Drefong

The death of Deep Impact (Jpn) in July 2019 may have robbed Japan, and the wider breeding industry, of a phenomenally successful stallion but his dominance persists for now, with a tenth Japanese sires' championship going his way in 2021.  The most prolific son of Sunday Silence, who was just 17 when he died a few months after covering a final book of 24 mares, has held the title consecutively since 2012, the year in which his eldest runners were 4-year-olds. He had hit the ground running as the champion...

The first crop of foals sired by Eclipse Award-winning sprinter Drefong (Gio Ponti) have performed so well since 2-year-old racing in Japan began in early June that he has seen his covering fee bumped from ¥3 million (about $26,400) to ¥7 million (about $61,700) for the 2022 breeding season. Consigliere (Jpn) has done his part to help cement his sire's footing on the competitive Japanese breeding landscape and ran his record to two wins from as many starts with a neck defeat of Cafe Karma (Jpn) (Henny Hughes) in Saturday's...

Following more Classic success, this time with his son Efforia (Jpn) in 2021, Epiphaneia (Jpn) (Symboli Kris S)'s fee has increased to ¥18,000,000 (£117,174/€139,172/$156,021), tops of the Shadai Stallion Station 2022 roster. The 11-year-old also celebrated group winners Aristoteles (Jpn) and Circle of Life (Jpn). Lord Kanaloa (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}), the sire of Japanese Horse of the Year Almond Eye (Jpn), remains at ¥15,000,000. Kizuna (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn})'s fee has been raised to ¥12,000,000 on the back of 11 2021 black-type winners including G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup...

The G3 Sapporo Nisai S. featured nine juveniles, but it was the June 26 debut winner Geoglyph (Jpn) (Drefong) who was the star of the show on Saturday, drawing off to win by four lengths. The first black-type winner for his GI Breeders' Cup Sprint-winning sire, the even-money favourite hopped slightly at the start and was last entering the first turn. Tucked in behind as Top Cast (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}) cut out the early running, pilot Christophe Lemaire kept the chestnut in touch with his foes and began to...

Old Friends elected owner/breeder Susan Chu to its Board of Directors Mar. 9. Chu and her husband have campaigned the likes of champion Drefong (Gio Ponti) and MGISW Bast (Uncle Mo) under the Baoma Corp. banner. "I am honored to be able to participate in such a worthwhile organization," said Chu. "Old Friends contributes so much to the welfare of these incredible retired Thoroughbreds." Chu will join current Old Friends board members: President Michael Blowen, Vice President Bill Vandendool, Chairman Cynthia Grisolia, Secretary Barbara Fossum, Treasurer Mark Otto, and voting...