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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Kitasan Black’s Equinox Named 2022 Japanese Horse Of The Year

Dual Group 1 winner Equinox (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) followed in his sire's footsteps and claimed the 2022 Japanese Horse of the Year crown with 282/288 votes, according to published reports. The son of G3 Mermaid S. heroine Chateau Blanche (Jpn) (King Halo {Jpn}) raced for trainer Tetsuyama Kimura in the colours of Silk Racing Company, Ltd.

Also named the Japanese Champion 3-Year-Old Male with 285/288 votes, the Northern Farm-bred was second in both the G1 Japanese 2000 Guineas and G1 Japanese Derby, but added his name to the roll of honour of the G1 Tenno Sho (Autumn) and G1 Arima Kinen in the second half of the year. Kitasan Black, who stands at Shadai Stallion Station, was a two-time Japanese Horse of the Year in 2016/2017.

The severity of the blow to the Japanese breeding industry with the premature loss of King Kamehameha (Jpn)'s son Duramente (Jpn) continues to deepen, as no less than three of his progeny were named year end champions for 2022. A champion 3-year-old in his native land in 2015 and the Japanese Champion First-Season Sire in 2020, the dual Classic winner was fifth on the year-end sire tables in Japan.

Leading the charge for their Kingmambo sire line was Japanese Champion Older Male Titleholder (Jpn), who rattled off a trio of wins starting with the G2 Nikkei Sho in March, and then made Hanshin his playground with a brace of Group 1 wins in May and June, with the Tenno Sho (Spring) going his way followed by the Takarazuka Kinen, the former over two miles, the other over 11 furlongs. Nabbing 280 of the 288-vote total, the Okada Stud-bred Toru Kurita trainee carried the Hiroshi Yamada silks in 2022.

A Classic winner, just like Titleholder, Shadai Race Horse Company's Stars On Earth (Jpn) was named the Japanese Champion 3-Year-Old Filly (286/288 votes) for a five-race campaign last year. Second in a pair of Group 3s in January and February, she clawed out a nose victory in the G1 Japanese 1000 Guineas and added the G1 Japanese Oaks in quick succession in the spring for trainer Mizuki Takayanagi. Bred by Shadai Farm, the February foal was an unlucky third when trying for the Japanese Triple Tiara in October. Her German female family stood her in good stead in 2022, as her second dam is champion Stacelita (Fr) (Monsun {Ger}), the winner of five top-level races overall. Stacelita, in turn, is the dam of 2016 Japanese Champion 2-Year-Old Filly Soul Stirring (Jpn) (Frankel {GB}), who would go on to take the G1 Japanese Oaks.

Duramente's 2-year-old daughter Liberty Island (Jpn) was awarded the Japanese Champion 2-Year-Old Filly title. The G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies victress was also second in the G3 Artemis S. after winning her debut. Bred by Northern Racing and raced by Sunday Racing Company, the Mitsumasa Nakauchida charge is the only horse of 2022 to be a unanimous champion with 288 votes. Liberty Island's dam, the All American (Aus) mare Yankee Rose (Aus), thrived at both two and three and was named champion Down Under both years, as well as taking second in the G1 Golden Slipper to boot.

The title of Japanese Champion 2-Year-Old Male went to the three-for-three Dolce More (Jpn), who is by another son of King Kamehameha in Rulership (Jpn). Trained by Naosuke Sugai for Three H Racing Company, Ltd., the son of the Classic-winning Ayusan (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) took both the Oct. 8 G3 Saudi Arabia and the G1 Asahi Hai Futurity S. in December. Bred by Shimokobe Farm, he accrued 279 of the 288 votes.

Third in Equinox's G1 Arima Kinen, G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup winner Geraldina (Jpn) (Maurice {Jpn})'s 2022 track record was deemed enough to defeat the white wondermare Sodashi (Jpn) (Kurofune) in the year-end category for top distaffer, with 239 votes to Sodashi's 32. Placed in another two group races during a busy campaign, the then-4-year-old is another Sunday Racing colourbearer after Liberty Island. Bred by Northern Racing, the mare is out of two-time Japanese Horse of the Year and superstar Gentildonna (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and is trained by Takashi Saito.

Crack miler Serifos (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}–Sea Front {Fr}, by Le Havre {Ire}) made headlines as the victor of Hanshin's G1 Mile Championship in November after an earlier tally in the G2 Fuji S., and those two wins, on the back of a pair of fourths in the G1 NHK Mile Cup in May and the G1 Yasuda Kinen a month later, were enough to see him wear the champion sprinter laurels for G1 Racing Company and trainer Mitsumasa Nakauchida (156/288). Bred by Oiwake Farm, the 4-year-old is the second foal of the Listed Prix Maurice Zilber heroine Sea Front, who also ran third in a French Group 3 and was sold for €135,000 to Haruya Yoshida at the 2016 Arqana December Breeding Stock Sale. The late Le Havre's daughters have also thrown additional Japanese Group 2 winner Des Ailes (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in the Land of the Rising Sun.

Excelling on dirt, just like his American Triple Crown-winning sire American Pharoah, Café Pharoah claimed all bar four votes to be named the Japanese Champion Dirt Horse. Seen in action three times last term for trainer Toru Kurita, the Koichi Nishikawa-owned bay won his second consecutive G1 February S., as well as the Listed Mile Championship Nambu Hai in October. The 6-year-old is a product of the breeding programme of the late Paul Pompa, and was selected as a juvenile out of the OBS March Sale for $475,000 in 2019. His dam, Mary's Follies (More Than Ready), made $500,000 when bought by BBA Ireland in foal to Curlin at the 2021 Keeneland January Sale; while his Animal Kingdom half-sister Regal Glory–picked up by Peter Brant's White Birch Farm for $925,000 at the same sale–has continued to embellish her race record and is now a three-time Grade I winner on grass.

