2016 JRA Awards

Kitasan Black(JPN)

Video (Kitasan Black)
Japan Cup (G1 - English) Video

Age (Foaling)	4 (March 10, 2012)
Sex / Color	Colt / Bay
Sire	Black Tide
Dam (Sire of Dam)	Sugar Heart (Sakura Bakushin O)
Owner	Ono Shoji
Breeder	Yanagawa Bokujo
Trainer	Hisashi Shimizu
Jockey	Yutaka Take
Season Record / Earnings	6 starts, 3 wins, 2 seconds, 1 third / ¥ 711,930,000
Career Record / Earnings	14 starts, 8 wins, 2 seconds, 3 thirds / ¥ 1,067,503,000
Principal Wins in 2016	Japan Cup (G1) Tenno Sho (Spring) (G1) Kyoto Daishoten (G2)

Kitasan Black claimed the 2016 Horse of the Year title after for an outstanding season that included two of Japan’s most prestigious G1 titles as well as two close finishes—under 0.1 second—in All-Star G1 events, the Takarazuka Kinen and the Arima Kinen. These combined with another G2 win in the Kyoto Daishoten boosted his total earnings above the billion yen mark and won him 44 votes over 2015 Horse of the Year Maurice for the season’s highest honor.

Kitasan Black won three in a row from his career debut as a three-year-old, including his first grade-race victory, to qualify for the Triple Crown Classics. While still green in the first two legs of the triple, he progressed well during the summer break to win his fall debut, the St. Lite Kinen (G2, 2,200m), and demonstrated both speed and stamina in the 3,000-meter Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger) for his first G1 title. Despite a long hard-fought season, he capped off his three-year-old campaign with a third-place finish against older G1-caliber runners in the 2015 Arima Kinen.

He kicked off 2016, his four-year-old campaign, with a close runner-up finish in the Sankei Osaka Hai and was sent off second favorite in the following Tenno Sho (Spring), where he validated his Kikuka Sho win as a first-class stayer over the 3,200-meter course for his second G1 victory. In the Takarazuka Kinen at the wire he came up just short of holding off a powerful late charge from eventual winner Marialite, as well as 2015 derby winner Duramente, settling for a neck-nose-third. Nevertheless, the colt bounced back in his fall debut to claim the Kyoto Daishoten. He was sent to post race-favorite in his first Japan Cup challenge, where he took advantage of starting from the inner-most stall and, as expected, smoothly secured the front-running position by the first turn and stretched his lead to around four lengths along the backstretch. The field made their bids heading into the straight and closed in, but a confident Yutaka Take calmly allowed Kitasan Black to hit his best stride and never surrender the lead, pulling away strongly from the 300-meter marker to a convincing 2-1/2 length victory.

Finishing his season with another strong runner-up effort as the favorite in the Arima Kinen, Kitasan Black heads into his five-year-old campaign much like last year, beginning with the Sankei Osaka Hai, which will be upgraded to G1 status from 2017.

Satono Ares(JPN)

Video (Satono Ares)
Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes (G1 - English) Video

Age (Foaling)	2 (February 25, 2014)
Sex / Color	Colt / Dark Bay or Brown
Sire	Deep Impact
Dam (Sire of Dam)	Satono Amazones (Danehill)
Owner	Hajime Satomi
Breeder	Hajime Satomi
Trainer	Kazuo Fujisawa
Jockey	Hirofumi Shii
Season Record / Earnings	5 starts, 3 wins, 2 seconds / ¥ 91,347,000
Principal Win in 2016	Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes (G1)

Satono Ares captured this year’s Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes to become the season’s two-year-old champion colt. He is trained by Kazuo Fujisawa, a multiple JRA Award-winning trainer who also saddled Soul Stirring to victory in the fillies’ version of the two-year-old G1 just a week earlier. The son of Deep Impact was runner-up in his first two starts in August and broke his maiden in September before marking another win in the Begonia Sho in November.

