Hokkaido Horse Racing Story.

Chapter 277 After That Day

Walking through the still bustling backyard of Belmont, I held the Breeders' Cup trophy in my hands, which looked rather heavy.

The sky above was incredibly clear, giving one a sense of autumn's arrival.

It was already a bit chilly even though the sun was still high in the sky.

"A cocktail really does have to be chilled!"

Beside him, Kimura let out a long, hearty sigh.

"You've had too much to drink, Mr. Kimura."

"Haha, not at all!"

The ranch representative, his face flushed, looked up and waved his hand.

"I've never been this clear-headed before—"

That's just the kind of talk a drunkard would give.

However, for the time being, I will still maintain a level of clarity that allows for communication.

"In the Keen Ran event in a few days, Kitano-kun will be showing off his skills again, won't he?"

"That's right, this year's target is Kamui Anna."

It's nothing to hide.

After all, in the market for breeding mares, breeders generally adhere to the tacit understanding of "only asking for a price they think is appropriate, not a price they can afford."

Moreover, Divine Might Anna is indeed very powerful—

Both as racehorses and breeding mares.

Over the past year, I have also seen a considerable number of mares with good reproductive characteristics.

There was no one among them who could consistently outclass Divine Might Anna.

If the price is still within my budget, I must buy that horse—

Purchasing a mare that is quite well-known worldwide should help boost the reputation of the ranch.

Although it's more like a child wanting to get their favorite toy, it's a somewhat willful consideration.

Kimura immediately showed a surprised expression, "Eh—".

He hesitated for a long time, wanting to say something but holding back.

"In Kitano's opinion, how can a ranch like ours sell its foals at a good price?"

What was ultimately said was something that seemed unrelated to the previous topic.

"Besides breeding fees, past performance as a reference, and the additional price of mares, sales channels and the reputation of the ranch are also very important."

To date, the number of foals successfully sold by breeders remains "zero".

However, after dealing with horse breeders for so long, I have learned a little bit from their experience.

Kimura nodded, giving him an "that's how it is" look.

“Building a brand as a production ranch from scratch among horse owners is actually not an easy task for guys like us.”

At this point, Kimura turned his head and added, "However, if it's Kitano-kun, that's a different story."

"So, if we could get breeding mares that have already produced foals from the large ranch, things might become much easier."

Before I knew it, I had arrived at the entrance of the International Stables.

Both of them slowed down at the same time.

"That's exactly right."

Kitano nodded, then continued, "However, no one would be foolish enough to put a truly good mare up for sale, would they?"

"Haha, you're right."

Kimura's surprise was not without reason.

Aside from reasons like "strong mare not being a famous mare," for a newly opened small ranch, spending a lot of money to buy a mare with unknown breeding potential is not a wise choice.

Of course, this is only true when the reproductive potential is unknown.

Now that we know about Divine Might Anna's potential in breeding mares, the situation is different.

However, Kimura's suggestion is also worth trying. For breeding farms, especially those that are also horse owners, mares whose foals can be sold at a good price are undoubtedly the most valuable asset.

Despite purchasing several promising mares, Mejiro Ranch currently only has one breeding mares, Dazzling Strike.

Before foal production began to take off on a large scale, the qualification review of central horse owners was a significant problem.

You can manage to pass the time once or twice by transferring money from one hand to the other, but it's not a long-term solution.

Let's include that goal in the Keenland November auction, which is two years in the future.

Alternatively, the JS Winter Breeding Marsh Auction in January next year could also be a possibility.

Thinking this, I stopped in front of the stable.

Arashiyama and Ogawa had already started helping Sakuya with post-match stretching.

The deer-haired horse yawned repeatedly, and its eyes squinted as if it were about to fall asleep.

However, upon seeing Kitano, she still let out a few "humming" sounds.

Can I have a mint?

It sounds like she's being coquettish, but it actually means something else entirely.

After hesitating for a moment, he still took out the mints from his pocket amidst the somewhat helpless look in Huang Shan's eyes.

There's only one!

Before he could finish speaking, the mint candy he had laid out in his palm was snatched away by lips that were unusually agile for a horse.

After that, the palpation was performed as gently as possible.

It seems there shouldn't be any major problems.

Of course, the specific results will have to wait until the New York Jockey Club's veterinarians complete the examination.

"It was a tough battle indeed!"

As he wiped the sweat mixed with rainwater from Sakuya's hair, Ogawa Katsu sighed.

"Yes."

Kitano nodded and gently stroked the head of the deer-haired horse.

"How about we end it here for this year?"

He turned his head and made a suggestion to the horse trainer beside him.

"After all, we've already worked hard enough this year."

------------

"Arashiyama said that Mejiro Sakuya's season has ended and she will return to MEJIRO Ranch for the rest of the year to rest and graze. The possibility of starting the new season in Dubai cannot be ruled out."

——TDN
“The Eclipse Award mare, Winnie, who finished fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, will be added to Keaneland’s November auction.”

——BloodHorse
"[Time report]

Mr. Kaiser, the Southern Cup winner who originally planned to leave for the Champions League, is now aiming for the Tokyo Grand Prix.
The coach said, "His physique and spirit have improved a lot over the past year, and he should be able to perform even better than last year in a race like this."

The Rider of Kurama Sakai Rusei has been decided”

——《n○tkeiba》

"[Time report]

Forward to the Autumn Blossom Viewing Nine Masterpieces of the Gekko Project, then straight ahead to Arima Memorial.

"I'm sorry to disappoint everyone who cares about Gekkei, but the next match is one we absolutely cannot lose. Both rider Takeyuki and Gekkei will give it their all."

The Wufeng rider said, "This is the competition I most wanted to win this year."

The rider of Wufeng on the saddle is appointed."

——《n○tkeiba》

"【Pay attention to horse movements】

Because of a cold, I avoided the Autumn Blossom Award's "Meguro Atalanta Hong Kong Bottle" (December 12th, G1, Sha Tin Racecourse, turf, 2400 meters). I was treated to a meal by a promised...
Currently, adjustments are being made at the Oi-Kobayashi branch ranch, and efforts will continue with the Hong Kong expedition as the target.

——《n○tkeiba》

(End of this chapter)