July 2008 Vol. 16 No. 3 2 〜 3 3 〜 4 4 〜 5 5 〜 6 6 〜 8 Reflections on Fuji JAIR President & Brian’s Time 2008 Hidaka and Research on heart Kiseki CEO Visits Korea’s Reaches 1,300 JRA Hokkaido Training rate of race horses Busan Gyeongnam Wins Sale Race Park 8 Japanese Principal Race Results Photo by Kiichi Yamamoto 1 Reflections on Fuji Kiseki Naohiro Goda Zenya Yoshida introduced Sunday Silence to Japan in the spring of 1991. Word has it that most Japanese breeders were skeptical about this horse’s future as a sire. Some said there was a problem with his overly stormy temperament being passed on. Some said they did not care for his cow hocks (a limb deformity in the gambrels called splay foot or knock knees). And some, imagining a muscular physique because he was said to be a dirt champion from America, voiced disappointment when at first sight, he appeared to be a fragile, gangly-legged horse. Fuji Kiseki, debuted in summer 1994 as one of the first year’s crop, utterly dispelled such talk and offered our first inkling that Sunday Silence Fuji Kiseki (by Sunday Silence) was not just any horse and may well be a super sire. Fuji Kiseki reigned Kiseki became the 15th ranked stallion winner and milers like Koiuta, who as champion two-year-old with three for two-year-olds and was ranked won the Victoria Mile (JRA’s top- flawless, consecutive victories in a fourth among new sires. Although he ranked race for mares only), there griffin race in Niigata, the Momiji produced Tosho Andre, who won the have also been horses that boasted Stakes, which he captured in a record Chunichi Shimbun Hai (GIII, as of stamina like Niigata Jump Stakes (J • time, followed by the Asahi Hai (GI, 1998) at the end of his fourth year and GIII) winner Demolition Man. Along as of 1998). The next spring, following Air Pierre, winner of the Saga Kinen, a with fast starters like Grace Tiara, a crushing win in the Yayoi Sho (trial regional top-ranked race, in the spring who won early with the Zen Nippon race for the Satsuki Sho, which is the of his seventh year, the truth that it was Nisai Yushun , a top-ranked regional Japanese 2000 Guineas), his body difficult to say whether his first crop race, as her father had also done, had grown by more than 30 kilograms in 1995, actually met expectations. there were late bloomers like Yumeno since his debut. Then, symptoms of He is felt that he may not have been Shirushi, who become champion of tendonitis were discovered in his mentally or physically prepared to be a the Summer 2000 Series by achieving left foreleg. The breeding industry sire. his first graded race crown in the was at that time in desperate need However, this was dispelled when summer of his fifth year. Finally, for new stallions. Since Fuji Kiseki his second year’s crop brought his while he has produced top horses at could no longer race and his bloodline first graded race crowns as a sire. champion distance races on turf, like was already widely known for its These included Daitaku Riva, who Dream Passport, who placed second excellence, it seemed only natural won five graded races, including the in the 2006 Japan Cup (GI), he has that he be rushed into stud service 2000 Shinzan Kinen (GIII, as of 2000) also produced dirt race champions even though the breeding season had and placed second in the Satsuki Sho like Kane Hekili, winner of two JRA already begun. Fuji Kiseki instantly (Japanese 2000 Guineas) and the GI dirt races and two top ranked NAR became a highly sought after stallion Mile Championship (GI). Top horses races pm dirt, including the 2005 because his physique replicated his regularly appeared in each subsequent Japan Cup Dirt (GI). father’s with the good breeding and generation. He has established a record One point that deserves special his mother’s line was also the superior. in terms of stallion rankings of not note is that Fuji Kiseki achieved all The historical European lineage from having one year out of the top 10 sires this while standing during the same the great Mill Reef and there was after breaking into that select group at essential time frame and at the same also the merit that he was easy to pair number six, for the first time when his location as his highly regarded father. because there was no trace of Northern third crop debuted in 2000. So in terms of pedigree, the superior Dancer in his lineage (The Northern The diversity of his progeny is one mares went to Sunday Silence as a Dancer line is very large in Japan and thing that sets Fuji Kiseki apart as a matter of course