March 2005 Vol.13 NO.1 2 3 5 6 7 8 Interview with 2004 JRA Award Elegy for a Looking Back on Breeding JRA 2005 Main Kinya Okamoto, Winners/NAR Magnificent the Racing World Business JAIR President Grand Prix 2004 Stallion, in 2004 Program and COO Northern Taste JRA Best Trainer Kazuo FUJISAWA 2004 JRA Award 2004 JRA Award and NAR Horse of the Year Best Older Colt Or Horse Grand Prix Winners Zenno Rob Roy by Sunday Silence (USA) NAR BEST Trainer Masayuki KAWASHIMA ©NARAR 2004 NAR Grand Prix Horse of the Year Best Thoroughbred Turf Horse Cosmo Bulk by Zagreb (UK) © NAR Interview with Kinya Okamoto, JAIR President and COO by Barbara Bayer Racing Journalist world, Okamoto’s new post may at long Now, more than ever, Okamoto points last bring him closer to working with his to the growing need for communication interest in media communications. and for a serious exchange of informa- The JAIR, unique worldwide in its tion and opinions at the international function as a separate entity for interna- level. In addition to the JAIR’s annual tional information exchange, is also invitation for tens of representatives unique within Japan as the only organi- from other Asian and Southern zation that deals with the industry as a Hemisphere countries to observe the whole. Unlike the JRA, the JAIR con- Japanese racing world and system at cerns itself with the 17 local govern- work, participating in international con- ments organizing racing, in addition to ferences (especially the Asian Racing the national, government-level JRA. The Federation Conference) are key events JAIR also looks at the breeding industry for the organization. “No longer will as a whole, not just with an eye to those these be just opportunities for socializ- horses making their way into JRA races. ing; they will be increasingly concerned Over the years and through his many with serious issues,” Okamoto says. travels abroad, Okamoto has naturally Such issues, to name just a few, are made a great number of close contacts the battle to offset losses to cross-border with top racing officials and industry wagering, or “3U gambling” – unlimit- leaders. “I’m looking forward to being ed, unregulated and uncontrolled – and Kinya Okamoto, new JAIR president and COO in a position to communicate with them new issues emerging around racing- even more,” he says, reflecting on the related intellectual property rights. Last October, the Japan Association JAIR’s main tasks of acting as a window These, Okamoto says, will continue to for International Horse Racing saw a onto the world for Japan’s racing and, be key issues and, together with others, changing of the guard. Kinya Okamoto, vice versa, translating and conveying ones that the JAIR will be “keeping a former vice president of the Japan racing industry news and information close eye on” in cooperation with over- Racing Association, became JAIR’s from around the world to Japanese seas organizations during the coming president and COO, bringing with him horsemen. years. over 40 years of experience in the Japanese racing industry. Looking back, Okamoto understands that he has seen some extraordinary years and considers himself fortunate to have witnessed the emergence of four of Japan’s five Triple Crown winners and to have participated in two revisions of the Japan Racing Law. Not only did he see the organization through its best years, he saw it through some of its worst – the recent ones of falling revenues. “It was a very tough time. There was no simple way to get out of the situation. We under- took all kinds of measures to cut exces- sive costs and raise profits. Though there are still a lot of very worried-looking people in the horse racing industry, I don’t think we are in any dire trouble,” he says with his ready laugh. Given JAIR’s main role of acting as a clearinghouse for racing-related infor- mation between Japan and the rest of the 2004 JRA Award Winners Zenno Rob Roy (by Sunday Silence) – the second horse in history with consecutive Best Older Filly Or Mare wins in the Tenno Sho (Autumn) (GI), Japan Cup (International GI) and Arima Kinen (GI) – won the 2004 Horse of the Year award. NHK Mile Cup (GI) and Japanese Derby (GI) winner King Kamehameha (by Kingmambo) was chosen Best Three-Year- Old Colt and Durandal (by Sunday Silence) won the Best Sprinter or Miler award for the second year running. Although affiliated with the NAR, Hokkaido’s Cosmo Bulk (by Zagreb) brought excite- ment to JRA classics and other races through the year, resulting in a decision to honor him with a Special Award. In trainer categories, Kazuo Fujisawa