Champion racemare Azeri topped the first session of the Keeneland November Sale when making US$2.25 million to the bid of Japan’s Katsumi Yoshida on Tuesday.

The 2002 USA Horse of the Year was one of the few highlights on a day when the average price dropped to $208,663 which was a 35% reduction compared to the same session in 2008.

Australian agents Vin Cox and James Bester also figured on the first-day leader-board with the Japanese contingent.  “We knew there would be strong overseas participation,” Keeneland director Geoffrey Russell said.  “The Australian and Japanese economies have rebounded faster than ours and the exchange rate is more favourable.”

Azeri (Jade Hunter) was US Horse of the Year in 2002 and has an Australian connection through her dam Zodiac Miss (Ahonoora) who was a stakes winner of the Newcastle 2yo Classic in 1992.  She was also runner-up to Clan O’Sullivan in that year’s Magic Millions 2yo Classic before being shipped Stateside.

Azeri has a 2yo named colt named Take Control (A.P. Indy) who is in training with Bob Baffert.  Her yearling is a filly by Giant’s Causeway and she foaled another filly earlier this year by Ghostzapper.  The 14 year-old mare is in foal to Distorted Humor.

“I think we will send her to Japan directly,” Yoshida said.  “She’s a beautiful mare, who had really good race results, and she’s a very nice individual.”

Vin Cox bought Chester House mare Tears I Cry for $735,000.  She is in foal to 2008 US Horse of the Year Curlin.  Tears I Cry was a Listed winner of the Irving Distaff Stakes at Lone Star in Texas and her dam Mount Helena (Danzig) is a winning half-sister to Darley’s sire-of-the-moment Street Cry.

Coolmore agent James Bester paid $675,000 for Irish bred mare Callwood Dancer.  A daughter of Danehill Dancer, she was named Canada’s Champion Turf Mare in 2008 after  winning the G2 Nassau Stakes and finishing second in the G1 E. P. Taylor Stakes at Woodbine.

Callwood Dancer is out of a half-sister to English G1 winner Maroof (Queen Elizabeth II Stakes).  He was a son of Danzig and shuttled to Cambridge Stud in the 1990s.  His Kiwi bred progeny won Group 1 events in New Zealand (Maroofity & Our Winged Foot), South Africa (Hoeberg & Toccata) and Hong Kong (Marcurous & Shout From Maroof).

His best Australian runner was Bob Scarborough’s 2000 VRC Victorian Derby winner Hit The Roof.

Katsumi Yoshida was the biggest spender during the first session of the 13 day sale.  In addition to Azeri, he purchased unraced 3yo filly Loves Only Me (Storm Cat) for $900,000 from Taylor Made Agency.  She is a half-sister to European champion Rumplestiltskin (Danehill) and is in foal to Danehill Dancer.

“It’s hard to really to get a handle on the opening day’s results,” Taylor Made’s Duncan Taylor said.  “Overall, I still have the feeling that it’s a good time to buy.”

The Keeneland November Sale runs through to November 22.