Matikanefukukitaru
| Matikanefukukitaru | |
|---|---|
 Matikanefukukitaru in May 1999 | |
| Sire | Crystal Glitters [1] |
| Grandsire | Blushing Groom[1] |
| Dam | Athena Tosho[1] |
| Damsire | Tosho Boy[1] |
| Sex | Stallion[1] |
| Foaled | 22 May 1994[1] |
| Died | 31 Jul 2020 (aged 26)[2] |
| Country | Japan[1] |
| Colour | Chestnut[1] |
| Breeder | Shinsei Bokujo[1] |
| Owner | Masuo Hosokawa[3] |
| Trainer | Hisao Nibun[3] |
| Record | 6-4-1-11[4] |
| Earnings | 370,250,000 JPY[5] |
| Major wins | |
| Kikuka Sho (1997)[1] | |
Matikanefukukitaru[a] (Japanese: マチカネフクキタル; 22 May 1994 – 31 July 2020) was a Japanese thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In his racing career, he won 6 of 22 races, the most notable of these being the 1997 Kikuka Sho, Kobe Shimbun Hai, and Kyoto Shimbun Hai.[1]
Background
[edit]Matikanefukukitaru was a chestnut horse with a white star on his forehead bred by Shinsei Bokujo in Hokkaido.[1] His damsire was Arima Kinen winner Tosho Boy, and he had famous mare Shiraoki in his mother's line.[1]
The name "Matikanefukukitaru" was chosen by public vote.[7] When Hosokawa was interviewed by an economic newspaper, he said that he struggled naming the horses he owned. In response, a reporter suggested that he should leave the name to a public vote, and Hosokawa jokingly replied "I wonder if that's okay". However, later, an article was published that decided to open a vote for horse names, and 8,999 applications were collected. Hosokawa himself established a judging committee, and also participated in the process. For Matikanefukukitaru, 5 applications were submitted, and the name "Fukukitaru" was adopted. "Machikane" is derived from Osaka University where Hosokawa spent his youth.[8]
Since Matikanefukukitaru's resting heart rate was lower than that of a typical racehorse, there was a high expectation of improved cardiorespiratory function.[9] A low resting heart rate meant that the heart could pump more blood around the body in a single beat.[10] While the heart rate of a normal racehorse is more than 30 beats per minute, the heart rate of Matikanefukukitaru was 28~30 beats per minute.[9] A similar trend can be seen in two-time Japanese Horse of the Year Kitasan Black.[11]
Racing career
[edit]Matikanefukukitaru's debut race was a dirt race over 1200 metres at Hanshin Racecourse on November 30, 1996. He started the race as the second favourite and came third behind Erimo Shiten O by a nose and winner Kyoei March by over ten lengths.[5] In his next race on 21 December, again at Hanshin Racecourse, he came fourth behind Last Call.[5]
1997: Four-year-old season
[edit]Matikanefukukitaru's first race in his 1997 season was a maiden race for four-year-olds, again at Hanshin Racecourse. He was the first favourite on the dirt track over 1800 metres, and came first, beating the second place horse Tenzan Glamour by five lengths.[5] After this victory, he ran again at Hanshin in the allowance race Kunshinran Sho and came second behind Premium Thunder.[5] His next race was another allowance race, the Moonee Valley Racing Club Sho at Kyoto Racecourse, for horses who had won less than 5 million yen in their racing careers. Matikanefukukitaru came first in this race, beating T.M. Tokkyu by two and a half lengths.[5]
After these victories, Matikanefukukiaru's owners set their sights on the Japanese Derby, and thus had him run in the Principal Stakes, a trial race for the Derby. On 10 May 1997, Matikanefukukitaru came second behind Silence Suzuka and this allowed him to run in that year's Japanese Derby.[5]
On the day of the Derby, 1 June 1997, Matikanefukukitaru, as the eleventh favourite, finished the race at seventh place, coming behind Air Guts by a neck.[5] Matikanefukukitaru's trainer, Hisao Nibun, expressed disappointment in the horse's performance at the Derby due to Crystal Glitters's offspring being known for their speed. Hisao Nibun said, "I thought it was a child of Crystal Glitters. The legs are fast for a moment, but they stop." He also expressed that learning "how to use the legs" will be essential.[13]
