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Top American Stallions Represeted At JRHA Select Sale

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Year in and year out, the very youngest progeny of mares sourced by Japanese connections at American breeding stock sales are sprinkled in and amongst the 550 or so offerings cataloged for the Japan Racing Horse Association (JRHA)’s annual Select Sale held on the northern island of Hokkaido. The yearling section of this year’s auction is set for Monday, July 13, with the foal sale to take place on Tuesday, July 14.

The best and brightest of Japanese stallions can be found in this year’s catalogue, including the likes of Contrail (Jpn), Drefong (Jpn), Efforia (Jpn), Epiphaneia (Jpn), Equinox (Jpn), the latter’s sire Kitasan Black (Jpn), Kizuna (Jpn), Lord Kanaloa (Jpn), Maurice (Jpn), Nadal, Saturnalia (Jpn) and Suave Richard (Jpn).

This year’s catalogue includes–as in years past– a handful of US-conceived progeny by American-based sires (two stallions are represented by a pair of youngsters), and to follow is a bit of background on each of those:

Yearlings
Hip 85, c, Curlin–Midnight Memories, by Mastery
Consigned by Shunsuke Yoshida, b. 4/20/25

Racing as a homebred for Mike Pegram, Paul Weitman and Karl Watson, Midnight Memories was a three-time graded winner and third in the GI Beholder Mile Stakes before fetching $1.45 million from Katsumi Yoshida at the 2024 Keeneland November Sale with this colt in utero. The ‘Three Amigos’ also campaigned the GSW & GISP second dam Tiz Midnight (Midnight Lute) and GI Ruffian Handicap-winning third dam Tough Tiz’s Sis (Tiznow).

Midnight Memories | Keeneland

Hip 101, c, Forte–Amalfi Coast, by Tapizar
Consigned by Shadai Farm, b. 2/9/25

A three-time winner at the graded level for Terra Racing Stable and Kevin Attard, Amalfi Coast was purchased by Tracy Farmer for $475,000 at KEENOV in 2021 and was kept in training at six with Mark Casse, finishing runner-up in the GIII Hendrie Stakes a few months after being named the Sovereign Award-winning female sprinter for the previous season. Amalfi Coast was sold to Shadai for $650,000 in foal to War Front at Keeneland in the fall of 2024 and is the dam of the US-bred, but now Japanese-based juvenile colt Valor Hunt.

Hip 137, c, Into Mischief–Daddysruby, by Frac Daddy
Consigned by Shadai Farm, b. 3/20/25

This is the first foal from his dam, who led every step of the way and just managed to hold on to take the 2023 GI La Brea Stakes for Jethorse LLC, Gary Barber and Wachtel Stable and trainer Peter Miller. The mare was bought back on a bid of $940,000 during the Fasig-Tipton Digital March Sale in early 2024, was covered by this all-conquering stallion the next month and was hammered down to Shadai for $1.1 million at Fasig-Tipton November that fall. Daddysruby produced a filly by Kizuna this past Mar. 5.

Foals
Hip 331, c, Forte–Inconmensurable (Arg), by Cosmic Trigger (Arg)
Consigned by Northern Farm, b. 3/7/26

Hailing from the second crop of his ‘TDN Rising Star’ presented by Hagyard sire, this March-foaled bay colt is the first foal for his dam, the six-length winner of the 2024 G1 Seleccion at Palermo and named champion Argentinian 3-year-old filly of 2024.

Hip 375, c, Into Mischief–Forever Dixie, by Quality Road
Consigned by Shimokobe Farm, b. 2/17/26

A daughter of Grade III winner and GI Cotillion Stakes and Queen’s Plate third Dixie Strike (Dixie Union), Forever Dixie won the Glorious Song Stakes at three and was twice placed at the graded level at four in 2024. Hailing from the family of Queen’s Plate-winning champion 3-year-old filly Inglorious (Hennessy), Forever Dixie was knocked down to Polo Green Stable, agent for Shimokobe Farm, for $525,000 at the 2025 Fasig-Tipton February Sale. The mare was bred to Into Mischief a short time thereafter and produced this colt on Feb. 17 of this year.