Sent to post sixth favorite in the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes, his first grade-race challenge and the season’s only G1 event for two-year-old colts, Satono Ares was unrushed after breaking from an outside draw and bided his time near the rear. Making steady headway on the outside and circling wide into the lane, the dark bay colt produced a powerful turn of speed after entering the homestretch. Passing tiring rivals with the second fastest finish over the last three furlongs, he took the lead 100 meters out and drew away to hold off a strong late challenge from behind.

Satono Ares will kick off his three-year-old campaign in either the Yayoi Sho (G2, 2,000m) on March 5 or the Spring Stakes (G2, 1,800m) on March 19, while also keeping an eye on the first leg of the Triple Crown, the Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas, G1, 2,000m) on April 16.

Soul Stirring(JPN)

Video (Soul Stirring)
Hanshin Juvenile Fillies (G1 - English) Video

Age (Foaling)	2 (February 13, 2014)
Sex / Color	Filly / Dark Bay or Brown
Sire	Frankel
Dam (Sire of Dam)	Stacelita (Monsun)
Owner	Shadai Race Horse Co., Ltd.
Breeder	Shadai Farm
Trainer	Kazuo Fujisawa
Jockey	Christophe Lemaire
Season Record / Earnings	3 starts, 3 wins / ¥ 89,498,000
Principal Win in 2016	Hanshin Juvenile Fillies (G1)

Race-favorite Soul Stirring stamped her claim as the season’s champion two-year-old filly by remaining undefeated after her third career win, a G1 victory nonetheless, in the 2016 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies. The accomplishment also presented the first post-retirement G1 victory to her legendary sire, Frankel, who concluded his racing career in 2012 with 14 wins out of as many career starts, including a still-record streak of nine G1 titles.

Debuting in July, Soul Stirring won her first career start to live up to expectations as one of Frankel’s first offsprings and out of multiple-G1 winner Stacelita (by Monsun), and she then proceeded to win the Ivy Stakes (1,800m) on October 22. After Mi Suerte had become the first Frankel filly to score a grade-race title in Japan, Soul Stirring grabbed the spotlight back in her own first grade-race challenge, the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies. After making a clean break and taking advantage of an inside draw, she stayed near the pace at fourth or fifth along the rails up to the last corner. Edging closer to the leader as she approached the 200-meter pole, she pulled away with ease while holding off a strong charge from behind, covering the mile distance in 1:34.0.

Soul Stirring will start her three-year-old season with the Tulip Sho (G3, 1,600m) on March 4, then she’ll move on to the Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas, G1, 1,600m) on April 9.

Satono Diamond(JPN)

Video (Satono Diamond)
Arima Kinen (The Grand Prix) (G1 - English) Video

Age (Foaling)	3 (January 30, 2013)
Sex / Color	Colt / Bay
Sire	Deep Impact
Dam (Sire of Dam)	Malpensa (Orpen)
Owner	Hajime Satomi
Breeder	Northern Racing
Trainer	Yasutoshi Ikee
Jockey	Christophe Lemaire
Season Record / Earnings	6 starts, 4 wins, 1 second, 1 third / ¥ 660,764,000
Career Record / Earnings	8 starts, 6 wins, 1 second, 1 third / ¥ 674,964,000
Principal Wins in 2016	Arima Kinen (The Grand Prix) (G1) Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger) (G1) Kobe Shimbun Hai (G2) Kisaragi Sho (G3)

Satono Diamond became the first three-year-old in four years, and the 18th overall, to capture the year-end Arima Kinen against a field of older G1 winners. The Deep Impact colt, unbeaten in two starts as a two-year-old after a late debut in November, kicked off the 2016 season with his third win and first grade-race victory in the Kisaragi Sho. As the favorite in the first leg of the Triple Crown, the Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas), he impressively out-finished 2015 Best Two-Year-Old Colt Leontes, but was overtake n by eventual winner Dee Majesty and subsequent Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) winner Makahiki, settling for third place. He almost won the next time out in the Tokyo Yushun, just missing by a nose to Makahiki while holding off Dee Majesty by a half a length. Starting the fall with his second grade-race victory in the Kobe Shimbun Hai, Satono Diamond then conquered the Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger) by unleashing a powerful turn of speed from mid-division to pull away from 200 meters out and claim the last leg of the Triple Crown by comfortable 2-1/2 lengths.