Matikanefukukitaru's next race would be the Sakurambo Stakes at Tokyo Racecourse on 5 July. This was his first race with renowned jockey Yutaka Take and started as the 1.4/1 favourite against 10 other horses. He won this race by 3 lengths and would run in the Grade 2 Kobe Shimbun Hai, a trial race for the Kikuka Sho.[5] Because of Yutaka Take riding Sakura Laurel in Europe at the time of this race, Matikanefukukitaru was ridden by Katsumi Minami.[14] The race began with Matikanefukukitaru as the second favourite behind Silence Suzuka. While Silence Suzuka ran away from the rest of the horses, Matikanefukukitaru stayed in the last position even until the last corner.[15] On the final straight, Matikanefukukitaru managed the close the distance of over ten lengths and defeated Silence Suzuka by 1 and a quarter lengths.[15] This was jockey Katsumi Minami's first major victory and this race also allowed Matikanefukukitaru to run in the Kikuka Sho. Minami recalled, "I never thought I would catch Silence Suzuka ... there was a plan to go to the medium-distance route such as the Tenno Sho (autumn), but the camp that saw this run decided to run for the Kikuka Sho."[14]
Matikanefukukitaru would go on to run in the Kyoto Shimbun Hai, another trial race for the Kikuka Sho. Despite weighing an extra ten kilograms in this race, bringing his total weight up to 510 kg, Matikanefukukitaru was able to defeat previous Japanese Derby and Satsuki Sho winner[16] Mejiro Bright.[17]
On the day of the Kikuka Sho, having won two consecutive races, Matikanefukukitaru was originally meant to be the first favourite in the race.[15] However, his father Crystal Glitters was considered a horse best suited for short and medium-distance races. Additionally, Matikanefukukitaru's damsire Tosho Boy previously came third in the Kikuka Sho. These factors contributed to the belief that Matikanefukukitaru, like his father, was not suited for a long-distance race like the Kikuka Sho.[18] The first favourite on the day of the race was Silk Justice,[19] who had previously won the Grade 2 Kyoto Daishoten.[19] The second favourite was Mejiro Bright,[19] who Matikanefukukitaru had previously defeated in the Kyoto Shimbun Hai.
At the start of the race, the 14th favourite T.M. Top Dan ran away, and Matikanefukukitaru was in third place.[20] His time for passing the 1000 metre mark was 61.8 seconds, and the time for passing the 2000 metre mark was 2 minutes and 8 seconds. This was considered a slow time, however Matikanefukukitaru was able to move between fourth and fifth place.[21] Near the third corner, Mejiro Bright moved to the outside and positioned himself in the middle of the pack, while Silk Justice was waiting for the right time to begin his spurt from the rear.[22] T.M. Top Dan held his lead to the final straight, and Matikanefukukitaru stayed behind Mejiro Bright. At one point, Mejiro Bright took the lead, however Matikanefukukitaru managed to split through the other horses and won the race by one length.[8] With this victory, Masuo Hosokawa won a Grade 1 race and a Classic race for the first time in his 31 years as a horse owner.[22]
Five-year-old season and beyond
[edit]Matikanefukukitaru's five-year-old season was plagued by hoof diseases such as a cracked hoof and arthiritis of the bulb joint. Because of his ailments, he could not race smoothly and had a poor result in this season with no races won.[23]
At six years old, his best results were reaching second place in the Grade 2 Kyoto Kinen and Osaka Hai. At seven, he finished tenth in the Kinko Sho and eighth in the Takarazuka Kinen, but retired after developing flexor tendinitis during a training session.[23]
Racing record
[edit]Matikanefukukitaru participated in 22 races over his career, winning 6.[24]
