2019 Hokkaido Selection Sale ReviewThe latest renewal of the Hokkaido Selection Sale had a significant rebound from a moresubdued 2018 sale bringing in ¥3,103,272,000(US$28,757,964) for 197 lots sold, seeing a32.15% increase in gross this year and a strong 83.5% clearance rate. With a more robust
catalog than last year as well, everything seemed to fall into place to get the Hokkaido
Selection Sale back in gear as Hidaka’s premier yearling sale. The increase in gross and lots
coincides to the graduates recent success on the track with 2017 graduate Shigeru PinkDia(JPN) (¥17,280,000(US$160,133)) having finished second in the 2019 G1 Oka Sho(Japanese 1000 Guineas), 2016 graduates Meisho Tekkon(JPN) (¥17,280,000(US$160,133))
and Arctos(JPN) (¥20,520,000(US$190,158)) winning the 2019 G2 Nikkei Sho and 2019 G3
Procyon Stakes and other quality graded stakes performances in late 2018 and early 2019that helped draw in more buyers this summer.
While the median, ¥13,500,000(US$125,104) continued to decline, the average,¥15,752,649(US$145,979) held steady only experiencing a -0.05% decrease from last year.
The highest-priced lot in the 2019 renewal was Hip 167 was a Pyro(USA) colt out of OceanFleet(JPN) who went to Tomoya Ozasa for ¥38,880,000(US$360,300). The highest-priced fillyof the sale was Hip 154, by Maurice(JPN) our of Moonlight Bay(JPN), purchased by Shigeru
Morinaka for ¥30,240,000(US$280,233). Mr. Morinaka also purchased classic contender
Shigeru Pink Dia(JPN) back in 2017. There was a tie for second highest-priced yearling of thesale, Hip 139 a colt by Lord Kanaloa(JPN) out of Real Venus(JPN) and Hip 145 a Heart’sCry(JPN) colt out of Lexlenos(IRE) both hammering down at ¥38,340,000(US$355,296). Toho
Bussan Co. Ltd took home the Lord Kanaloa(JPN), while Hokkaido Sale staple purchaser
Shigeru Morinaka went home with the Heart’s Cry(JPN). Both sires have had a stellar few
years on the track both domestically and internationally.
Maurice(JPN)’s first crop brought in the highest gross of any sire at the sale, accumulating¥256,500,000(US$2,376,980) for thirteen sold of seventeen lots offered. He averaged¥19,730,769(US$182,844). Lord Kanaloa(JPN) might have beaten him if it were not for thefact most of his stock has been traded privately since his rise to prominence as a sire, with
only nine lots in the sale. Eight of them sold to gross ¥204,120,000(US$1,891,576) andaveraged ¥25,515,000(US$236,447). Ultimately it was a good sale for young stallions withDuramente(JPN)’s first crop being the third highest-grossing sire of the sale bringing in¥193,536,000(US$1,793,494) and averaging ¥16,128,000(US$149,457) for 12 lots sold, whileLeontes(JPN) the 2015 Champion Two-year-old half-brother to G1 Japan Cup winner
Epiphaneia(JPN) and G1 Satsuki Sho winner Saturnalia(JPN), was the sixth highest-grossing
sire of the sale, after ten lots grossed ¥144,936,000(US$1,343,119) and averaged¥14,493,600(US$134,311). Harbinger(GB), Rulership(JPN), Henny Hughes(USA),
Dunkirk(USA), Daiwa Major(JPN), and South Vigorous(USA) round out the top ten grossing
sires of the sale.
2018 Keeneland January Sale graduate Laxfield Road(USA) was bought and send to Japan in
foal to Air Force Blue(USA), her 2018 colt Hip 124 was purchased by North Hills Co. Ltd. for¥32,940,000(US$305,254).

The next Hokkaido Sale will be the Summer Sale, held from August 19th through the 22nd at
the Shizunai Sales Complex in Hokkaido.
JP¥107.91= US$1