Iconic Japanese jumper Oju Chosan (Jpn) (Stay Gold {Jpn}–Shadow Silhouette {Jpn}, by Symboli Kris S.) was named champion steeplechaser for the fifth time (2016-2018, 21/22), but managed that feat by only a single vote at 138, as Nishino Daisy (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}) earned 137. Aged 11 when racing to his title, the Naoyoshi Nagayama-bred represented Chosan Company and trainer Shoichiro Wada.

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Efforia Named Japanese Horse of the Year

Efforia (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}) became the first 3-year-old since Orfevre (Jpn) (Stay Gold {Jpn}) in 2011 to be named Japanese Horse of the Year as year-end honors were revealed Tuesday. The Carrot Farm colorbearer received 277 of the 296 possible votes, easily outdistancing the globetrotting Loves Only You (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), who received 18 first-place votes for the top prize. Efforia was also unanimously named champion 3-year-old male.

A son of the Heart's Cry (Jpn) mare Katie's Heart (Jpn) and from the same family as fellow Horse of the Year Admire Moon (Jpn) (End Sweep) and multiple champion Hishi Amazon (Theatrical {Ire}), Efforia won the G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) to run his record to a perfect four-from-four in April, then was just caught on the wire by Shahryar (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in the G1 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) the following month. Rested thereafter, Efforia outbattled last year's champion 3-year-old and Triple Crown hero Contrail (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) to take out the G1 Tenno Sho (Autumn) and closed his season with a sound success in the G1 Arima Kinen late last month. Efforia trains on in 2022

For third straight season, Contrail has taken home championship honors, this time as older male. Sparingly campaigned, the son of Rhodochrosite (Unbridled's Song) was third in a boggy-turf renewal of the G1 Osaka Hai on his 4-year-old debut in April and runner-up in the Tenno Sho before dominating the G1 Longines Japan Cup in his career swansong in November (video).

The exploits of Loves Only You at home and abroad were rewarded with champion older female honors. The 2019 G1 Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) heroine made just two of her six seasonal appearances in Japan, winning the G2 Kyoto Kinen in February ahead of a third to Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}) in the G1 Longines Dubai Sheema Classic and a victory in the G1 FWD QE II Cup in Hong Kong in April. Runner-up to Sodashi (Jpn) (Kurofune) in the G2 Sapporo Kinen, Loves Only You became the first Japanese winner at the Breeders' Cup meeting, scoring the GI Filly & Mare Turf in dramatic fashion (video) before concluding her career victoriously in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Cup in December.

Though not as brilliant as in her championship 2-year-old season in 2020, Sodashi was named best of her generation in 2021, winning the G1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) and the aforementioned Sapporo Kinen over Loves Only You.

Gran Alegria (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) successfully defended her title as Japan's champion sprinter/miler, her third championship overall after being named best 3-year-old filly of 2019. Facile winner of the G1 Victoria Mile against fellow females in May, the daughter of the late Tapitsfly (Tapit) fell just short in defense of her crown in the G1 Yasuda Kinen before getting a breather. A gallant third to Efforia in the Tenno Sho, she backed up to arguably her best trip and defeated top 3-year-old miler Schnell Meister (Ger) (Kingman {GB}) to win the G1 Mile Championship for the second year in a row in November (video).

With victories in the G1 Asahi Hai Futurity and G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies, respectively, Do Deuce (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) and Circle of Life (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}) took home top honors in the 2-year-old male and filly divisions. T O Keynes (Jpn) (Sinister Minister) was named champion dirt horse on the strength of a powerhouse score in the G1 Champions Cup, while legendary 10-year-old Oju Chosan (Jpn) (Stay Gold {Jpn}) was tabbed champion steeplechaser for the fourth time in his career.

 

WATCH: Efforia stamps his authority on the G1 Tenno Sho (Autumn)

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Japanese Champion Almond Eye In Foal to Epiphaneia

Dual Japanese Horse of the Year Almond Eye (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}-Fusaichi Pandora {Jpn}, by Sunday Silence) was scanned in foal to Epiphaneia (Jpn) (Symboli Kris S) on her sixth birthday, Nikkan Sports reported on Wednesday. A winner of the G1 Japanese St. Leger and G1 Japan Cup, Shadai Stallion Station's Epiphaneia is the sire of 2020 Japan Fillies' Triple Crown heroine Daring Tact (Jpn) and more recently, Efforia (Jpn) in the G3 Kyodo News Hai among his four black-type winners.

Bred by Northern Racing and raced by Silk Racing Co. Ltd., Almond Eye now resides at Northern Farm on Hokkaido after retiring at the end of 2020. The Sakae Kunieda trainee captured the Japanese Fillies' Triple Crown in 2018, as well as that year's G1 Japan Cup and earned the first of her Horse of the Year titles. She was also named the Japanese Champion 3-Year-Old Filly.

At four, Almond Eye traveled to Dubai for a victory in the G1 Dubai Turf and also captured the G1 Tenno Sho (Autumn) on her home soil. Kept in training in 2020, she padded her resume with Group 1 wins in the Victoria Mile, another Tenno Sho (Autumn) and a second Japan Cup en route to Horse of the Year and Champion Older Mare honours. In the 2020 Japan Cup, she defeated Japanese Triple Crown hero Contrail (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and Daring Tact.

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