‘Generation Next’ wrestled a share of the limelight from their high profile stablemates when two high class colts saluted in Australia and the United States within 48 hours of each other. The career launches of Silence and Yoshida could easily have been forgotten among the recent G1 successes of Russian Revolution (1st G1 Galaxy) and Invader (1st G1 ATC Sires Produce Stakes) and the top tier performances over the weekend of Abel Tasman (2nd G1 Santa Anita Oaks), First Seal (G1 Coolmore Legacy Stakes) but such was the manner of their displays that they screamed to be taken notice of.
At a time when elite colts are proving to be highly valuable commodities, the emergence of Silence and Yoshida is a mouth watering proposition and strengthens a highly commercial portfolio of international colts and emerging stallion prospects that the China Horse Club has around the world.
Silence
Silence was first to stand tall, giving every indication that he is deserving of his chance on a bigger stage. The debutant sat three wide outside the leader in the 900m contest, a task that is always unenviable. Yet when he was asked for a winning effort he knuckle down to the task immediately to claim his rivals and score with his ears pricked.
Yoshida
Yoshida, who was only fronting the starter for the second time, was even more emphatic in his 2017 return on the undercard of the feature Keeneland Blue Grass Stakes race day in Kentucky, USA. Showing speed from the jump, the Japanese bred Yoshida set solid sectionals in the USD70,000 contest to carry the field along before stamping his authority in the home straight when opening up a four-length winning margin over his nearest rival. Stakes company beckons the strikingly marked colt.
“Silence was very good on debut and Yoshida was emphatic in his 2017 return. It is great to see these quality colts delivering in races on the potential they are showing our trainers,” said Michael Wallace, Head of Racing and Bloodstock, China Horse Club.
Silence
“There is a very clear commercial focus with our program, especially with racing these kind of colts, so it is important to see colts like Silence and Yoshida stand up and be counted for. We have seen with Russian Revolution and Invader in Australia in recent weeks and with other stallion prospects in Europe, USA and Australia, that when you get it right the upside can be immense.
“Importantly, we race both colts in partnerships. In the case of Silence, it is a partnership that includes Newgate Farm, Horse Ventures, Aquis and WinStar Farm. With Yoshida, it is WinStar Farm and SF Bloodstock.”
Elliott Walden, President of WinStar Farm, was on hand to see Yoshida’s win at Keeneland and explained post-race that the partnership immediately fell in love with the colt when they saw him in Japan.
“I’d never been to Japan, so I wanted to go, and we also were looking for any Empire Makers we could buy and bring back to run on the dirt. We landed on two of them and this colt,” Walden told the TDN.
“The neat thing is when we bought him off Mr. Yoshida, I asked if we could name the horse after him and he was honored.
“[Yoshida] worked extremely well last fall. Jose Ortiz worked him before he ran and loved him. He ran green in his first start and bucked a shin, so we had to bring him home and cool out his shin. We always felt like he was a really good horse. We’ll see how he cools out, look at what our options are, but I think the big 3-year-old races on the grass will be in his future.”
Yoshida is part of a talented group of three-year-olds racing for the China Horse Club in the United States that includes feature race winners Abel Tasman, Yellow Agate, Good Samaritan, One Liner and Theory as well as a series of highly promising lightly raced performers.
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