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January 8, 2016

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Winners of the 2015 JRA Awards announced

On January 6, Maurice was announced as a double winner for the JRA Awards for 2015. Maurice won both the Japan Racing Association's Horse of the Year for 2015 and Best Sprinter or Miler award. Maurice dominated the voting for the Horse of the Year award with 291 votes out of 215. Lovely Day and Duramente had received 55 and 19 respectively.

The Horse of the Year title is the highest honor given to JRA-registered race horses and is selected by the Horse of the Year Selection Committee represented by journalists of various dailies and magazines.

The JRA Awards ceremony will be held on January 25.

Note: All information, including ages and race performances, are as of December 31, 2015, unless otherwise indicated.

■RACEHORSES

Horse of the Year and Best Sprinter or Miler:

Maurice(JPN)

4-Year-Old, Bay, Colt
Sire
Dam (Sire of Dam)
Screen Hero
Mejiro Frances (Carnegie)
Owner Kazumi Yoshida
Trainer Noriyuki Hori
Jockey Ryan Moore
Breeder Togawa Bokujo
Wins / Starts in 2015 6 / 6 (Oversea 1 / 1)
Earnings in 2015 482,063,200 Yen
(Oversea 202,190,200 Yen)
Principal Wins in 2015 Yasuda Kinen (G1)
Mile Championship (G1)
Hong Kong Mile (Hong Kong, G1)

Video
Yasuda Kinen (G1 - English) play
Mile Championship (G1 - English) play

2015 Horse of the Year – Maurice -- Connection Comments

Owner: Kazumi Yoshida
“I wish to express, on behalf of Maurice, my thanks for having been recognized with such an award. And, I would like to express my appreciation foremost to trainer (Noriyuki) Hori and all those persons associated with Maurice.”

Trainer: Noriyuki Hori
“It is a great honor to be selected as the Horse of the Year. Last year, (Maurice) gave us results in a number of varied environments and I am most grateful for, not only this horse’s being blessed with great racing ability and a great capacity to learn, but for all the people who have worked with him to bring this ability to fruition. I will continue to pursue this horse’s potential to the utmost, and bring out the ability he has been born with, which will, I believe, bring yet more racing pleasure to the fans.”

Jockey: Ryan Moore
“Last year was a hugely successful year. (Maurice) is a very honest horse and with his having matured physically he was able to win the Yasuda Kinen (G1) and the Mile Championship (G1), then prove himself as a top-class horse on the world stage in going to Hong Kong and beating some very strong competition.”


Best Two-Year-Old Colt:

Leontes(JPN)

2-Year-Old, Dark Bay, Colt
Sire
Dam (Sire of Dam)
King Kamehameha
Cesario (Special Week)
Owner Carrot Farm
Trainer Katsuhiko Sumii
Jockey Mirco Demuro
Breeder Northern Farm
Wins / Starts in 2015 2 / 2
Earnings in 2015 78,162,000 Yen
Principal Wins in 2015 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes (G1)

Video
Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes (G1 - English) play

Best Two-Year-Old Filly:

Major Emblem(JPN)

2-Year-Old, Chestnut, Filly
Sire
Dam (Sire of Dam)
Daiwa Major
Catchy Title (Opera House)
Owner Sunday Racing Co. Ltd.
Trainer Yasuhito Tamura
Jockey Christophe Lemaire
Breeder Northern Farm
Wins / Starts in 2015 3 / 4
Earnings in 2015 94,662,000 Yen
Principal Wins in 2015 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies (G1)

Video
Hanshin Juvenile Fillies (G1 - English) play

Best Three-Year-Old Colt:

Duramente(JPN)

3-Year-Old, Bay, Colt
Sire
Dam (Sire of Dam)
King Kamehameha
Admire Groove (Sunday Silence)
Owner Sunday Racing Co. Ltd.
Trainer Noriyuki Hori
Jockey Mirco Demuro
Breeder Northern Racing
Wins / Starts in 2015 3 / 4
Earnings in 2015 384,963,000 Yen
Principal Wins in 2015 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) (G1)
Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) (G1)