while he still living. pairing can sometimes be difficult) sire. While on the one hand there have The mares that came to Fuji Kiseki When Fuji Kiseki’s first progeny been sprinters like Fine Grain, the during that same period might be reached racing age in 1998, Fuji 2008 Takamatsunomiya Kinen (GI) considered to be from the B team, so 2 to speak. After the death of Sunday Oaks winner Hollow Silence, whose last crop is now Bullet, Bubble Gum five-years-olds, the quality of the Fellow, who produced broodmares brought to Fuji Kiseki 2005 Bloodstock have undoubtedly improved. We Breeders Stakes winner could then very easily say that the Rockabubble, Special predictions are Fuji Kiseki’s record Week, who fathered as a stallion will also improve as we 2005 American Oaks move into the future. victor Cesario, Dance in Sunday Silence’s influence now literally the Dark, who produced extends worldwide. His son, Divine Light, 2006 Melbourne Cup traveled to France and produced Natagora, winner Delta Blues, winner of One Thousand Guineas Stakes in and Genuine, who sired the U.K., this spring. Tale of Ekati, whose 2007 Australian Cup dam’s sire was Sunday Silence, won the winner Pompeii Ruler. Sunday Silence (by Halo) Wood Memorial (GI) at Aqueduct in the Sun Classique later USA. Finally, in the Middle East’s Dubai also won two GI events, the Majorca symbolizing the new age of borderless as well, Fuji Kiseki filly Sun Classique Stakes and Woolavington Stakes, and horse racing. won the Dubai Sheema Classic, a five was chosen that year’s champion three- I really felt that the road to a world million dollar World Cup turf event. year-old filly in South Africa. Turning class recognition for Japanese horses Fuji Kiseki has shuttled to Australia’s four this season, she was added to the had gotten so much longer when Arrowfield Stud for five consecutive stable owned by trainer de Kock at Sunday Silence died. However, if seasons between 1998 and 2002. He Dubai’s Nad al Sheba and had three Sunday’s successor stallions are able was paired with Elfenjer, a mare sired consecutive wins from the season’s first to continue their production of these by Last Tycoon and owned by Lionel race and secured the Dubai Sheema type of world champion-class runners, Cohen, in the fall of 2002, his last Classic (GI). Word has it that Mr. de there is probably now a great chance year. This coupling got the filly Sun Kock will move to a training center in of recognition than even when Sunday Classique, born on October 12, 2003. Newmarket in the U.K. from here on to Silence was alive. It is that the dreamer Sun Classique subsequently traveled take on the challenge of big European of all of the racing community in to South Africa, where breeder Cohen races and we anticipate good news will Japan that the next horse to stand at owns her jointly with Warne and be delivered from Europe. the top of the world will appear from Wendy Rippon, and debuted from Still, that a Japan-bred horse whose among the progeny of Japan-born Fuji Mike de Kock’s stable, winning the sire came from the U.S. traveled to Kiseki. Kenilworth’s Avontuur Estate Cape Australia as a sire, producing offspring Finally, we also hope for an era Fillies Guineas (GI) in the spring of her that included a filly that became a when the world’s major horse owners third year and becoming a classic horse. South African champion and used a will gather at our Hokkaido’s sales, This means that Fuji Kiseki is the sixth Dubai GI event as a stepping stone in seeking strong Japan-bred horses. of sires by Sunday Silence to produce pursuit of big European titles, is above GI winners outside Japan, following anything else, a truly global trend. Sun Tayasu Tsuyoshi, who sired 2004 VRC Classique can truly be described as JAIR President & CEO Visits Korea’s Busan Gyeongnam Race Park As a part of JAIR’s program of Bae and General Manager, continuing exchanges with the Korea Seung Pyung Kim. There, Racing Authority (KRA), President wide-ranging discussions & CEO Dr. Naoaki Koike D.V.M., from recollections of the past visited the Busan Gyeongnam Race visits to Japan, to mutual Park on April 5 and 6, 2008 as an briefings on the most recent invited guest of KRA in conjunction developments in Japanese with the KRA Cup Mile. Dr. Koike and Korean horse racing and arrived at Gimhae International Airport plans for future exchanges and traveled to Busan Gyeongnam between Busan and Japan Race Park to renew old acquaintences relating to the development with Executive Director, Eung Kee of horseracing.