Title: "Equinox’s First Foals Shine at Japan Racing Horse Association Select Sale"

The first foals by Equinox, the world’s highest-rated horse in 2023, are the shining stars of a stellar Japan Racing Horse Association Select Sale catalog, which was announced May 26.

A total of 25 foals from the first crop of Japan’s dual Horse of the Year have been entered for the foal section of the auction, which takes place at the Northern Horse Park in Hokkaido July 14-15.

Such is the anticipation around the debut crop of the champion that they make up 10% of the catalog.

Two of the impeccably bred youngsters by the six-time group 1 winner included in the sale are out of North American champions: Lot 329 is a colt out of Caledonia Road, victorious in the 2017 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1), while Lot 344 is a son of multiple grade 1 winner and champion Midnight Bisou.

American-sourced grade 1 winners with fillies by the Japan Cup (G1) and Dubai Sheema Classic (G1T) hero cataloged in the sale include Bella Sofia (Lot 376), successful in the 2021 Test Stakes (G1), and 2015 American Oaks (G1T) winner Spanish Queen (Lot 386) while Lot 476 is a daughter of the South American grade 1 winner Conviction.

Equinox colts out of United States grade 1 winners Mucho Unusual (Lot 396), Grace Adler (Lot 418), and Going to Vegas (Lot 431) are also among the champion’s progeny in the sale, as is the son of Gran Premio del Plata (G1T) winner Global Beauty.

Reine Minoru, winner of the 2017 Oka Sho (G1), has an Equinox colt (Lot 324) who is also on offer at the JRHA Select Sale.

The black stallion was preceded as the world’s best racehorse by Flightline, and a colt from the second crop of the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) victor out of Chilean champion Vita De Mamma (Lot 320) is an eye-catching lot.

Kingman, sire of Irish Two Thousand Guineas (G1) victor Field Of Gold, is represented in the catalog by the first foal of Lezoo (Lot 307), the Cheveley Park Stakes (G1) winner who was acquired through Narvick International for approximately $3,128,664 at the Tattersalls December Mare Sale of 2023. From the first Tweenhills crop of brilliant Australian sire Zoustar, she was also successful in the Princess Margaret Stakes (G3) and the listed Hopeful Stakes.

Frankel, who stands alongside Kingman, continued an outstanding weekend for the Juddmonte team with a group 1-double May 25 that included Lake Victoria’s triumph in the Irish One Thousand Guineas (G1). He is the sire of a colt out of Saturne (Lot 342), a daughter of Kingman who won the Prix du Moulin (G1) and was sold to Narvick International and Grand Stud for $4.2 million at Fasig-Tipton’s November Sale in 2023. The Frankel colt is the first foal of the multiple group 1-placed mare.

The foal sale is preceded by the yearling auction, and a jaw-dropping catalog of 233 yearlings has been assembled for the session.

Offspring of group/grade 1 winners from around the globe are included with winners of top-level races in America, France, Ireland, Australia, Japan, Chile, and Argentina all dams of yearlings in the sale.

The sire profile is as power-packed with Bricks And Mortar, Candy Ride, Contrail, Efforia, Epiphaneia, Flightline, Kitasan Black, Lord Kanaloa, and Maurice all listed.