Japanese TBs?

[Linda_d]

It has long been common for American horsemen to import racing and breeding stock from South America and from Australia (as well as Europe, obviously) but that imports from Japan are very rare. Is it just my incorrect impression or fact that not many Japanese horses are imported into the US? Is it that Japanese racing is lower quality so that their best can't often compete against the horses from elsewhere or are there restrictions on exports?

I was thinking about this because there seem to be so few sons/grandsons of Sunday Silence in the US.

[parlo]

In my - European - view, the Japanese racing system is much more similar to European racing with many important races beyond 10 f.

Mr. "you-know-who" would say: "... they are too slow for the US".

Let's see, what others - Americans - thinks about that matter.

[Jorge]

Years and decades ago, when stallions like Kentucky Derby-Preakness winner Kauai King and several other top-notch stakes winners but less heralded stallions ended up being imported into Japan, the visualization was that it was a no way back ticket because regardless of their racing merits these were perceived as stud failures. They even paid great sum of money for some of these stallion hoping for a turnaround which may reverse the exodus. It didn't happened until Sunday Silence was acquired($) plus the fact that exponential sum of money was bulldozed into their racing. Now they are on equal terms with US and Europe but it is not profitable for them to come over here because their race$ are worth more money. Add to this the distance from Europe and the Eastern USA and theres is no incentive. Last but not necesarily least, now there is some sort of, let's call it "uneasiness" in accepting that these lines are very talented too, but since other areas (USA/Europe) are already full of Thoroughbreds there is "no need" to import these horse. Thats the reason why the already proven progeny of Sunday Silence is very rarely seen over here. Perhaps the same phenomenom occurrs with the already proven progeny of France's Kendor. Unless some sort of Japanese or European racing Secretariat or breeding El Prado appears I don't see any turnaround in the near future.

[ElPrado]

Also, it's turned around. Instead of them being failures, they are taking over the spot American horses had in the prestige rankings. They are beating American horses in Dubai. They are beating Australian horses in Australia. They are traveling to France for l'Arc d'Triomphe. They go to England for the top races there. American owned horses would be beaten everywhere.
If America continues to sell every top American mare to Japan, America can expect to lose what quality it has. If you want the answer to your question, look at the mares Shadai Farms owns now, bloodlines now lost to American breeding. Look at the other top Japanese farms and the mares they own. America has dug its own grave by allowing those mares out of the country.
Add up the number of mares of classic bloodlines now owned by Japanese farms that no longer have offspring running in American classics and you will see why we have to watch the sprinters trying to run 10 furlongs now.

[griff]

ElPrado

" ----- by allowing thosd mares out of the country"

Who is the authority that "allowed" those mares out of the country??

Or, who do you propose be given the authority to alow or not allow the export of livestock??

griff

[louis finochio]

We have sold to many quality stallions & mares, when the well runs dry, you cant replace those quality tb. When a breeder's cash flow is crunched, he is forced to sell to continue his breeding program.

[Dave C]

I tend to agree with Jorge on this, there is simply no financial incentive to bring horses from Japan to the US.

As for the export issue. The US is the largest farm commodity exporter in the world, it is the one area of the US economy that actually runs a trade surplus. The US can't afford export restrictions.

Secondly, the US is still by far the largest breeder of TB's in the world and consequently retains the deepest genetic pool. Even the Europeans will stand a stallion in Kentucky rather than Europe if they think he can get enough mares.

As long as American breeders don't start believing that an American bred TB is inherently superior to a TB born elsewhere (regardless of the outcome on the racetrack), the US will continue to be the center of the TB breeding industry on a global basis.