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LEGENDSOF JAPANESE RACING
JAEN
Deep Impact racing down the straight at Kyoto in the Tenno Sho (Spring)

A DIGITAL MUSEUM OF JAPANESE RACING

Legendsneverstop running.

駆け抜けた伝説を、世界へ。

Horses, riders and great races — follow the stories Japanese racing has written.

01 / 06

Deep Impactディープインパクト2002–2019THOROUGHBREDUnbeaten Japanese Triple Crown, 2005
Deep Impact — Tenno Sho (Spring), Kyoto Racecourse, 30 April 2006 — Photo: Goki / CC BY-SA 3.0

01PROLOGUE

One horsecan definean era.

A grey who rose from a local track to the national stage. A bay who won the Triple Crown without defeat. A filly who won the Derby for the first time in 64 years. Japanese racing history is built one horse, one record at a time.

This archive records horses, riders, races and racecourses together with their sources — to present racing as sport and culture, not as a betting guide.

02THE GALLERY — HORSES

03LEGENDARY HORSES

LegendaryHorses

The horses who ran through Japanese racing history.

Every record, pedigree and honour here comes from checked sources. Grade 1 counts use the grade of each year’s running and include overseas Group 1s.

Deep Impact racing down the straight at Kyoto in the Tenno Sho (Spring)
Deep Impact — Tenno Sho (Spring), Kyoto Racecourse, 30 April 2006Photo: Goki · CC BY-SA 3.0

01

Deep Impact

ディープインパクト

2002–201914 starts · 12 wins

In 2005 he became the second horse, after Symboli Rudolf, to win the Japanese Triple Crown unbeaten.

  • Satsuki Sho2005
  • Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby)2005
  • Kikuka Sho2005
  • Tenno Sho (Spring)2006
  • Takarazuka Kinen2006
  • Japan Cup2006
  • Arima Kinen2006
Read the story

The Archive — All Horses

All horses in the archive
No.All horses in the archiveG1 wins
01Symboli Rudolfシンボリルドルフ7
02Oguri Capオグリキャップ4
03Mejiro McQueenメジロマックイーン4
04Tokai Teioトウカイテイオー4
05Narita Brianナリタブライアン5
06Silence Suzukaサイレンススズカ1
07Special Weekスペシャルウィーク4
08T.M. Opera Oテイエムオペラオー7
09Deep Impactディープインパクト7
10Vodkaウオッカ7
11Daiwa Scarletダイワスカーレット4
12Orfevreオルフェーヴル6
13Gold Shipゴールドシップ6
14Kitasan Blackキタサンブラック7
15Almond Eyeアーモンドアイ9
16Equinoxイクイノックス6

04THE JOCKEYS

TheJockeys

For every great horse, a great rider.

All jockeys
Yutaka Take interviewed after winning the Japanese Derby

Yutaka Take

武豊

Photo: nakashi from Chofu, Tokyo, JAPAN · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

  1. 01Yutaka Take武豊Eighteen-time JRA leading jockey and a record six-time winner of the Japanese Derby — a living legend of Japanese racing.G1 wins in this archive: 25 — Deep Impact / Kitasan Black / Oguri Cap / Mejiro McQueen / Special Week / VodkaACTIVE
  2. 02Yukio Okabe岡部幸雄Symboli Rudolf’s regular rider — a pioneer of freelance riding who championed a “horse first” philosophy.G1 wins in this archive: 9 — Oguri Cap / Symboli Rudolf / Tokai TeioRETIRED
  3. 03Christophe Lemaireクリストフ・ルメールA French-born JRA jockey who set the Japanese single-season record with 215 wins in 2018.G1 wins in this archive: 16 — Almond Eye / Equinox / VodkaACTIVE
  4. 04Norihiro Yokoyama横山典弘The veteran who won the Takarazuka Kinen and Tenno Sho (Spring) on Gold Ship — and the Japanese Derby in 2024.G1 wins in this archive: 2 — Gold ShipACTIVE
  5. 05Kenichi Ikezoe池添謙一Orfevre’s Triple Crown partner, dubbed “the Grand Prix Man” for seven combined wins in the Arima Kinen and Takarazuka Kinen.G1 wins in this archive: 6 — OrfevreACTIVE
  6. 06Yuichi Fukunaga福永祐一Son of the jockey once called a “genius”, Yoichi Fukunaga — now a trainer after a long riding career.NOW A TRAINER

Career totals for active riders change weekly and are not shown. G1 counts cover only the race records held in this archive.

