Colt out of Azeri, foal by Frankel star at Japan sale

A colt out of 2002 U.S. Horse of the Year Azeri led the session and a filly by two-time European Horse of the Year Frankel sold for just under $1 million during Tuesday’s Japan Racing Horse Association select foal sale.

The auction, held at Northern Horse Park on the island of Hokkaido, followed a select yearling sale on Monday – and as with the earlier auction, horses by Japanese champion and leading sire Deep Impact generated the most interest on Tuesday. Overall, the foal sale posted improved figures, ending with a 17 percent rise in gross receipts, a 3 percent increase in average, and a 4 percent jump in median.

Toshio Terada purchased the Frankel filly from the consignment of Mishima Farm, representing Sheikh Fahad al-Thani, for 96 million yen, or about $946,000 in U.S. funds. The Japanese-bred chestnut filly is out of the winning Foxhound mare Goodwood March, who has produced four other winners, including Hong Kong stakes winner and $2 million earner Gold-Fun and English stakes winner Body and Soul.

The first Frankel foal offered at public auction went through the ring at the Goffs London sale last month along with his dam, and the pair sold for about $1.95 million to Coolmore Stud interests.

Foals by Deep Impact brought the three highest prices at Tuesday’s select auction, and all 20 foals by the Japanese racing legend offered during the sale found new owners, with no RNAs. His group was led by the sale-topping bay colt out of Azeri, who was purchased by Riichi Kondo from Northern Farm’s consignment for about $2.46 million (250 million yen). Azeri, by Jade Hunter, won 11 Grade 1 stakes and earned over $4 million on the racetrack, and was purchased by Northern Farm for $2.25 million at the Keeneland November breeding stock sale in 2009. Her 2013 Deep Impact colt led last summer’s JRHA foal sale, selling for about $2.37 million to Desk Valet Company Ltd. Azeri has also produced multiple graded stakes winner Wine Princess, by Ghostzapper.

Foals by several US-based sires made their own, albeit smaller, impact on the sale. Among those that brought over $200,000:

• A Discreetly Mine colt out of the stakes-winning Running Stag mare Running Bobcats, and a half-brother to Japanese champion Asia Express, who sold for about $767,000.

• A Lonhro colt out of the Tiznow mare Titan Queen, and a half-brother to Grade 2 winner Renee’s Titan, who sold for about $629,000.

• A Distorted Humor filly out of Grade 1 winner Diamondrella, by Rock of Gibraltar, who sold for about $393,200.

• A Candy Ride filly out of the unraced Storm Cat mare Sweet and Savory, from the family of champion Sweet Catomine and Grade 1 winner Life Is Sweet, who sold for about $354,000.

• A colt by late sire Unbridled’s Song, out of the stakes-winning and Grade 1-placed Desert Prince mare Rinterval, who sold for about $295,000.

In addition, two foals by 2012 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner I'll Have Another were sold on Tuesday, led by a colt out of the King Kamehameha mare Eva, bought by Matsuju Onoue for about $177,000 (18 million yen). I'll Have Another, by Flower Alley, was sold to Japan for stud duty in 2012 by owner J. Paul Reddam.

The JRHA reported 189 horses sold on Tuesday for revenues of about $64.3 million (6,547,050,000 yen). The average price was about $340,600 (34,640,476 yen), and the median was about $236,000 (24 million yen).

For complete results, click here.