Video
Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) (G1 - English) play
Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) (G1 - English) play

Best Three-Year-Old Filly:

Mikki Queen(JPN)

3-Year-Old, Bay, Filly
Sire
Dam (Sire of Dam)
Deep Impact
Musical Way (Gold Away)
Owner Mizuki Noda
Trainer Yasutoshi Ikee
Jockey Suguru Hamanaka
Breeder Northern Farm
Wins / Starts in 2015 3 / 6
Earnings in 2015 271,698,000 Yen
Principal Wins in 2015 Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) (G1)
Shuka Sho (G1)

Video
Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) (G1 - English) play
Shuka Sho (G1 - English) play

Best Older Colt or Horse:

Lovely Day(JPN)

5-Year-Old, Dark Bay, Horse
Sire
Dam (Sire of Dam)
King Kamehameha
Popcorn Jazz (Dance in the Dark)
Owner Kaneko Makoto Holdings Co. Ltd.
Trainer Yasutoshi Ikee
Jockey Yuga Kawada
Breeder Kaneko Makoto Holdings Inc.
Wins / Starts in 2015 6 / 10
Earnings in 2015 615,312,000 Yen
Principal Wins in 2015 Takarazuka Kinen (G1)
Tenno Sho (Autumn) (G1)

Video
Takarazuka Kinen (G1 - English) play
Tenno Sho (Autumn) (G1 - English) play

Best Older Filly or Mare:

Shonan Pandora(JPN)

4-Year-Old, Bay, Filly
Sire
Dam (Sire of Dam)
Deep Impact
Cutie Gold (French Deputy)
Owner Tetsuhide Kunimoto
Trainer Tomokazu Takano
Jockey Kenichi Ikezoe
Breeder Shadai Corporation Inc.
Wins / Starts in 2015 2 / 6
Earnings in 2015 431,400,000 Yen
Principal Wins in 2015 Japan Cup (G1)

Video
Japan Cup (G1 - English) play

Best Dirt Horse:

Copano Rickey(JPN)

5-Year-Old, Chestnut, Horse
Sire
Dam (Sire of Dam)
Gold Allure
Copano Nikita (Timber Country)
Owner Sachiaki Kobayashi
Trainer Akira Murayama
Jockey Yutaka Take
Breeder Yanagawa Bokujo
Wins / Starts in 2015 3 / 6
(NAR 1/ 3)
Earnings in 2015 245,852,000 Yen
(NAR 94,400,000 Yen)
Principal Wins in 2015 February Stakes (G1)
JBC Classic

Video
February Stakes (G1 - English) play

Best Steeplechase Horse:

Up to Date(JPN)

5-Year-Old, Gray, Horse
Sire
Dam (Sire of Dam)
Kurofune
Linear Muse (Tony Bin)
Owner Kazuo Imanishi
Trainer Shozo Sasaki
Jockey Mitsuaki Hayashi
Breeder North Hills Co . Ltd.
Wins / Starts in 2015 3 / 5
Earnings in 2015 171,400,000 Yen
Principal Wins in 2015 Nakayama Grand Jump (J-G1)
Nakayama Daishogai (J-G1)

Video
Nakayama Grand Jump (J-G1) play
Nakayama Daishogai (J-G1) play


■TRAINERS & JOCKEYS

*Best Trainer (races won): Noriyuki Hori (56 wins)

*Best Trainer (winning average): Noriyuki Hori (0.234%)

*Best Trainer (money earned): Yasutoshi Ikee (1,931,479,600 Yen)

*Best Trainer (training technique): Mikio Matsunaga

JRA Best Jockey (races won): Keita Tosaki (130 wins)

JRA Best Jockey (winning average): Christophe Lemaire (0.195%)

JRA Best Jockey (money earned): Mirco Demuro (283,146,000 Yen)

**MVJ - Most Valuable Jockey (newly established category): Keita Tosaki 54 points

Best Steeplechase Jockey: Yusuke Igarashi (11 wins)

Best Jockey (newcomer): Katsuma Sameshima (39 wins)


*Trainers’ figures include National Association of Racing (NAR; Racing by Local Governments) and overseas race results.