The final straight of the Japan Cup

05 — THE FINAL STRAIGHT

The final
400 meters.

最後の直線。

Minutes after the gates open, it has always come down to the last few hundred metres.

Distance remaining: 400M

Final straight — Japan Cup, Tokyo Racecourse, 26 November 2017 — Photo: nakashi from Chofu, Tokyo, JAPAN / CC BY-SA 2.0

06LEGENDARY RACES

LegendaryRaces

Ten races where legends were made.

Distances and grades shown are current conditions. Past runnings are recorded with the grade of their own year.

  1. 01Tokyo Yushun東京優駿（日本ダービー）Japanese Derby2400MGI · Left-handed
  2. 02Arima Kinen有馬記念2500MGI · Right-handed
  3. 03Tenno Sho (Spring)天皇賞（春）3200MGI · Right-handed
  4. 04Tenno Sho (Autumn)天皇賞（秋）2000MGI · Left-handed
  5. 05Japan Cupジャパンカップ2400MGI · Left-handed
  6. 06Takarazuka Kinen宝塚記念2200MGI · Right-handed (inner course)
  7. 07Kikuka Sho菊花賞Japanese St. Leger3000MGI · Right-handed
  8. 08Oka Sho桜花賞Japanese 1,000 Guineas1600MGI · Right-handed (outer course)
  9. 09Satsuki Sho皐月賞Japanese 2,000 Guineas2000MGI · Right-handed
  10. 10Yushun Himba優駿牝馬（オークス）Japanese Oaks2400MGI · Left-handed

07THE FILMS

TheFilms

The great races, on film.

Films published by the JRA official channel on YouTube, shown through YouTube’s embedded player. Nothing loads until you press play.

「【4Kリマスター】1990年 有馬記念（GⅠ） | オグリキャップ | JRA公式」

Record: 23 Dec 1990 · Nakayama · 2500m · 1st · Yutaka Take

Source: YouTube / JRA公式チャンネル(official)Watch on YouTube ↗Oguri Cap

All films (33)

08RACECOURSES

TenRacecourses

Architecture, landscape and history — the ten JRA venues.

  1. The main stand of Tokyo Racecourse on Japan Cup day

    Tokyo

    東京競馬場

    Kanto — Tokyo
    Left-handed

  2. The grandstand and lawn at Nakayama Racecourse

    Nakayama

    中山競馬場

    Kanto — Chiba
    Right-handed

  3. The new grandstand at Kyoto Racecourse

    Kyoto

    京都競馬場

    Kansai — Kyoto
    Right-handed

  4. A view of Hanshin Racecourse

    Hanshin

    阪神競馬場

    Kansai — Hyogo
    Right-handed

  5. The main stand at Chukyo Racecourse

    Chukyo

    中京競馬場

    Tokai — Aichi
    Left-handed

  6. The paddock at Sapporo Racecourse

    Sapporo

    札幌競馬場

    Hokkaido — Sapporo
    Right-handed

  7. The main stand at Hakodate Racecourse

    Hakodate

    函館競馬場

    Hokkaido — Hakodate
    Right-handed

  8. Fukushima Racecourse and the city seen from Mount Shinobu

    Fukushima

    福島競馬場

    Tohoku — Fukushima
    Right-handed

  9. The grandstand at Niigata Racecourse

    Niigata

    新潟競馬場

    Hokuriku — Niigata
    Left-handed (formerly right-handed)

  10. The Japanese garden at Kokura Racecourse

    Kokura

    小倉競馬場

    Kyushu — Fukuoka
    Right-handed

  11. All racecourses

09PEDIGREE / BLOODLINES

Bloodlines

Father to son — the story written in the blood.

Equinox’s three-generation pedigree: by Kitasan Black, by Black Tide, back to Sunday Silence. Horses held in this archive are linked.

Horse

Parents

Grandparents

Great-grandparents

Chateau Blancheシャトーブランシュ2010
Black Tideブラックタイド2001
シュガーハート2005
King Haloキングヘイロー1995
ブランシェリー1998
サンデーサイレンス
ウインドインハーヘア
サクラバクシンオー
オトメゴコロ
ダンシングブレーヴ
グッバイヘイロー
トニービン
メゾンブランシュ

Sire lineDam lineIn this archive (linked)Family ブランシユレイン(FR)系

SHARED ANCESTORS

Names that recur across the pedigrees

Ancestors appearing within three generations of three or more of the sixteen horses.