Forever Dixie | Fasig-Tipton photo

Hip 404, c, Not This Time–Walkathon, by Twirling Candy
Consigned by Grand Stud, b. 2/21/26

Trained by Ian Wilkes for Janis Whitham’s Whitham Thoroughbreds LLC, Walkabout won seven of her 15 career starts on the turf, taking out the age-restricted GIII Regret Stakes at three before adding the GIII Endeavour Stakes and GIII Ladies’ Turf Stakes in 2024. Unplaced in that year’s GI First Lady Stakes, Walkabout made her next appearance in the Keeneland sales pavilion, where Grand Stud bought the daughter of Grade III winner Walkabout (Stroll) for $1.5 million and she visited this stallion in her first year at stud. Third dam Arlucea, a daughter of Bayakoa (Arg), produced GI Breeders’ Cup Classic hero Fort Larned (E Dubai).

Hip 490, f, Good Magic–Hawaiian Love (Arg), by Hurricane Cat
Consigned by Northern Farm, b. 2/18/26

This Feb. 18 foal’s dam validated 3-1 favoritism in the 2024 G1 Estrellas Distaff, one of her four career victories, and was acquired privately and covered by this top stallion prior to her export to Japan. The cross of Good Magic‘s sire Curlin over Storm Cat mares has yielded MGISW Raging Sea.

Hip 509, c, Constitution–Amidst Waves, by Midshipman
Consigned by Chiyoda Farm, b. 1/8/26

Winner of the Colleen Stakes at two, Amidst Waves was third in the 2024 GIII Soaring Softly Stakes, but was bought back on a bid of $195,000 out of the Fasig-Tipton July HORA Sale a couple of months later. The decision proved fruitful when the filly went on to win Saratoga’s Bolton Landing Stakes and she was sold to Chiyoda Farm’s Dr. Masatake Iida for $625,000 carrying this colt at last year’s Keeneland November Sale. Amidst Waves is the year-older half-sister to 2025 GII Eight Belles Stakes heroine and GI Acorn Stakes runner-up Look Forward (Bolt d’Oro).

Hip 544, f, Maxfield–Story Land, by Candy Ride (Arg)
Consigned by Byerley Farm Co Ltd, b. 2/28/26

From the family of MGSW & GISP Feline Story (Tale of the Cat), Story Land was purchased by Hikaru Nakawaki for $45,000 with this filly in utero at KEENOV last fall. The mare is a half-sister to Grade III winner Arella Rockstar (Astrology) and to the juvenile colt Bermuda (Corniche), a $600,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling purchase by CHC, Maverick Racing and First Go Racing and in training at Keeneland.

The post Top American Stallions Represeted At JRHA Select Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Castellano To Miss Three Weeks Following Spill

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Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano is expected to be out for about three weeks with a minor lower back injury sustained in a spill on July 3 at Saratoga. Castellano, currently on 5,992 career wins according to Equibase, hopes to return to riding races on July 29.

The Venezuelan was aboard Paris Carver (Bolt d’Oro) in the Wild Applause Stakes and was involved in a nasty chain-reaction incident which saw four horses fall to the turf and their riders thrown from their mounts. Castellano was ultimately taken to Saratoga Hospital for observation and had accepted rides for Thursday’s program at Saratoga, but will now take time off to allow for full healing.

“I’m feeling much better, and I appreciate all of the people that reached out with well wishes,” Castellano said. “I’m disappointed to have to miss a few weeks at the start of the Saratoga meet, but my goal is to come back at the end of July and to continue to win races. I’m getting close to my 6,000th win and my other main goal is to win my eighth Travers.”

Added his agent Kevin Meyocks: “He’s doing really good. We’re going to give him three more weeks off. The doctors advised us not to rush it, so we’ll start back on July 29. We visited his doctor in the city, who looked at the x-rays and told us no surgery is required and to just give it a couple weeks and he’ll be good to go.”

