2020 Hokkaido Selection Sale ReviewDespite massive COVID-19 prevention protocols, the postponed 2020 Hokkaido Selection Saledrew a strong crowd, easily as big as normal years despite requiring everyone to pre-register forentry credentials. The looming pandemic induced global recession also seemed to have littleeffect on the sale, which set records on nearly all fronts despite being pushed back a little over amonth from its usual mid-July date. While the clearance rate was 82.5%, down from last year’srecord of 83.5%, it was the best year of the sale by every other measure since its inception. The
2020 renewal grossed ¥3,263,000,000(US$30,678,826), a 13.55% increase from 2019. The 2020
average was ¥17,733,695(US$166,732), and the median was ¥15,000,000(US$141,030), both arecord, up 21.58% and 20.00% increase from the 2019 figures. Overall 184 of the 223 lots thatwent through the ring sold, of which 137 were colts and 47 were fillies. After weeks of COVID19 spikes around the country, Hokkaido’s rural breeders uniformly issued a massive sigh ofrelief, being spared any massive consequences from the recession thus far.
The highest price lot was Hip 155, a Duramente(JPN) colt out of Kirschwasser(JPN) that sold to
Toshihiro Hirosaki Holdings for ¥72,000,000(US$676,946), the second most expensive yearling
ever sold in the history of the Selection Sale. The second highest priced lot was Hip 125 aKizuna(JPN) colt out of Smash Heart(JPN) that Chiyono Terada bought for¥60,000,000(US$564,121).
The sires of the top 10 lots sold say a lot about the current trends in Japanese racing andbreeding, and that is young sires. Duramente(JPN) topped the sale as only a first crop stallion,
but also Kizuna(JPN) a sophomore sire(three lots), Lord Kanaloa(JPN) who’s oldest crop are
five-year-olds(two lots), Maurice(JPN) also a freshman sire and Mastery(USA) who was being
represented in the sale by a colt from his first crop imported in utero. Kizuna(JPN) ’s best, otherthan the Hip 125 mentioned above, was Hip 191, a colt that Toshihiro Hirosaki Holdings went to¥46,000,000(US$432,483) for and Hip 97, another colt that Masahiro Miki spent¥40,000,000(US$376,081) on. Lord Kanaloa(JPN) ’s two were both colts, Hip 21 went for¥52,000,000(US$488,905) to Minoru Yoshioka, and Hip 160, who was out of multiple gradedstakes winner and G1 placed Kokorono Ai(JPN), was acquired by Shigeo Nomura for¥46,000,000(US$432,493). Maurice(JPN) ’s Hip 217 was a colt that was snapped up byNorthern Farm for ¥46,000,000(US$432,493). Hip 94 a colt by Mastery(USA) out the two timeG3 placed mare Courtesan(USA), sold for ¥41,000,000(US$385,483) to Bando Bokujo.
Also included in the top ten was what is likely the last Deep Impact(JPN) yearling filly to evergo through public auction, Hip 91 out of G2 Indiana Oaks winner Tiz Windy(USA) sold toTatsue Ishikawa for ¥58,000,000(US$545,317). Also, Hip 209, a Henny Hughes(USA) halfbrother to JPN1 Japan Dirt Derby winner Higashi Will Win(JPN) that was bought by Yoshizawa
Stables, the owner of 2019 Kentucky Derby contender Master Fencer(JPN), for¥49,000,000(US$460,699).
It was Kizuna(JPN) overall that rocked the sale selling nine lots for a gross of¥271,000,000(US$2,547,950) and an average of ¥30,111,111(US$283,105). HennyHughes(USA) wasn’t far off selling all of his eleven offerings for a gross of¥259,500,000(US$2,439,827) and averaging ¥23,590,909(US$221,802). Lord Kanaloa(JPN)sold eight for a gross of ¥220,500,000(US$2,073,147) and average of ¥27,562,500(US$259,143).
Epiphaneia(JPN), a sophomore sire with a lot of promise, had 13 lots sell grossing¥209,000,000(US$1,965,024) and averaging ¥16,076,923(US$151,155). The hot two freshmansires Maurice(JPN) and Duramente(JPN) grossed ¥207,000,000(US$1,946,220) from 12 soldand ¥202,500,000(US$1,903,911) from 10 sold. They averaged ¥17,250,000(US$162,185) and¥20,250,000(US$190,391) respectively. Finally, first crop sire Drefong(USA), who has beenquite popular with his progeny at the sales this year and last year grossed¥126,000,000(US$1,184,655) from six sold, averaging ¥21,000,000(US$197,442).
There were three foreign stallions represented, Hip 94 by Mastery(USA), that sold remarkably
well for an unproven foreign sire. Hip 129, a filly by Nathaniel(IRE) out of the full sister to twotime G1 Dubai World Cup winner and Japan-based stallion Thunder Snow(IRE)’s dam, sold for¥28,000,000(US$263,256) to Yuichi Masuda. Then there was Hip 70, a filly by Postponed(IRE)sold for ¥8,500,000(US$79,917) to Yasuo Tejima. The filly’s dam Salasie(FR) is out of a halfsister to Kind(IRE), the dam of Frankel(GB).
The week continues with the 2020 Hokkaido Summer Sale through Friday the August 28th. If
the Selection Sale's momentum can be maintained, it could be a banner year for Hidaka regionbreeders.
JP¥106.36 = US$ 1.00Values all pre-consumption tax.

Sale Topper Hip 155 (Duramente(JPN) x Kirschwasser(JPN)) sold for ¥72,000,000