| Date | Race | Grade | Distance (condition) | Track | Finish | Field | 1st Place (2nd Place) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 Nov 1996 | Two Year Old Newcomers | 1200m (Fast) | Hanshin | 3 | 13 | Kyoei March | |
| 21 Dec 1996 | Two Year Old Maiden | 1600m (Firm) | Hanshin | 6 | 16 | Osumi Giant | |
| 15 Mar 1997 | Three Year Old Maiden | 1800m (Muddy) | Hanshin | 1 | 8 | (Tenzan Glamour) | |
| 6 Apr 1997 | Kunshiran Sho | OP | 1600m (Heavy) | Hanshin | 2 | 16 | Premium Thunder |
| 19 Apr 1997 | Moonee Valley Racing Club Sho | OP | 1800m (Firm) | Kyoto | 1 | 14 | (T. M. Tokkyu) |
| 10 May 1997 | Principal Stakes | OP | 2200m (Firm) | Tokyo | 2 | 16 | Silence Suzuka |
| 1 Jun 1997 | Tōkyō Yūshun | G1 | 2400m (Firm) | Tokyo | 7 | 17 | Sunny Brian |
| 5 Jul 1997 | Sakurambo Stakes | OP | 1700m (Firm) | Fukushima | 1 | 11 | (Shako Tesco) |
| 14 Sep 1997 | Kobe Shimbun Hai | G2 | 2000m (Firm) | Hanshin | 1 | 11 | (Silence Suzuka) |
| 12 Oct 1997 | Kyoto Shimbun Hai | G2 | 2200m (Firm) | Kyoto | 1 | 12 | (Pulsebeat) |
| 2 Nov 1997 | Kikuka-shō | G1 | 3000m (Firm) | Kyoto | 1 | 18 | (Daiwa Oshu) |
| 30 May 1998 | Kinko Sho | G2 | 2000m (Firm) | Chukyo | 6 | 9 | Silence Suzuka |
| 21 Jun 1998 | Naruo Kinen | G2 | 2000m (Heavy) | Hanshin | 8 | 14 | Sunrise Flag |
| 27 Dec 1998 | Arima Kinen | G1 | 2500m (Firm) | Nakayama | 13 | 16 | Grass Wonder |
| 14 Feb 1999 | Kyoto Kinen | G2 | 2200m (Firm) | Kyoto | 2 | 10 | Emocion |
| 7 Mar 1999 | Yomiuri Milers Cup | G2 | 1600m (Good) | Hanshin | 11 | 14 | Egao o Misete |
| 4 Apr 1999 | Sankei Osaka Hai | G2 | 2000m (Firm) | Hanshin | 2 | 11 | Silent Hunter |
| 2 May 1999 | Tenno Sho (Spring) | G1 | 3200m (Firm) | Kyoto | 7 | 12 | Special Week |
| 11 Jul 1999 | Takarazuka Kinen | G1 | 2200m (Firm) | Hanshin | 5 | 12 | Grass Wonder |
| 22 Aug 1999 | Sapporo Kinen | G2 | 2000m (Firm) | Sapporo | 7 | 10 | Seiun Sky |
| 27 May 2000 | Kinko Sho | G2 | 2000m (Good) | Chukyo | 10 | 11 | Meisho Doto |
| 25 Jun 2000 | Takarazuka Kinen | G1 | 2200m (Firm) | Hanshin | 8 | 11 | T. M. Opera O |
Stud career
[edit]
At the end of his racing career, Matikanefukukitaru was retired to become a breeding stallion at Kosuda Ranch in Hokuto City, Yamanashi Prefecture. Around 100 to 200 fans visited him at the ranch each year.[25] He also appeared at an event at Kōfu Station[26] and a photoshoot at WINS Isawa, a JRA off-track betting site in Isawa, Yamanashi.[27]
Matikanefukukitaru died at Kosuda Ranch on July 31, 2020.[28]
Notable progeny
[edit]- Reward Pleasan, Nakayama Grand Jump 2007 winner[29]
In popular culture
[edit]An anthropormorphised version of Matikanefukukitaru appears in the Uma Musume: Pretty Derby franchise.[30]
Pedigree
[edit]| Sire Crystal Glitters (USA) 1980 |
Blushing Groom (FRA) 1974 |
Red God | Nasrullah |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring Run | |||
| Runaway Bride | Wild Risk | ||
| Aimee | |||
| Tales to Tell (USA) 1967 |
Donut King | Determine | |
| Strayed | |||
| Fleeting Doll | Fleet Nasrullah | ||
| Chinese Doll | |||
| Dam Athena Tosho (JPN) 1981 |
Tosho Boy (JPN) 1973 |
Tesco Boy | Princely Gift |
| Suncourt | |||
| Social Butterfly | Your Host | ||
| Wisteria | |||
| Grey Tosho (JPN) 1974 |
Silver Shark | Buisson Ardent | |
| Palsaka | |||
| Rose Tosho | Tudor Period | ||
| Waka Shiraoki (Family:3-l)[1] |
- ^ The horse's name in Japanese is "Machikane Fukukitaru". However, racehorse names in English must be 18 characters or fewer including punctuation. Because of this, the chi was romanized with the alternate ti, and the space was removed.[6]
- ^ In Japan, horses were 1 year old at the time of birth until 2000. It is necessary to keep this in mind when reading horse racing materials before 2000, as a horse that is "three years old" is really only 2 years old.[12]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "Matikanefukukitaru". JBIS. Retrieved September 18, 2025.