Satono Diamond was sent to post race-favorite in the Arima Kinen, despite facing seniors for the first time after a long competitive season and even though he was the lone three-year-old among a tough field of 16 that included Japan Cup victor Kitasan Black and 2015 Arima Kinen winner Gold Actor. Breaking from stall 11, he traveled wide in mid-division, around eighth, and advanced forward through the first and second corners to sit right behind Kitasan Black entering the backstretch. The son of Deep Impact was given a breather, then advanced as he turned the last two corners to move into third as he faced the last stretch. Chasing relentlessly behind Kitasan Black and Gold Actor as the crowd roared, Satono Diamond somehow found another gear and accelerated in the last 100 meters to pass Gold Actor 50 meters out, and then edged Kitasan Black right before the wire for a thrilling neck victory.

Although an initial plan to challenge the 2016 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe was postponed due to training schedule adjustments, trainer Yasutoshi Ikee is eager to let his fast-rising colt challenge the Arc this coming fall, so he is carefully mapping out a spring program in preparation for the big event.

Sinhalite(JPN)

Video (Sinhalite)
Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) (G1 - English) Video

Age (Foaling)	3 (April 11, 2013)
Sex / Color	Filly / Dark Bay or Brown
Sire	Deep Impact
Dam (Sire of Dam)	Singhalese (Singspiel)
Owner	U. Carrot Farm
Breeder	Northern Racing
Trainer	Sei Ishizaka
Jockey	Kenichi Ikezoe
Season Record / Earnings	5 starts, 4 wins, 1 second / ¥ 279,426,000
Career Record / Earnings	6 starts, 5 wins, 1 second / ¥ 286,426,000
Principal Wins in 2016	Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks, G1) Rose Stakes (G2) Tulip Sho (G3)

Sinhalite was named Best Three-Year-Old Filly of 2016 after registering four wins and a second out of five starts. Her noteworthy achievements during the year included a win in the Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) and a second in the Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas), plus two other grade-race victories.

Breaking her maiden in her only start as a two-year-old, Sinhalite won her first grade-race title in one of the main Oka Sho trials, the Tulip Sho (G3, 1,600m), in March. Racing against a number of potential three-year-old fillies, including subsequent Oka Sho winner Jeweler, she renewed the race record set by Vodka by 0.9 second. In the Oka Sho, the Deep Impact filly demonstrated a powerful turn of speed to pin down 2015 Best Two-Year-Old Filly Major Emblem in the last 200 meters and continued to pull away, but she was caught by the winner in the last blink of an eye, finishing second by a mere two-centimeter margin.

Having already proved herself one of the elite runners of her generation, Sinhalite again put her strength on display as race favorite in the Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks), claiming her first G1 title and second grade-race victory. It also gave trainer Sei Ishizaka his second Yushun Himba title after winning the race with Gentildonna in 2012.

Given a four-month break during the summer, she quickly turned in another strong performance in the Rose Stakes, prior to the last leg of the fillies’ Triple Crown, the Shuka Sho. Regrettably, a tendon injury in her left foreleg in October led to the decision to retire the filly, so she is now beginning a new career as a broodmare.

Marialite(JPN)

Video (Marialite)
Takarazuka Kinen (G1 - English) Video

Age (Foaling)	5 (February 19, 2011)
Sex / Color	Mare / Dark Bay or Brown
Sire	Deep Impact
Dam (Sire of Dam)	Chrysoprase (El Condor Pasa)
Owner	U. Carrot Farm
Breeder	Northern Farm
Trainer	Takashi Kubota
Jockey	Masayoshi Ebina
Season Record / Earnings	6 starts, 1 win, 1 second, 1 third / ¥ 200,768,000
Career Record / Earnings	20 starts, 6 wins, 2 seconds, 5 thirds / ¥ 413,958,000
Principal Win in 2016	Takarazuka Kinen (G1)