  1. 8Sunday SilenceサンデーサイレンスDeep Impact（sire）Almond Eye（damsire）Kitasan Black（paternal grandsire）Gold Ship（paternal grandsire）Silence Suzuka（sire）Special Week（sire）Daiwa Scarlet（paternal grandsire）Orfevre（paternal grandsire）
  2. 4Hail to ReasonDeep Impact（paternal great-grandparent）Narita Brian（paternal great-grandparent）Silence Suzuka（paternal great-grandparent）Special Week（paternal great-grandparent）
  3. 4Northern DancerTokai Teio（maternal great-grandparent）Narita Brian（damsire）T.M. Opera O（paternal great-grandparent）Daiwa Scarlet（maternal great-grandparent）
  4. 3CosmahDeep Impact（paternal great-grandparent）Silence Suzuka（paternal great-grandparent）Special Week（paternal great-grandparent）
Explore every pedigree

10ERA OF LEGENDS

Era ofLegends

Japanese racing, decade by decade.

Symboli Rudolf in his later years

The Emperor’s Decade

The Japan Cup was founded in 1981 and the graded-race system arrived in 1984 — the year Symboli Rudolf won the Triple Crown unbeaten.

  1. 1981The Japan Cup is first run
  2. 1984Symboli Rudolf wins the Triple Crown unbeaten
  3. 1988Oguri Cap moves from Kasamatsu to the JRA

11STORIES — FEATURE 03

Equinox at Tokyo Racecourse on Tenno Sho (Autumn) day
Equinox — Tenno Sho (Autumn), Tokyo Racecourse, 30 October 2022Public domain · CC0

Father to Son: The Story in the Blood.

From Emperor to Monarch; from Kitasan Black to Equinox. A pedigree is a book that runs across generations.

Tokai Teio came from Symboli Rudolf’s first crop. The father won the 1984 Triple Crown unbeaten; the son won the 1991 Satsuki Sho and Tokyo Yushun.

Read the feature

Great horses keep running long after they stop — inside the pedigree.

— The editors

12RIVALRIES

Rivalries

Two queens, born into the same season.

Vodka at Tokyo Racecourse
Vodka at Tokyo RacecoursePhoto: Flickr user kanagen · CC BY 2.0

Vodka

ウオッカ

2AHEAD

3AHEAD

Daiwa Scarlet at the Tenno Sho (Autumn)
Daiwa Scarlet — Tenno Sho (Autumn), Tokyo, 2 November 2008Photo: Chabata_k(Japan) · CC BY-SA 3.0

Daiwa Scarlet

ダイワスカーレット

Head to head — 5 meetings (races both finished)
DateRaceVodkaDaiwa Scarlet
03 Mar 2007Tulip ShoJpnIII1st2nd
08 Apr 2007Oka ShoJpnI2nd1st
14 Oct 2007Shuka ShoJpnI3rd1st
23 Dec 2007Arima KinenGI11th2nd
02 Nov 2008Tenno Sho (Autumn)GI1st2nd

Source: each horse’s race record held in this archive.

Moments after the start of the 45th Japan Cup

THE START — THE 45TH JAPAN CUP

The instant the gates open.

Just after the start of the 45th Japan Cup, Tokyo, 30 November 2025Photo: nakashi · CC BY-SA 4.0

13FROM RACING HISTORY TO POPULAR CULTURE

Racingmeetspop culture

From racing history to popular culture.

The names of real racehorses are also known as the names of characters in the game “Umamusume: Pretty Derby”. Here the two are never merged: the documented horse on the left, the reference to the work of fiction on the right.

REAL RACING ARCHIVE(documented racing history)

FICTION / POP CULTURE REFERENCE(a reference to a work of fiction)

This is not an official site of “Umamusume: Pretty Derby” and has no partnership with or endorsement from its rights holders. Character names were matched against cited sources (the Japanese Wikipedia character list and the official site). No character artwork is shown because permission has not been confirmed. Details of the game’s story are not the horses’ history.

All cross-references Rights & attribution

14JOCKEYS · RACECOURSES · HISTORIC MOMENTS

Tokyo, Kyoto, Nakayama, Hanshin, Sapporo, Chukyo, Hakodate, Fukushima, Niigata, Kokura

Derby, Arima, Tenno Sho, Japan Cup, Takarazuka, Kikuka Sho, Oka Sho, Satsuki Sho, Oaks

15STORIES

MoreStories

The stories behind the records.

All stories