- ^ "A gentle famous horse at a peaceful end and the rest of his life in Hokuto with fans". Yomiuri Shimbun. Retrieved September 18, 2025.
- ^ a b "Matikanefukukitaru". Racing Post. Retrieved September 18, 2025.
- ^ "Matikanefukukitaru". Umanity. Retrieved September 18, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Matikanefukukitaru". Netkeiba. Retrieved September 18, 2025.
- ^ "Horse Naming Guidelines" (PDF). British Horseracing Association. Retrieved September 18, 2025.
- ^ "Yushun" January 1998 issue, Central Horse Racing P.R. Center, January 1998, p. 40-41
- ^ a b "Yushun" December 1997 issue, Central Horse Racing P.R. Center, December 1997, p. 31
- ^ a b Yushun, November 1997, p. 80
- ^ Urushiyama, Kiyoshi (2018-07-03). "【ズームアップ】心臓の強さが名馬の条件！ＪＲＡ羽田獣医に聞く(2/5ページ)" [Heart strength is a prerequisite for a famous horse! Interview with JRA Veterenarian Mr. Hada (page 2 of 5)]. Sanspo Zbat! (in Japanese). Sankei Shimbun. Archived from the original on 2021-09-12. Retrieved 2025-09-18.
- ^ Oe, Yoko (2017-12-21). "【有馬記念】キタサンブラックの担当医が証言！"現役最強馬"の強さの秘密" [Kitasan Black's doctor testifies! The secret of the strength of the "strongest active horse"]. netkeiba (in Japanese). Netkeiba News. Archived from the original on 2025-01-19. Retrieved 2025-09-18.
- ^ "Horse Racing Glossary - Japan Racing Association Official Website Horse Racing Glossary -". Japan Racing Association. Retrieved September 18, 2025.
- ^ "Yushun" November 1997 issue, Central Horse Racing P.R. Center, November 1997, p. 81
- ^ a b "Yushun" December 1997 issue, Central Horse Racing P.R. Center, December 1997
- ^ a b c "Weekly 100 Famous Horses" vol.80 "Weekly 100 Famous Horses vol.80" page 18
- ^ "Mejiro Bright". Netkeiba. Retrieved September 18, 2025.
- ^ "Weekly 100 Famous Horses vol.80" page 8
- ^ "Weekly 100 Famous Horses" vol.80 "Weekly 100 Famous Horses vol.80" page 8
- ^ a b c "Kikuka Sho Results". Netkeiba. Retrieved September 18, 2025.
- ^ "Yushun" December 1997 issue, Central Horse Racing P.R. Center, December 1997, p. 32
- ^ "Weekly 100 Famous Horses" vol.80 "Weekly 100 Famous Horses vol.80" page 9
- ^ a b "Yushun" January 1998 issue, Central Horse Racing P.R. Center, January 1998, p. 37
- ^ a b "Weekly 100 Famous Horses" vol.80 "Weekly 100 Famous Horses vol.80" page 10
- ^ "Matikanefukukitaru race records". jbis.com. Japan Bloodhorse Breeders' Association. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
- ^ Sasaki, Sachie (2014-01-01). "[新春特別企画]マチカネフクキタルが暮らす小須田牧場を訪ねる" [[New Year Special Project] Visiting the Kosuda Ranch where Machikanefukukitaru lives]. netkeiba (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2015-05-22. Retrieved 2025-09-20.
- ^ "菊花賞馬も登場「競走馬の余生考える」イベント" [An event to "consider the post-retirement life of a racehorse" is held with a Kikka Sho winner appearing]. Yomiuri Shimbun (in Japanese). 2017-11-29. Archived from the original on 2017-11-27. Retrieved 2025-09-18.
- ^ "石和の有馬に福来たる！マチカネフクキタル来場！！【ウインズ石和】" [Good luck comes to Isawa's Arima! Matikanefukukitaru is coming!! [WINS Isawa]]. Japan Racing Association (in Japanese). 2010-12-18. Archived from the original on 2010-12-24. Retrieved 2025-09-18.
- ^ "97年菊制覇マチカネフクキタル死す「最後は放牧場の草地で眠るように」" [97 Kikka Sho winner Machikanefukukitaru Dies 'As he slept on the Pasture']. Sports Nippon. Archived from the original on 2025-08-13. Retrieved 2025-09-18.
- ^ "Reward Pleasan race results". Netkeiba. Retrieved September 18, 2025.
- ^ "Matikanefukukitaru" (in Japanese). Cygames. Archived from the original on 2025-09-04. Retrieved 2025-09-20.