The sixth race at Tokyo Racecourse Nov. 12 might not have been anything grander than a maiden race for 2-year-olds, but it took on international proportions when the winner was Foggy Night, a Japan-bred son of Gainesway’s leading North American sire Tapit ridden by Irish jockey Ryan Moore, who had two winners on the day.
Making his debut, the gray Foggy Night, trained by Noriyuki Hori for owner Kaneko Makoto Holdings, had little trouble dispatching his 14 rivals and prevailed by 2½ lengths over Sugino Empress (by Empire Maker, now also standing at Gainesway) at the end of the one-mile trip. The final time was 1:38.30.
Shadai Farm bred the winner out of Kentucky-bred Champagne d’Oro, who won the Acorn Stakes and Test Stakes (both Grade 1) in 2010 before being offered in foal to Tapit at the 2013 Fasig-Tipton November sale where Shadai purchased the bay daughter of Medaglia d’Oro for $2.7 million, co-third-highest price of the sale.
As a yearling, Foggy Night was offered at the 2015 Japan Racing Horse Association select sale, where he sold for ¥230 million ($1,872,200) to his current owner, tied for the second most expensive offering at the sale.
Gainesway’s new acquisition Empire Maker also had a debut winner in Japan Nov. 12. At Kyoto, Specter, a 2-year-old filly out of the Wild Rush mare Storm Twister, won a nine-furlong maiden race on the dirt.