The post Castellano To Miss Three Weeks Following Spill appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Top American Stallions Represeted At JRHA Select Sale

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Year in and year out, the very youngest progeny of mares sourced by Japanese connections at American breeding stock sales are sprinkled in and amongst the 550 or so offerings cataloged for the Japan Racing Horse Association (JRHA)’s annual Select Sale held on the northern island of Hokkaido. The yearling section of this year’s auction is set for Monday, July 13, with the foal sale to take place on Tuesday, July 14.

The best and brightest of Japanese stallions can be found in this year’s catalogue, including the likes of Contrail (Jpn), Drefong (Jpn), Efforia (Jpn), Epiphaneia (Jpn), Equinox (Jpn), the latter’s sire Kitasan Black (Jpn), Kizuna (Jpn), Lord Kanaloa (Jpn), Maurice (Jpn), Nadal, Saturnalia (Jpn) and Suave Richard (Jpn).

This year’s catalogue includes–as in years past– a handful of US-conceived progeny by American-based sires (two stallions are represented by a pair of youngsters), and to follow is a bit of background on each of those:

Yearlings
Hip 85, c, Curlin–Midnight Memories, by Mastery
Consigned by Shunsuke Yoshida, b. 4/20/25

Racing as a homebred for Mike Pegram, Paul Weitman and Karl Watson, Midnight Memories was a three-time graded winner and third in the GI Beholder Mile Stakes before fetching $1.45 million from Katsumi Yoshida at the 2024 Keeneland November Sale with this colt in utero. The ‘Three Amigos’ also campaigned the GSW & GISP second dam Tiz Midnight (Midnight Lute) and GI Ruffian Handicap-winning third dam Tough Tiz’s Sis (Tiznow).

Midnight Memories | Keeneland

Hip 101, c, Forte–Amalfi Coast, by Tapizar
Consigned by Shadai Farm, b. 2/9/25

A three-time winner at the graded level for Terra Racing Stable and Kevin Attard, Amalfi Coast was purchased by Tracy Farmer for $475,000 at KEENOV in 2021 and was kept in training at six with Mark Casse, finishing runner-up in the GIII Hendrie Stakes a few months after being named the Sovereign Award-winning female sprinter for the previous season. Amalfi Coast was sold to Shadai for $650,000 in foal to War Front at Keeneland in the fall of 2024 and is the dam of the US-bred, but now Japanese-based juvenile colt Valor Hunt.

Hip 137, c, Into Mischief–Daddysruby, by Frac Daddy
Consigned by Shadai Farm, b. 3/20/25

This is the first foal from his dam, who led every step of the way and just managed to hold on to take the 2023 GI La Brea Stakes for Jethorse LLC, Gary Barber and Wachtel Stable and trainer Peter Miller. The mare was bought back on a bid of $940,000 during the Fasig-Tipton Digital March Sale in early 2024, was covered by this all-conquering stallion the next month and was hammered down to Shadai for $1.1 million at Fasig-Tipton November that fall. Daddysruby produced a filly by Kizuna this past Mar. 5.

Foals
Hip 331, c, Forte–Inconmensurable (Arg), by Cosmic Trigger (Arg)
Consigned by Northern Farm, b. 3/7/26

Hailing from the second crop of his ‘TDN Rising Star’ presented by Hagyard sire, this March-foaled bay colt is the first foal for his dam, the six-length winner of the 2024 G1 Seleccion at Palermo and named champion Argentinian 3-year-old filly of 2024.

Hip 375, c, Into Mischief–Forever Dixie, by Quality Road
Consigned by Shimokobe Farm, b. 2/17/26

A daughter of Grade III winner and GI Cotillion Stakes and Queen’s Plate third Dixie Strike (Dixie Union), Forever Dixie won the Glorious Song Stakes at three and was twice placed at the graded level at four in 2024. Hailing from the family of Queen’s Plate-winning champion 3-year-old filly Inglorious (Hennessy), Forever Dixie was knocked down to Polo Green Stable, agent for Shimokobe Farm, for $525,000 at the 2025 Fasig-Tipton February Sale. The mare was bred to Into Mischief a short time thereafter and produced this colt on Feb. 17 of this year.

