Scottish Lassie ‘s current win within the Teaching Membership American Oaks Invitational Stakes (G1) was notable for breeder Winchester Farm as she is the second grade 1 winner (Level Me By) for the husband-and-wife duo of Marie and Dr. Naoya Yoshida.
Using excessive from the victory at Saratoga Race Course, the Yoshidas are enthusiastic about what the longer term holds for the daughter of second-crop sire McKinzie , in addition to waiting for the Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
Marie Yoshida discusses her reminiscences of elevating Scottish Lassie, world commonalities, and delivering a private expertise by way of Winchester Farm.
BloodHorse: What’s new with you and Winchester?
Marie Yoshida: We really feel we’re very blessed, my husband Dr. Yoshida and I, as a result of it is like using a wave of fine information between Scottish Lassie, in fact, and we even have Locked who we raised, we foaled, and we suggested on the mating and all that. And we have now our personal little filly named Joke Maker with some associates, companions. We’re very excited. We’re in place, and we’re making ready for the (Keeneland) September yearling sale. Join BloodHorse Every day
BH: You talked about Scottish Lassie. She’s the second grade 1 winner that you’ve got bred. What do you keep in mind about her early days?
MY: I might say it is similar to kids. Additionally, you’re keen on those who’re born simply, sleep effectively, eat effectively, develop properly, good conformation—you’re keen on when every little thing is straightforward. … My husband at all times known as her the little princess, as a result of, frankly, she was very good, very straightforward on the attention. She was so stress-free. She introduced us pleasure.
BH: Did you’ve got a very good feeling about what she was going to develop into as a runner?
MY: Nicely, we have been hoping. … You by no means know if the sire (McKinzie) would give sufficient not solely bodily, however will to win, coronary heart to win. You want a robust temperament to beat all of the stress of the racetrack. … We stored the mare and he or she’s now in foal to Sensible Joke. We actually imagine there’s a vibrant future as a result of the bloodlines are sturdy.
BH: You have labored within the Thoroughbred trade throughout the globe. Do you discover that regardless of cultural and even political variations, there’s extra in frequent than not?
MY: I might say for me, particularly, and for my husband, with Japan, it is already very particular. However me with Europe, Hong Kong, Australia, my largest frustration earlier than was that many horses within the U.S. have been bred in typically not a really sound approach. They may use stallions that have been giving genetic defects, and you can disguise that on the observe due to remedy. And fortunately, now all people is obliged to be a lot cleaner within the U.S., which the remainder of the world has been doing. … I am a really sturdy advocate that horse racing and Thoroughbreds—all people ought to do not forget that we set up racing to pick out the very best, the quickest, but additionally the soundest. , they must be athletes. So I’ve seen a lot better now. I’m rather more optimistic than 20 years in the past.
Picture: Coglianese PhotosScottish Lassie wins the Teaching Membership American Oaks Invitational Stakes at Saratoga Race Course
BH: You’ve gotten a yearling half by Corniche developing within the Keeneland September Yearling sale.
MY: Hip 1442. He is in Ebook 3, Day 1. For me, Ebook 3 is essential to me and my husband. It is a vital e-book, as a result of you will discover treasures in Ebook 3. We’re excited. And why Corniche? We have to return to fundamentals once more, what the Hancocks have at all times preached, you want grade 1 winners at 2. Corniche was a vital racehorse, and we’d like that bloodline as a result of if you need a little bit of variety, you really want it. We imagine Corniche will make it as a stallion due to his athleticism, his talents. He was a really distinctive 2-year-old. … We already offered a really good Corniche filly final November. She was in Ebook 1 as a result of she deserved to be in Ebook 1.
BH: You noticed firsthand the impression on the breed that Sunday Silence had in Japan. Do you’re feeling like there could also be an up-and-coming sire in america that might have that very same sort of affect?
MY: What I like, and I’ve at all times cherished within the Lexington airport, the place you’ve got the map of this stallion, you recognize, the sires desk. This must be up to date commonly, and you’ll want to see which strains survive, which strains disappear, which this and that. So I want to be sure that we do not have all our eggs in a single basket. … We’d like variety. So I actually need that this yr, particularly, and these consumers of yearlings to maintain their minds open, as a result of, sure, we’d like the High quality Highway strains. Sure, we’d like the Curlin line. However we have seen Good Magic is now consultant. Sensible Joke is gorgeous for me. I can scent one thing actually large because the Into Mischief line. However I applaud, for example, the Justify line, as a result of you’ve got a unique sort of sire line there behind which enhances what we’d like.
