”

“Danon Decile, this year’s Japanese Derby winner, was bought here, and Forever Young, winner of the Saudi Derby and UAE Derby, who was narrowly beaten in the Kentucky Derby, was also acquired here. I understand that the successes of these sales graduates have encouraged buyers to invest more,” he added. “I had buyers from the USA, Europe, Australia, South America, the Middle East, and Hong Kong this year. I am very pleased to see international buyers so active in this market.”

“I cannot wait for the JRHA Select Sale in 2025 when the first crop by Equinox will be offered.”