**The MVJ is determined by points allotted a jockey for his or her ranking in four different categories for designated JRA, NAR and overseas races. The four categories are "number of wins," "win average," "earnings," and "number of rides for the year." The MVJ award is bestowed upon the jockey with the highest total points.

 

■2015 JRA Equine Cultural Award

Winner: Gufu no O, or “Lord of the Tempest” (book)

Recipient: Akiko Kawasaki

Recipient Profile:
Akiko Kawasaki – Born in Hokkaido in 1979. Sheep raiser. After graduating Hokkai-Gakuen University, Dept. of Economics, studied sheep husbandry in New Zealand for one year. Presently works at own farm in Hokkaido raising sheep.

In 2012, received the Hokkaido Shimbun Cultural Award for Tosui Iji, or “Tosui Memories” in the Creative Writing – Critical Essay division.

In 2014, Gufu no O, or “Lord of the Tempest,” won the Ayako Miura Cultural Prize, a one-time prize awarded as part of the 50th anniversary celebrations of Miura’s novel Hyoten.

Winner Summary:
A moving tale set in Japan’s northern Tohoku region and Hokkaido depicting one family’s intricately interwoven life with horses spanning six generations from the Meiji Period to the present. It is a work brimming with energy and imbued with the feel of the ages it covers.

Reason for Recognition:
The work is acclaimed for its depiction of the relationship between horse and human, a depiction drawn in intricate detail. One can feel the power of nature, a power beyond the measure of human intellect. The story’s scale is grand and full of vitality and this is a work that will leave a deep impression long after it is read.

(Note)
The JRA Equine Cultural Award and Award of Merit recognize those persons (or organizations) that have contributed to the development of equine culture through such mediums as literature, critique, art, film and music, photography and performance.




Results of the 2015 JRA Awards (Total Votes: 291)

Horse of the Year
Place Horse Votes
1 Maurice (JPN) 215
2 Lovely Day (JPN) 55
3 Duramente (JPN) 19
4 Kitasan Black (JPN) 1
4 None 1
Total 291

Best Two-Year-Old Colt
Place Horse Votes
1 Leontes (JPN) 289
2 Hartley (JPN) 2
Total 291

Best Two-Year-Old Filly
Place Horse Votes
1 Major Emblem (JPN) 291
Total 291

Best Three-Year-Old Colt
Place Horse Votes
1 Duramente (JPN) 285
2 Kitasan Black (JPN) 6
Total 291

Best Three-Year-Old Filly
Place Horse Votes
1 Mikki Queen (JPN) 291
Total 291

Best Older Colt or Horse
Place Horse Votes
1 Lovely Day (JPN) 174
2 Maurice (JPN) 114
3 A Shin Hikari (JPN) 1
3 Gold Actor (JPN) 1
3 None 1
Total 291

Best Older Filly or Mare
Place Horse Votes
1 Shonan Pandora (JPN) 213
2 Straight Girl (JPN) 74
3 Marialite (JPN) 3
4 Sambista (JPN) 1
Total 291

Best Sprinter or Miler
Place Horse Votes
1 Maurice (JPN) 245
2 Straight Girl (JPN) 43
3 None 2
4 Aerovelocity (NZ) 1
Total 291

Best Dirt Horse
Place Horse Votes
1 Copano Rickey (JPN) 147
2 Sambista (JPN) 73
3 Hokko Tarumae (JPN) 28
4 None 16
5 Nonkono Yume (JPN) 14
6 Sound True (JPN) 13
Total 291

Best Steeplechase Horse
Place Horse Votes
1 Up to Date (JPN) 289
2 Sanacion (JPN) 1
2 None 1
Total 291