Katsumi Yoshida

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...

LEXINGTON, KY--Recent GI La Brea S. runner-up Brilliant Cut (Speightstown) (hip 541) was as popular as many expected her to be, topping the Fasig-Tipton Winter Mixed Sale at $750,000. Japan's Katsumi Yoshida was the winning bidder over the internet. A total of 431 horses changed hands during the two-day auction for a gross of $17,245,500 with an average of $40,013 and median of $16,000. There were 56 horses led from the ring unsold for a very low RNA rate of 11.5%. That was a significant increase over last year's auction,...

Prominent North American owner/breeder Charles Fipke was represented by his first winner in Japan when the newly turned 3-year-old filly Kana Tape (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) ran out an impressive three-length winner of a newcomers' event going 1800 meters on turf at Tokyo Racecourse Sunday afternoon. Sent off the narrow second favorite at odds of 3-2, the bay filly jumped well from gate two for top rider Takeshi Yokoyama and tracked pacesetting Mozu Cleopatra (Jpn) (American Pharoah) from close up in second. Felt for as the field entered the final...

Flotus (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) (lot 1798), who ran second in the G1 Cheveley Park S. earlier this year, broke the seven-figure mark at 1 million gns to Katsumi Yoshida's Northern Farm on Tuesday. The new topper, consigned by Gainsborough Thoroughbreds, also won a listed race and her dam is a half-sister to G1 Phoenix S. third Lottie Dod (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) and the dual group-placed Rockaway Valley (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}). Bred by Newtown Stud and T. J. Pabst, the juvenile hammered at €65,000 as a Goffs November...

Dandalla (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}) was the first mare to breach the 750,000gns mark at the Tattersalls December Mare Sale, which was in its second session on Wednesday. Northern Farm struck for lot 1735, who was consigned by Karl Burke's Spigot Lodge Stables on behalf of Nick Bradley Racing 28 & Partner. A winner of the G2 Duchess Of Cambridge S., G3 Albany S. and the Listed The Arran Scottish Sprint EBF Fillies' S., the Robert Norton-bred was also fourth in this year's G1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot. Dandalla...