21 March, 2024
The year 2023 was dominated by diversity in the Japanese stallion rankings.
Duramente(JPN) by King Kamehameha(JPN) might have passed away in August of 2021, but his offspring have been making waves since they debuted in 2020. This year, monster filly Liberty Island(JPN) captured the Filly Triple Crown and ran a game second to bonified legend Equinox(JPN). Her success catapulted him to take home 2023 Leading Sire honors, but he also had 160 winners with 252 wins. Lord Kanaloa(JPN) by King Kamehameha(JPN) technically had the most winners of the year, with 257 individuals taking home 421 races. First Force(JPN) winning the Takamatsunomiya Kinen was his best domestic win, but Panthalassa(JPN) also took home the world's richest race when he won the G1 Saudi Cup. Kizuna(JPN) by Deep Impact(JPN) had a big year when his mare Songline(JPN) captured back-to-back G1 wins in the summer. He had 191 offspring in the winners' circle 307 times. Fourth on the list was Heart's Cry(JPN) by Sunday Silence(USA), who, despite having been pensioned and passed away, still is making an impact on the game and beating out Deep Impact(JPN) by Sunday Silence(USA) one more time. Heart's Cry(JPN) had 137 winners with 227 wins, while Deep Impact(JPN) had 96 winners with 139 wins to round out the top five stallions of 2023.
The title of Leading Freshman Sire finally returned to the hands of a Japanese-bred stallion in 2023 with Suave Richard(JPN) by Heart's Cry(JPN) having a stellar 21 winners from 66 starters and the impressive Regaleira(JPN) who stormed home to beat out the boys in the G1 Hopeful Stakes at the end of the year. Bricks and Mortar(USA) by Giant's Causeway(USA) had a solid finish to the year with 14 winners from 66 starters, and his son Aigle Noir(JPN) finished second in the JPN1 Zen Nippon Nisai Yushun. Moanin(USA) continued his sire, Henny Hughes(USA) 's continued invasion of the Japanese breeding shed. He had 44 winners from 96 starts, though it is the NAR where he is dominating and would have been their leading freshman sire if only the NAR stats were analyzed. New Year's Day(USA) by Street Cry(IRE) would have finished third when only looking at the JRA stats, but he had 23 total winners from 69 starters. In fifth is Rey de Oro(JPN) by King Kamehameha(JPN), with 13 winners from 68 starts. Honorable mention goes to California Chrome(USA) by Lucky Pulpit (USA), who finished sixth overall in the standings with 15 winners from 51 starts, but he would finish in fifth when the stats are adjusted to only JRA information.
The continuation of their diversity looks to carry over into the next generation when considering the stallions set to debut in 2024. Foreign bloodlines will still hold strong in a big way, but through many Japan-based runners. Mozu Ascot(USA), a G1 winner on dirt and turf, brings Frankel's (GB) sire line front and center when the two-year-olds debut this summer. G1-winning sprinters Tower of London(JPN) by Raven's Pass(USA) and Mr Melody(USA) by Scat Daddy(USA) will bring an infusion of speed that has been proven on the Japanese turf. Three interesting imports are also among the new sires for 2024, including G1 winner Nadal(USA) by Blame(USA), G1 winner Four Wheel Drive(USA) by American Pharoah(USA), and G1 winning full brother to Frankel(GB), Noble Mission(GB) by Galileo(IRE) will be bringing an interesting twist to the ranks. Foreign sires have been performing amazingly well recently, often becoming leading freshman sires. Both Frankel(GB) and American Pharoah(USA) have had excellent success with their offspring on the track in Japan, so now comes the moment we see if they can influence the breed as impressively as they did on the turf.