Forever Dixie | Fasig-Tipton photo

Hip 404, c, Not This Time–Walkathon, by Twirling Candy
Consigned by Grand Stud, b. 2/21/26

Trained by Ian Wilkes for Janis Whitham’s Whitham Thoroughbreds LLC, Walkabout won seven of her 15 career starts on the turf, taking out the age-restricted GIII Regret Stakes at three before adding the GIII Endeavour Stakes and GIII Ladies’ Turf Stakes in 2024. Unplaced in that year’s GI First Lady Stakes, Walkabout made her next appearance in the Keeneland sales pavilion, where Grand Stud bought the daughter of Grade III winner Walkabout (Stroll) for $1.5 million and she visited this stallion in her first year at stud. Third dam Arlucea, a daughter of Bayakoa (Arg), produced GI Breeders’ Cup Classic hero Fort Larned (E Dubai).

Hip 490, f, Good Magic–Hawaiian Love (Arg), by Hurricane Cat
Consigned by Northern Farm, b. 2/18/26

This Feb. 18 foal’s dam validated 3-1 favoritism in the 2024 G1 Estrellas Distaff, one of her four career victories, and was acquired privately and covered by this top stallion prior to her export to Japan. The cross of Good Magic‘s sire Curlin over Storm Cat mares has yielded MGISW Raging Sea.

Hip 509, c, Constitution–Amidst Waves, by Midshipman
Consigned by Chiyoda Farm, b. 1/8/26

Winner of the Colleen Stakes at two, Amidst Waves was third in the 2024 GIII Soaring Softly Stakes, but was bought back on a bid of $195,000 out of the Fasig-Tipton July HORA Sale a couple of months later. The decision proved fruitful when the filly went on to win Saratoga’s Bolton Landing Stakes and she was sold to Chiyoda Farm’s Dr. Masatake Iida for $625,000 carrying this colt at last year’s Keeneland November Sale. Amidst Waves is the year-older half-sister to 2025 GII Eight Belles Stakes heroine and GI Acorn Stakes runner-up Look Forward (Bolt d’Oro).

Hip 544, f, Maxfield–Story Land, by Candy Ride (Arg)
Consigned by Byerley Farm Co Ltd, b. 2/28/26

From the family of MGSW & GISP Feline Story (Tale of the Cat), Story Land was purchased by Hikaru Nakawaki for $45,000 with this filly in utero at KEENOV last fall. The mare is a half-sister to Grade III winner Arella Rockstar (Astrology) and to the juvenile colt Bermuda (Corniche), a $600,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling purchase by CHC, Maverick Racing and First Go Racing and in training at Keeneland.

The post Top American Stallions Represeted At JRHA Select Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Castellano To Miss Three Weeks Following Spill

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Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano is expected to be out for about three weeks with a minor lower back injury sustained in a spill on July 3 at Saratoga. Castellano, currently on 5,992 career wins according to Equibase, hopes to return to riding races on July 29.

The Venezuelan was aboard Paris Carver (Bolt d’Oro) in the Wild Applause Stakes and was involved in a nasty chain-reaction incident which saw four horses fall to the turf and their riders thrown from their mounts. Castellano was ultimately taken to Saratoga Hospital for observation and had accepted rides for Thursday’s program at Saratoga, but will now take time off to allow for full healing.

“I’m feeling much better, and I appreciate all of the people that reached out with well wishes,” Castellano said. “I’m disappointed to have to miss a few weeks at the start of the Saratoga meet, but my goal is to come back at the end of July and to continue to win races. I’m getting close to my 6,000th win and my other main goal is to win my eighth Travers.”

Added his agent Kevin Meyocks: “He’s doing really good. We’re going to give him three more weeks off. The doctors advised us not to rush it, so we’ll start back on July 29. We visited his doctor in the city, who looked at the x-rays and told us no surgery is required and to just give it a couple weeks and he’ll be good to go.”

The post Castellano To Miss Three Weeks Following Spill appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.