Marialite was chosen Best Older Filly or Mare of 2016 with another impressive season following a breakthrough year in 2015, when the late-developing daughter of Deep Impact registered her first G1 victory in the Queen Elizabeth II Cup. Achievements during her five-year-old season include a second G1 victory, this time against top male G1 winners in the Takarazuka Kinen. The dark bay mare broke sharply from an outside draw, traveled wide in mid-division and edged her way forward while turning the last corners, still wide. She made her bid on the homestretch, surging to overtake the defending champion Lovely Day 100 meters out and continuing to accelerate strongly. She passed the subsequent Japan Cup victor Kitasan Black just before the wire while holding off a powerful late charge by Duramente, who had come off a runner-up effort in the Dubai Sheema Classic, for a neck victory. She was also a neck second in the Meguro Kinen and third to 2015 Arima Kinen winner Gold Actor in the Nikkei Sho.

Coming from a superb pedigree that inspired high expectations before her debut, the filly was unable to begin as a two-year-old because she was still physically weak. Although Marialite turned in consistent results during her three-year-old campaign, she was not ready to take on grade-race competition until the spring of her four-year-old season, when she won strongly in two allowance starts and finished second in her first grade race, the Mermaid Stakes (G3, 2,000m). After a fifth-place finish against a mixed field in the All Comers (G2, 2,200m), she bested a field of Japan’s top fillies and mares in the 2015 Queen Elizabeth II Cup. In the race, she advanced along the outside from mid-division and, as the field spread wide going into the stretch, she closed in on the leaders with every stride to take command soon after the furlong pole. Challenged by the fast-closing 2014 Oaks winner Nuovo Record, who had beaten her in their previous start in the All Comers, Marialite’s strong will prevailed and she won by a neck for her first G1 victory.

Capping off the 2015 season with a close fourth in the Arima Kinen, the five-year-old mare continued to excel in the first half of 2016, although she was unable to defend her title in the Queen Elizabeth II Cup.

Her connections announced her retirement as of the end of the 2016 season.

Mikki Isle(JPN)

Video (Mikki Isle)
Mile Championship (G1 - English) Video

Age (Foaling)	5 (March 12, 2011)
Sex / Color	Horse / Bay
Sire	Deep Impact
Dam (Sire of Dam)	Star Isle (Rock of Gibraltar)
Owner	Mizuki Noda
Breeder	Northern Racing
Trainer	Hidetaka Otonashi
Jockey	Suguru Hamanaka
Season Record / Earnings	5 starts, 2 wins, 2 seconds / ¥ 228,469,000
Career Record / Earnings	20 starts, 8 wins, 4 seconds, 1 third / ¥ 529,481,000
Principal Win in 2016	Mile Championship (G1) Hankyu Hai (G3)

Mikki Isle returned to his winning ways to become the Best Sprinter or Miler in 2016. Although recognized as a talented miler from early in his career, the son of Deep Impact had been winless for over a year after disappointing in major mile G1 events, though he managed to fare better at shorter distances. But then the much-favored speedster picked up his form starting his five-year-old season by marking his fifth grade-race title in the Hankyu Hai in February. After two close runner-up efforts in the JRA’s sprint G1 starts, the Takamatsunomiya Kinen and the Sprinters Stakes, Mikki Isle dominated the Mile Championship to stand among the leaders in both the sprint and mile categories.

After a second in his career debut as a two-year-old, the colt broke his maiden with a spectacular wire-to-wire victory, renewing the 1,600-meter record (by a two-year-old) set by two-time Horse of the Year Vodka and leaving the nearest finisher five lengths behind. Another strong performance followed, this time by a comfortable 3-1/2-length margin, prior to his first grade-race victory in the Shinzan Kinen (G3) in his three-year-old debut, which he followed up with a win in the Arlington Cup (G3). Mikki Isle scored his fifth consecutive win over a mile in the 2014 NHK Mile Cup, his first G1 victory, showing he was a potential champion miler. Sent to post second choice behind Just a Way for his first challenge against senior milers in the Yasuda Kinen, he was unable to handle the heavy going his first time out and came up empty, plummeting to 16th after making the pace early. He bounced back with a win in the shorter 1,400-meter Swan Stakes (G2) in the fall, but he was heavily beaten again in the following 2014 Mile Championship. While finishing third and fourth in the Takamatsunomiya Kinen and the Sprinters Stakes, respectively, during his four-year-old campaign, Mikki Isle disappointed with another finish out of the top 10 in the Yasuda Kinen. He also was unsuccessful overseas in the Hong Kong Sprint, finishing seventh.