The Japanese-breds, as always, will be the most formidable act to follow. Two G1 Satsuki Sho winners are going to be making their debuts this year: Epoca d'Oro (JPN) by Orfevre(JPN) and Saturnalia(JPN) by Lord Kanaloa(JPN). Saturnalia(JPN) is a half-brother to top sire Epiphaneia(JPN) and consistent sire Leontes(JPN). Admire Mars(JPN) by Daiwa Major(JPN) was a three-time G1 winning miler, while Fierement(JPN) by Deep Impact(JPN) was a 3000m specialist. Win Bright(JPN) emulated his sire Stay Gold(JPN), winning his only G1s overseas with two back-to-back G1 Hong Kong Cup wins over 2000m. All potential distances over the turf have been covered this year alone. Dirt also has two promising new sires in the precocious multiple G1 winner Le Vent Se Leve(JPN) by Symboli Kris S(USA) and multiple G1 winner Gold Dream(JPN) by dirt super sire Gold Allure(JPN). The 2024 Freshman Sire race should be an interesting one.
The 2027 Freshman sire race should be even hotter. At the end of 2023, there were a lot of big retirements in Japan and some interesting imports. The most significant retirement of 2023 was, of course, the 2023 World Best Racehorse Equinox(JPN) by Kitasan Black(JPN). While a rare move to retire at four in Japan, horses of his magnitude and achievement do sometimes retire that early, and there are a rare few at that, with the likes of Deep Impact(JPN) and his son Contrail(JPN) being the main two that come to mind in the last 25 years. He will meet up with some of the best mares Japan offers this spring. The other heavy hitter that hung up his saddle was multiple G1 winning stayer Titleholder(JPN) by the late great Duramente(JPN). Duramente(JPN) unexpectedly passed away in 2021 after a stellar debut in 2020 and many promising two-year-old runners the fall he died. Titleholder(JPN) is from his first crop, with each subsequent crop producing major talents like Stars on Earth(JPN) and Liberty Island(JPN). His final crop will debut this summer, so as his only son at stud, Titleholder should be in demand this spring.
Panthalassa(JPN) by Lord Kanaloa(JPN) had an exciting career hopping between dirt and turf and trying to go wire to wire each time. The talented speedster will interest all breeders with his wins in G1 Dubai Turf and the G1 Saudi Cup. Champion dirt horse T O Keynes(JPN) by Sinister Minister(USA) will be looking to take up the mantle of top dirt stallion from his elderly sire in the coming seasons. Exciting foreign-bred but Japan-trained horses are also joining the mix with multiple G1 winner Cafe Pharoah(USA) who is by far his sire American Pharoah(USA) 's best offspring to date, G1 winner Grenadier Guards(JPN) by Frankel(GB), G1 winning miler Schnell Meister(GER) by Kingman(GB) and multiple graded stakes winner Unicorn Lion(IRE) by No Nay Never(USA).
There were plenty of imports for this year's breeding season as well, including Europeans like G1 Irish Derby winner Westover(GB) by Frankel(GB), G1 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner Hukum(IRE) by Sea the Stars(IRE), G1 Epsom Derby winner Adayar(IRE) by Frankel(GB). From America, the repatriated dual G1 winner Yoshida(JPN) by Heart's Cry(JPN), G1 winner Mastery(USA) by Candy Ride(ARG), G1 Cigar Mile winner Sharp Azteca(USA) by Freud(USA), two-time G1 winner and multiple G1 winner producer Honor Code(USA) by A.P. Indy(USA), and then G1 Belmont Stakes winner Palace Malice(USA) by Curlin(USA) who just had Jantar Mantar(JPN) win a G1 and become champion two-year-old. At the same time, his dam Palace Rumor(USA) also produced G1 winner Justin Palace(JPN) by Deep Impact(JPN) here as well.
With so many exciting bloodlines to choose from now in Japan, diversity is genuinely the name of the game from now on in the Japanese bloodstock game.
Please contact our representative below for further details:
Satomi Oka (Ms)
Satomi Oka Bloodstock Pty Ltd
E-mail : satomi@bloodstock.jp
Tel : +61 414 414 450