The first session of the 2026 Keeneland September Yearling Sale is underway and one of the early highlights and the first horse this year to sell for seven figures was Lot 12, the half-brother by Justify to Golden Slipper winner Shinzo.
Offered in the draft of Four Star Sales as agent, the athletic bay from dual Group I winner Samaready was purchased by Japanese trainer Haruki Sugiyama for US$1.1million.
He is the fourth living foal of Samaready, who was an elite sprinting filly, winning both the Group I MRC Blue Diamond Stakes and MVRC AJ Moir Stakes.
She was bought by Tom Magnier for $1.8million at the 2018 Inglis Chariman’s Sale when in foal to champion sire Snitzel and duly produced Shinzo, who was retained by Coolmore and became the Champion 2YO Colt of his generation.
By champion sire More Than Ready (USA), Samaready has only had two foals to race and the other is Shinzo’s older full sister Exhilarates, a multiple Group and stakes-winner that also won the Magic Millions 2YO Classic.
A difficult breeder, Samaready was sent to Kentucky in 2022 and has an unraced two year old colt bred to NH time also by Justify called Museum of Art.
Shinzo retired to stud at Coolmore in 2024 and has been hugely popular covering 366 mares in his first two seasons at stud with his first yearlings to be offered in 2027.
He stands this spring at a fee of $49,500.