Raced over a mile for the first time in 18 months in the 2016 Mile Championship, Mikki Isle broke sharply and immediately rushed out to set the pace with Neorealism pressing the pace from the outside. The two five-year-olds dueled fiercely entering the lane and, though the son of Neo Universe took the lead 150 meters out, Mikki Isle found another gear and promptly resumed command while managing to fend off a strong late charge by Isla Bonita to win by a head margin.

Sound True(JPN)

Video (Sound True)
Champions Cup (G1 - English) Video

Age (Foaling)	6 (May 15, 2010)
Sex / Color	Gelding / Chestnut
Sire	French Deputy
Dam (Sire of Dam)	Kyoei Truth (Fuji Kiseki)
Owner	Hiroshi Yamada
Breeder	Okada Stud
Trainer	Noboru Takagi
Jockey	Takuya Ono
Season Record / Earnings	7 starts, 1 win, 1 second, 4 thirds / ¥ 174,634,000
Career Record / Earnings	39 starts, 9 wins, 8 seconds, 13 thirds / ¥ 471,788,000
Principal Wins in 2016	Champions Cup (G1)

Sound True became a well-deserving winner of the 2016 Best Dirt Horse by claiming his second G1 title in the Champions Cup and consistently placing within the money in five other grade-race starts. The son of French Deputy has raced exclusively on dirt to establish himself as a constant threat with a powerful late drive that has proved effective, especially since the latter part of 2015.

Breaking his maiden in his second start as a two-year-old, the talented colt registered 1-5-6 out of 15 starts, including a third-place finish in the graded Unicorn Stakes (G3, dirt, 1,600m) between 2013 and the first half of his four-year-old season. He began to show significant improvement after being gelded in the summer of 2014, landing his third career win in his first start following surgery, then scoring three more wins in the first half of his five-year-old campaign before capturing his first grade-race title in the 2015 Nippon TV Hai in his fall debut. Sound True continued to demonstrate his sharp turn of speed when stepping up to G1 level in his following starts, culminating in his first title at the highest level in the Tokyo Daishoten, which he won in dominating fashion with the fastest finish over the last three furlongs to beat long-standing G1 winners by a convincing 1-3/4 lengths.

While winless in five starts in 2016 prior to the Champions Cup, he consistently finished within the money in all but the Kashiwa Kinen, which was unfavorably short for the middle-distance dirt runner. Sent to post sixth favorite for the 2016 Champions Cup, the gelding was eased back to second from the rear and maintained this rearward position while taking an economic route by the rails. Still hugging the rails when turning for home, the six-year-old angled out for space and unleashed his usual late charge, marking the fastest last three furlong while mowing down his rivals to pin the leader at the wire for a neck victory. He was unable to defend his title in the following Tokyo Daishoten but still exerted his trademark charge to finish third over a track rated muddy.

Sound True will remain in training for his seven-year-old season which will begin with the Kawasaki Kinen on February 1.

Oju Chosan(JPN)

Video (Oju Chosan)
Nakayama Daishogai (J-G1) Video

Age (Foaling)	5 (April 3, 2011)
Sex / Color	Horse / Bay
Sire	Stay Gold
Dam (Sire of Dam)	Shadow Silhouette (Symboli Kris S)
Owner	Chosan Co., Ltd.
Breeder	Naoyoshi Nagayama
Trainer	Shoichiro Wadai
Jockey	Shinichi Ishigami
Season Record / Earnings	5 starts, 4 wins, 1 second / ¥ 208,824,000 *steeplechases only
Career Record / Earnings	15 starts, 7 wins, 2 seconds, 1 third / ¥ 250,924,000 *steeplechases only
Principal Wins in 2016	Nakayama Daishogai (J-G1) Nakayama Grand Jump (J-G1) Tokyo High-Jump (J-G2) Tokyo Jump Stakes (J-G3)

Oju Chosan concluded a spectacular 2016 season with a near perfect score of four wins and a second that included both J-G1 titles and two other graded jump titles, positioning himself as the undisputed JRA Award winner for Best Steeplechase Horse. The five-year-old son of Stay Gold became only the second horse to claim both J-G1 titles in the same year—the first was Up to Date in 2015—including the Nakayama Daishogai in December, when he used his outstanding stamina and speed to keep the pace and then still have plenty left to draw away to an overwhelming nine-length victory.

