Japan select sale: Deep Impact yearlings lead record totals

The Japan Horse Racing Association’s select sale kicked off its two-day run Monday with the yearling session, which posted record gross receipts and was headlined by an almost $1.8 million Deep Impact colt out of a Grade 2-winning mare.

The sale company reported 226 yearlings sold from 257 offered for a total of about $61,031,500 (about 6.16 billion yen), a 13 percent increase from last year’s yearling-session total. The average price of $270,050 rose 1 percent, while the median of $183,290 declined 5 percent. The buyback rate of 12 percent improved from last year’s 17 percent.

Riichi Kondo went to about $1,783,350 to secure the session-topping colt, who is by two-time Japanese Horse of the Year and 2012 and leading sire Deep Impact and is out of 2008 Bonnie Miss winner Shes All Eltish, by Eltish. The mare has already produced two Deep Impact foals, both winners. Northern Farm consigned the colt.

The session’s second-highest price also was for a horse by Deep Impact and is the first foal out of Grade 1 winner Persistently. Takaya Shimawaka purchased the colt, also consigned by Northern Farm, for $1,684,240. Persistently, by Deputy Minister, took the Grade 1 Frizette and Grade 2 Matron at Belmont in 2008. She is out of champion and eight-time Grade 1 winner Heavenly Prizeis and is a half-sister to Grade 1 winner and sire Good Reward and Grade 2 winner and sire Pure Prize as well as stakes winner Cosmic. The catalog page is replete with other Grade 1 winners, including Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner Dancing Spree, Furlough, Fantastic Find, Dancing Forever, and Oh What a Windfall.

Deep Impact had four of the five yearlings sold who surpassed the $1 million mark; the other was by King Kamehameha. The top yearling by a U.S.-based sire sold for about $793,100. Paul Fudge’s Waratah Thoroughbreds bought the colt, by popular Gainesway stallion Tapit, from Northern Farm’s consignment. The colt is out of Group 2-placed winner Art Princess, by Officer. He is a three-quarter brother to multiple Grade 1 winner Zazu and to Grade 2 winner Flashback, who are both by Tapit and out of Art Princess’s dam, Rhumb Line.

The select sale was to conclude Tuesday with a foal session.

For complete results, click here.