Christmas Day racing in Japan presented Gainesway’s repatriated stallion Empire Maker with a new stakes winner as 3-year-old colt Namura Arashi took the Ako Tokubetsu for 3-year-olds and older over 10 furlongs of Hanshin’s dirt course.
Three-year-old filly Triple Chelsea won the Dec. 17 Lightning City Stakes and became the newest stakes winner for Gainesway stallion Hat Trick.
Gainesway’s freshman sire Tapizar added winner number 15 to his spreadsheet when Reddam Racing’s Blabimir took the fifth race over seven juvenile rivals Dec. 9 at Los Alamitos in California.
Anchor Down, a multiple graded stakes-winning miler at Belmont Park by Tapit who defeated Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) victor Tamarkuz when taking the Kelso Handicap (G2) in a near track-record 1:32.90, has been retired and will enter stud at Gainesway.
Gainesway’s flagship stallion Tapit is on his way to a third consecutive North American leading sire title and has once again set a single-season earnings record. Propelled by the worldwide success of his progeny during Thanksgiving holiday racing, Tapit bankrolled his 2016 earnings to more than $19.2 million.
Foggy Night, the first foal out of Grade 1 winner Champagne d’Oro who had sold for $1.87 million as a yearling, was victorious on his racetrack debut Nov. 12 at Tokyo Racecourse.
Gainesway freshman sire To Honor and Serve was represented by his ninth winner Nov. 6 at Tokyo Racecourse when 2-year-old colt Old Bailey won a 6½-furlong maiden race over dirt in his debut.
Gainesway announced its 2017 stud fees Nov. 10, with leading sire Tapit again headlining the roster and standing for an industry-leading fee of $300,000.
In-foal mares topped buyers’ shopping lists and, as expected, the sales sheets. Through the first two days of Book 1, the current sale-topper is Unrivaled Belle, who sold in foal to Gainesway’s leading sire Tapit.
When the dollars stopped flying at the Nov. 7 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky November breeding stock sale, which saw gross, average, and median climb well beyond last year’s figures, a mare in foal to leading sire Tapit topped the auction.