Winless in two starts on the flat as a two-year-old, the colt was given a year break to restart his racing career over obstacles. He was last in a field of 14 in his jump race debut, but he changed hands to current trainer, Shoichiro Wada, and turned in a runner-up effort in January 2015, followed by two consecutive wins two months later. Progressing well throughout the season, he finished fourth in his first grade-race challenge, the 2015 Tokyo Jump Stakes under Shinichi Ishigami, who has ridden in all his starts since. The pair added another win prior to their first J-G1 challenge in the 2015 Nakayama Daishogai, where the bay raced far behind in 12th and showed good change of speed to improve to sixth at the wire.

Coming off a runner-up effort in March of 2016, Oju Chosan was positioned in the first four as the second favorite in the Nakayama Grand Jump and wore down the pace setter with his exceptional finishing speed to fly past the leader in the last 100 meters and open the gap to 3-1/2 lengths for his first title at the highest level.

Still young for a jumper and with good finishing speed, Oju Chosan continues to attract high expectations towards 2017 in which his trainer has announced will start with the Hanshin Spring Jump (J-G2, 3,900m; Mar.11) and then move on to the Nakayama Grand Jump (Apr.15).

Maurice(JPN)

Video (Maurice)
Tenno Sho (Autumn) (G1 - English) Video

Age (Foaling)	5 (March 2, 2011)
Sex / Color	Colt / Bay
Sire	Screen Hero
Dam (Sire of Dam)	Mejiro Frances (Carnegie)
Owner	Kazumi Yoshida
Breeder	Togawa Bokujo
Trainer	Noriyuki Hori
Jockey	Ryan Moore
Season Record / Earnings	5 starts, 3 wins, 2 seconds / ¥ 568,487,500
Career Record / Earnings	18 starts, 11 wins, 2 seconds, 1 third / ¥ 1,083,685,700
Principal Wins in 2016	Hong Kong Cup (G1) Tenno Sho (Autumn) (G1) Champions Mile (G1)

2015 Horse of the Year Maurice delivered another outstanding season to conclude his sparkling racing career with six G1 titles in everything from a mile to extended distances of 2,000 meters. While falling 44 votes short of Kitasan Black for his second Horse of the Year title, the son of Screen Hero bagged another overseas success in the Champions Mile in May. Although unable to defend his Yasuda Kinen title, finishing second in his comeback start in Japan a month later, the five-year-old bay was runner-up in his first test over 2,000 meters in the Sapporo Kinen and proceeded to mark two G1 wins over the same distance in the Tenno Sho (Autumn) and overseas in the Hong Kong Cup.

Maurice debuted as a two-year-old with a dominating three-length win in record time for a two-year-old at Kyoto under former trainer Naohiro Yoshida. He also scored another win that season, but in the spring of his three-year-old campaign he did not progress as expected and was unable to make the three-year-old Classics. Returning for his four-year-old debut in January under new trainer Noriyuki Hori, the Screen Hero colt transformed into a successful grade-race winner in his third start of the season, the Lord Derby Challenge Trophy (G3, 1,600m), where he broke the race record set by Daiwa Major in 2005 by 0.1 second.

For his next start, he gave another strong performance in his first G1 challenge, the Yasuda Kinen, where he prevailed by a neck to become the first G1 winner sired by Screen Hero. He then validated the win by claiming the Mile Championship with a convincing 1-1/4-length margin. His overseas success in the Hong Kong Mile secured his 2015 awards for both the Horse of the Year title and Best Sprinter or Miler.

Retiring at of the end of 2016, he will begin his stud career at Shadai Stallion Station.