I imagine in Jack Christopher. It is so attention-grabbing that typically resilient, sturdy, athletic horses can come from the turf and may adapt a few of their progeny to the filth. And we have to hold filth racing as primary within the U.S. … So this yr, we’re so fortunate as a result of we have now new younger sires in the marketplace. … Now’s the appropriate time to speculate, typically even for not that a lot cash.
BH: Twenty years in the past, you bought Indian Hill Farm. Trying again, how did that buy speed up Winchester’s progress?
MY: It was crucial. … Due to our pal, Invoice Justice, after we turned conscious that Indian Hill Farm may very well be in the marketplace, and we went (there) rapidly, and we realized location, location, location. We simply had our child boy, born in Lexington in August, after which we visited and signed. It was October 20. Lastly signed in December 2004.
The whole lot modified. We needed to adapt, discover (further) employees. My husband was so comfortable. We have been like, an eight-minute drive from Hagyard, we have been close to Keeneland. The soil was wonderful high quality. Once we are speaking about distinctive horses, you even have typically distinctive breeders. … You had the grave of Comely Nell there. We knew it was like strolling on sacred floor.
BH: In your web site, it touts Winchester Farm as offering a singular expertise to your shoppers. What’s concerned in placing collectively such a singular expertise?
MY: It was so essential that we constructed relationships with American shoppers. After all, we have now the Japanese additionally, and we have now the Europeans. We at all times welcome or be sure that our shoppers develop into our associates, (welcome them at) barbecues. We simply make it so folks do not have to fret about something, as a result of we deal with every horse like our horses. We do quite a lot of communication, and we’re sharing the ups and downs.
Picture: Coady PhotoNormandy Hero wins a 2023 allowance non-compulsory claiming race at Keeneland
We had a long-lost pal from Arizona who had left the enterprise in 2008 when there was the financial disaster and he needed to return again. His spouse needed to return again. Their associates needed to return again, and so they needed to go to the stallions. And for us, that’s extra essential than going to New York to observe races. We had them with us and made them really feel like co-partners of the second, of the emotion. They usually understand how arduous it’s to attain that, as a result of we already went by way of ups and downs. Then they mentioned, ‘We wish a horse with you.’ We now have a filly with them, Joke Maker. They selected the identify. Now we have her with Rodolphe Brisset and Joke Maker, she’s by Sensible Joke. She’s out of considered one of our favourite mares, Swan of the Nile. She’s a Mrs. Marylou Whitney bloodline. my husband, he is very strong-minded. When Mrs. Whitney handed away. He mentioned he needed a few of her bloodlines. So we bought one by Pioneerof the Nile. We love Pioneerof the Nile.
Now we have a colt with our associates from Texas. We name him Normandy Hero as a result of the sire is Omaha Seashore. To encourage them, we went to the Normandy seashores, to go to the seashores, to see what it’s to be a Normandy hero. You need to go to France, we offers you recommendation. You need to go to Japan, Hong Kong, Australia, wherever you need to go, our associates know they will ask us (for recommendation). If you do not have associates, what is the level?
My husband is the social butterfly of the household. He turned associates with the house owners of Scottish Lassie, a big group of associates, too. Over the winter, we have been in Florida, and my husband mentioned, ‘I want to see Scottish Lassie in coaching. Let’s go to Palmetto.’ So we get up early. We drove there, and we could not enter due to safety. Behind us on the automobile cease, my husband says, ‘Oh, that is Joe (D’Agostino),’ co-owner of Scottish Lassie. And all of us went in collectively. Sure, cash is essential; sure, promote. However at the top, we have now great associates. My husband is so comfortable. We’re delighted to dwell in America. We take pleasure in each minute. We all know we’re blessed, and we’re very grateful. On the finish of the day, it is the journey, it is the journey; it is the identical as a horse. … If all people may very well be horse breeders, the world can be at peace.
