Champion Almond Eye Elected To Japanese Hall Of Fame

Dual Japanese Horse of the Year Almond Eye (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) has been elected to the Japanese Horse Racing Hall of Fame, the Japan Racing Association (JRA) announced.

The former Silk Racing Co., Ltd.'s colourbearer is the 35th member of the exclusive club after garnering 200 votes (96.6%) of the 207 available. Fellow Japanese Triple Crown Winner Contrail (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) gained 155 votes, one short of the minimum requirement for entry.

Trainer Sakae Kunieda said, “It is a great honor to have Almond Eye selected for the award. From her debut in 2017 until her retirement at the Japan Cup in 2020, she won the Triple Crown for fillies and nine Group 1 races and was also the representative Horse of the Year twice.

“Almond Eye is outstanding both physically and mentally and has always lived up to our high expectations and kept dreaming about what kind of performance she will show in the next race.

“I have nothing but gratitude for the owners who entrusted me with such a famous horse… and the fans who supported me together. Being involved with Almond Eye as a horse trainer has been a great asset for me and the stable staff, and I will continue to devote myself to it.”

Bred by Northern Racing, the bay electrified the racing world with seven straight victories after breaking her maiden at second asking as a juvenile. In her third start and 3-year-old bow, she won the G3 Shinzan Kinen, her last appearance below Group 1 level. After sweeping the Japanese Fillies' Triple Crown (Oka Sho, Yushun Himba, Shuka Sho) in the spring and autumn of 2018, Almond Eye claimed her first Japan Cup and earned her first Horse of the Year title. Sent to Meydan for the Dubai Turf at four, she won again and was third in the Yasuda Kinen back in her native land before taking the Tenno Sho (Autumn).  Uncharacteristically off the board in the G1 Arima Kinen at the end of her 4-year-old season, she won the Victoria Mile, ran second in the Yasuda Kinen, and won both the Tenno Sho (Autumn) and Japan Cup at five, good for her second Horse of the Year laurels. Almond Eye was retired with a mark of 15-11-2-1 and over $17.6 million in earnings.

The daughter of Fusaichi Pandora (Jpn) (Sunday Silence) has colts by Epiphaneia (Jpn) and Maurice (Jpn) born in 2022 and 2023, respectively.

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Kentucky Derby Winner Fusaichi Pegasus Dead At 26

The 2000 GI Kentucky Derby Champion, Fusaichi Pegasus (Mr. Prospector) has passed at the age of 26-years-old, Coolmore America said in a release on their website early Wednesday morning.

“It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Kentucky Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus who was euthanized at Ashford Stud yesterday due to the infirmities of old age,” the organization said.

Bred by Arthur Hancock and Bob and Janice McNair of Stonerside farm, 'Fu Peg' as he was affectionately known, was a $4 million yearling when purchased by Fusao Sekiguchi at the 1998 Keeneland July sale. Trained by Neil Drysdale, Fusaichi Pegasus won the GII San Felipe S. and the GII Wood Memorial before winning the 2000 Kentucky Derby as the favorite and finishing 2nd in the GI Preakness S.

A year on from his sire Mr. Prospector passing away, a heated bidding war involving most farms in Lexington for Fusaichi Pegasus ensued, and he retired to Ashford Stud at the end of 2000 for a then record breaking sum.

Twenty Years Later, Fond Memories Remain of Fusaichi Pegasus

Fusaichi Pegasus went on to sire six champions worldwide and Grade I winners which included Roman Ruler, Champ Pegasus, Haradasun (Aus) and Bandini. Southern hemisphere stints at Haras Don Alberto and Haras Philipson yielded champion older horse, Bronzo (Chi), and Fusaichi Pegasus was also broodmare sire of 2023 Chilean Triple Crown winner, Fortino (Chi) (Midshipman).

The stallion was pensioned from stud duties in 2020 and had been living out his retirement at Ashford.

“Fu Peg was a fantastic racehorse and a colorful character,” said Ashford Stud general manager Dermot Ryan, “I would like to thank Richard Barry and all of his team, past and present, for providing the highest level of care for him throughout his time at Ashford.”

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