Katsumi Yoshida

HOKKAIDO, Japan--"Welcome from the USA, from Europe, from Down Under," said Naohiro Goda at Sunday evening's party on the eve of the JRHA Select Sale. The welcome in Japan is always warm, but what is clear is that the extraordinary demand for racehorses in the country makes it difficult for those overseas visitors to make much of a mark in the ring where, once again, new record prices for turnover and average were set on Monday.  The names on the list of buyers were exclusively Japanese, bar that of David...

In the European edition we really shouldn't be overstepping our boundary to encroach on the territory of our American colleagues who did such a fine job in conveying the stories from Belmont Park last week. Racing faces different problems in different jurisdictions and, from an outsider's perspective, it is hard to get fully behind racing in America when a number of its major participants remain overly reliant on medication. But if you read Cynthia Holt's wonderful account of being at Belmont 50 years ago to bear witness to arguably the...

We are poised midway between Japan's Oaks (Yushun Himba), which took place last Sunday, and Derby (Tokyo Yushun) this coming Sunday. What is not in doubt in the country that has led the way at so many international meetings in recent years, is that those two races over 2,400m are still very much targeted and revered by owners and breeders. In Japan, there is no shortage of horses bred specifically for that distance, or further.  In any country, it takes a special horse to win the Triple Crown. For the...

In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this weekend running at Hanshin Racecourse: Saturday, April 15, 2023 2nd-HSN, ¥10,480,000 ($79k), Maiden, 3yo, 1800m AUDIBLE CALL (GB) (f, 3, Medaglia d'Oro--Callback, by Street Sense), whose dam won the 2015 GI Las Virgenes S. and sold to Katsumi Yoshida for an even $2...

Thunder Drum (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) (lot 210), a daughter of G1 Irish Oaks heroine Great Heavens (GB) (Galileo {Ire}), became the latest 2022 Arqana December millionaire when sold for €1.1 million to Narvick International, acting for Katsumi Yoshida. The Ecurie des Monceaux-consigned 4-year-old won the G3 Prix de Royaumont, while her granddam, G3 Musidora S. scorer Magnificient Style (Silver Hawk), produced other Group 1 winners Nathaniel (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Playful Act (Ire) (Sadler's Wells).

With the Breeders' Cup returning to Lexington for the third time, headlined by the mighty Flightline (Tapit), the buzz in Lexington was electric from late October all the way through the nearly two weeks of breeding stock sales that followed the World Championships. Combine that with a deep and diverse buying bench and high demand and the result was gains in both gross and average for the 10-day Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, which ran from Nov. 7-16. "With the close of the November Breeding Stock Sale, Keeneland is nearing...

by Jessica Martini, Christie DeBernardis & Christina Bossinakis LEXINGTON, KY - The Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale opened with a jam-packed pavilion and the $4.6-million sale of the fractional interest in superstar Flightline (Tapit) and hit another high late in the day with the $5.5-million sale of champion Midnight Bisou (Midnight Lute) to Katsumi Yoshida Monday in Lexington. By the end of the opening session of the auction, 136 head had grossed $66,980,000. The average of $492,500 was up 14.77% from a year ago, while the median dipped 12.12% to...

Katsumi Yoshida of Northern Farm went on a late session buying spree during the supplemental portion of Keeneland November Monday, purchasing champion Midnight Bisou (Midnight Lute) for $5.5 million as hip 235 and then adding 2022 French two-time Group 1 winner Dreamloper (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) for $2.7 million as hip 239. Midnight Bisou had previously sold for $5 million at the conclusion of her racing career to partner Chuck Allen at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton November sale. Since then she produced a Curlin colt Feb. 12 and was offered...

Kalypso (Brody's Cause) (hip 192), last year's GI La Brea S. winner, got the broodmare portion of Fasig-Tipton's Night of the Stars going in earnest when bringing $2.1 from Japan's Katsumi Yoshida. Offered as a broodmare prospect only, she was consigned by Gainesway, Agent II on behalf of co-owner Gainesway, who campaigned her with David Bernsen, Rockingham Ranch and Chad Littlefield. Kalypso was a $240,000 Fasig-Tipton July yearling buy.

It doesn't seem to matter where you are in the world: bloodstock sales are booming. That was certainly the case for the opening day and sole session of yearlings at the JRHA Select Sale, which reached new highs after last year's record-breaking trade. At Y12,870,000,000 (£78.7m/€93m), the aggregate for the session improved by 10.6% from 2021 with a staggeringly high clearance rate of 95.3%, which was yet another record. Only 11 of the 233 yearlings offered returned unsold to their vendors, with the average price driven up 12.6% to an...

In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this Sunday running at Chukyo and Tokyo Racecourses. Featured on the 12-race program at headquarters is an intriguing renewal of the G1 Victoria Mile for female turfers, which has drawn the likes of fan-favorite Sodashi (Jpn) (Kurofune), G3 1351 Turf Sprint heroine Songline (Jpn)...

As has been well-documented, Japanese interests have--over the course of many years--accumulated some of the best bloodstock from all corners of the globe, and as evidenced in Riyadh and Dubai in the last couple of months, the Japanese are breeding horses that can compete anywhere at any level. Classics season in the island nation kicked off last weekend with the running of the G1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas), with the colts' equivalent--the G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas)--set for this weekend at Nakayama Racecourse. The 3-year-old offspring of some...