took the honors for races won, winning aver- age and money earned. Ritto’s Yutaka Take won all three jockey categories – races won, winning average and money earned – to capture the Grand Prize Jockey title. Admire Groove by Sunday Silence (4-year-old filly, bay) Best Steeplechase Horse Best Horse By Home-Bred Sire Blandices by Sakura Bakushin O (7-year-old gelding, bay) Delta Blues by Dance in the Dark (3-year-old colt, bay) Best Two-Year-Old Colt Best Three-Year-Old Colt Best Sprinter Or Miler Meiner Recolte by Chief Bearhart King Kamehameha by Kingmambo Durandal by Sunday Silence (2-year-old colt, bay) (3-year-old colt, bay) (5-year-old horse, chestnut) Best Two-Year-Old Filly Best Three-Year-Old Filly Best Dirt Horse Shonan Peintre by Sunday Silence Dance in the Mood by Sunday Silence Admire Don by Timber Country (2-year-old filly, bay) (3-year-old filly, dark bay or brown) (5-year-old horse, bay) Best Trainers JRA Equine Cultural Award Best Trainer - Races Won - Winning Average - Money Earned Best Trainer - Training Kazuo FUJISAWA Technique Hidetaka OTONASHI "What Lovely Horses from 100 Films" Tomoe TSUMUJIMARU Best Jockeys Best Jockey - Races Won - Winning Average - Money Earned Grand Prize Jockey (all three jockey titles) Yutaka TAKE Best Steeplechase Best Jockey - Newcomer Jockey - Races Won Yusuke FUJIOKA Shigefumi KUMAZAWA Best Thoroughbred Older Horse NAR Grand Prix 2004 BEST Trainer BEST Jockey © NAR Masayuki Hiroyuki UCHIDA Nike a Delight by Diablo (4-y-o colt) KAWASHIMA Best Thoroughbred 2-Year-Old Best Thoroughbred Filly or Mare Best Banei (Draft) Horse Sea Chariot (USA) by Seeking the Gold Belmont Beach by Adjudicating (6-y-o mare) Super Pegasus by Hikaru Tenryuu (8-y-o horse) (2-y-o colt) Best Thoroughbred 3-Year-Old Best Anglo-Arab Horse Special Award Adjudi Mitsuo by Adjudicating (3-y-o colt) Suigun by Hoei Hiro Boy (4-y-o colt) Nihonkai Laurel by Imrad (18-y-o mare) Elegy for a Magnificent Stallion, Northern Taste - Interview with Teruya Yoshida - by Toshinori Ishii, Racing Journalist position, we had just sold around half a He finished third in his debut, if I remem- pasture lot in Narita and were comparative- ber correctly. However, he followed imme- ly flush with cash. We split that money diately with wins in the Eclipse Awards between expansion of the Hokkaido farm and Prix Thomas Bryon. Thinking back and the purchase of horses. Was it a major now, the English Derby’s distance might project that gambled the company’s for- have been a bit long (he finished fifth) and tunes? No, it was not such an exaggerated I believe he would have won if we had thing, it was probably purely and simply used him in the French 2,000 Guineas. that my father wanted a good horse. Based on the trainer’s opinion, we used (Laughs) him in the British 2,000 Guineas, where he It was in this fashion that we set our finished fourth behind Nonoalco, a horse sights on the progeny of a famous stallion that was sort of a career rival, and they of the time, and among these Northern often met up in GI events of around a mile. Dancer had a reputation as a sure-fire win- Although it was a relationship in which he ner. He had already produced Nijinsky, had a hard time winning, but sometimes who had begun to show signs of success, overcame, he came to be widely recognized Shadai Farm president Teruya YOSHIDA and when viewed at auctions, there were, as one of Europe’s top milers with his vic- in fact, many good horses among Northern tory in the Prix de la Foret in the fall of his When I bought Northern Taste, most of Dancer’s offspring. And that is why we third year. Around that time, the Northern the overseas stallions that arrived in Japan wanted to start by buying a good horse Dancer offspring boom caught fire and we were used goods. Horses discarded over- from among Northern Dancer’s progeny. even received requests to sell him for a seas because of their lack of success as Like his father, Northern Taste was born price of around $1 million. At that time, stallions, despite fairly good racing at Canada’s Winfields Farm, and at the ¥300 million was a substantial amount of careers, were purchased and brought to time Winfields only sold horses at auctions money, but we held on, telling ourselves Japan. These types of horses formed the held at Saratoga Racetrack. So, we decided that if we sold this horse it would be all overwhelming majority. It was a period to go to Saratoga and buy the best horse over. We were also absolutely certain that when Japanese racing was still developing among Northern Dancer’s progeny on he would be a success as a stallion.