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January 7, 2015

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Winners of the 2014 JRA Awards announced

On January 6, Gentildonna was announced as a double winner for the JRA Awards for 2014. Gentildonna won both the Japan Racing Association's Horse of the Year for 2014 and Best Older Filly or Mare award. Gentildonna dominated the voting for the Horse of the Year award with 231 votes out of 285. Just a Way and Epiphaneia had received 51 and one 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 26.

Note: All information, including ages and race performances, are as of December 31, 2014, unless otherwise indicated.

■RACEHORSES

Horse of the Year and Best Older Filly or Mare:

Gentildonna (JPN)

5-Year-Old, Bay, Mare
Sire
Dam (Sire of Dam)
Deep Impact
Donna Blini (Bertolini)
Owner Sunday Racing Co. Ltd.
Trainer Sei Ishizaka
Jockey Keita Tosaki
Breeder Northern Racing
Wins / Starts in 2014 2 / 6 (Oversea 1 / 1)
Earnings in 2014 609,167,000 Yen
(Oversea 313,715,000 Yen)
Principal Wins in 2014 Arima Kinen (The Grand Prix) (G1)
Dubai Sheema Classic (UAE, G1)

Video
Arima Kinen (The Grand Prix) (G1 - English) play

2014 Horse of the Year - Gentildonna - Connection Comments

Owner: Sunday Racing Co. Ltd., Shunsuke Yoshida, representative
“It is a great honor for Gentildonna to have been selected as Horse of the Year. Last year, Gentildonna captured the Dubai Sheema Classic (G1) in the spring and held off a powerful field in her final race, the Arima Kinen (The Grand Prix) (G1), to add a magnificent finishing touch of perfection. I want to express my thanks for her having been able to end, without mishap, a career of over three years as racehorse and, after it all, receive an award such as this.”

Trainer: Sei Ishizaka
“I believe this award is in recognition of her performance over the entire year. After winning the Dubai Sheema Classic (G1) in the spring, she failed to win two races in the autumn at Tokyo, and then, with her aimed for the Arima Kinen (The Grand Prix) (G1), there was much talk regarding it being her first time at Nakayama Racecourse and of whether she could handle a right-handed track and other such, but she defied it all, and I believe her winning the Arima Kinen had a great impact. I want to express my appreciation to all those fans who supported her through to the end.”

Jockey: Keita Tosaki
“I think it is an honor to have been named the Horse of the Year in her retirement year, and I feel very happy to have been able to ride this horse. She has retired, but I believe she will, as a broodmare, give us many fine offspring. I hope they will have your support and I myself would like very much to be able to ride some of them.”


Best Two-Year-Old Colt:

Danon Platina (JPN)

2-Year-Old, Gray, Colt
Sire
Dam (Sire of Dam)
Deep Impact
Badeelah (Unbridled's Song)
Owner Danox Co. Ltd.
Trainer Sakae Kunieda
Jockey Masayoshi Ebina
Breeder Chiyoda Farm Shizunai
Wins / Starts in 2014 3 / 4
Earnings in 2014 89,147,000 Yen
Principal Wins in 2014 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes (G1)

Video
Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes (G1 - English) PLAY

Best Two-Year-Old Filly:

Shonan Adela (JPN)

2-Year-Old, Bay, Filly
Sire
Dam (Sire of Dam)
Deep Impact
Always Willing (Elusive Quality)
Owner Tetsuhide Kunimoto
Trainer Yoshitaka Ninomiya
Jockey Masayoshi Ebina
Breeder Shimokobe Farm
Wins / Starts in 2014 3 / 4
Earnings in 2014 84,175,000 Yen
Principal Wins in 2014 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies (G1)

Video
Hanshin Juvenile Fillies (G1 - English) PLAY

Best Three-Year-Old Colt:

Isla Bonita (JPN)

3-Year-Old, Dark Bay, Colt
Sire
Dam (Sire of Dam)
Fuji Kiseki
Isla Cozzene (Cozzene)
Owner Shadai Race Horse Co. Ltd.
Trainer Hironori Kurita
Jockey Masayoshi Ebina
Breeder Shadai Corporation Inc
Wins / Starts in 2014 3 / 6
Earnings in 2014 341,798,000 Yen
Principal Wins in 2014 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) (G1)

Video
Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) (G1 - English) PLAY

Best Three-Year-Old Filly:

Harp Star (JPN)

3-Year-Old, Bay, Filly
Sire
Dam (Sire of Dam)
Deep Impact
Historic Star (Falbrav)
Owner Carrot Farm
Trainer Hiroyoshi Matsuda
Jockey Yuga Kawada
Breeder Northern Farm
Wins / Starts in 2014 3 / 6 (Oversea 0 / 1)
Earnings in 2014 290,231,000 Yen
Principal Wins in 2014 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) (G1)

Video
Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) (G1 - English) PLAY

Best Older Colt or Horse:

Just a Way (JPN)

5-Year-Old, Bay, Horse
Sire
Dam (Sire of Dam)
Heart's Cry
Sibyl (Wild Again)
Owner Akatsuki Yamatoya
Trainer Naosuke Sugai
Jockey Yuichi Fukunaga
Breeder Shadai Corporation Inc.
Wins / Starts in 2014 3 / 6 (Oversea 1 / 2)
Earnings in 2014 609,483,000 Yen
(Oversea 313,715,000 Yen)
Principal Wins in 2014 Dubai Duty Free (UAE, G1)
Yasuda Kinen (G1)

Video
Yasuda Kinen (G1 - English) PLAY

Best Sprinter or Miler:

Snow Dragon (JPN)

6-Year-Old, Gray, Horse
Sire
Dam (Sire of Dam)
Admire Cozzene
Meine Caprice (Tayasu Tsuyoshi)
Owner Makio Okada
Trainer Noboru Takagi
Jockey Takuya Ono
Breeder Meiwa Iwami Bokujo
Wins / Starts in 2014 2 / 8 (NAR 0 /1, Oversea 0 / 1)
Earnings in 2014 178,861,000 Yen
(NAR 4,400,000 Yen)
Principal Wins in 2014 Sprinters Stakes (G1)

Video
Sprinters Stakes (G1 - English) PLAY

Best Dirt Horse:

Hokko Tarumae (JPN)

5-Year-Old, Bay, Horse
Sire
Dam (Sire of Dam)
King Kamehameha
Madam Cherokee (Cherokee Run)
Owner Michiaki Yabe
Trainer Katsuichi Nishiura
Jockey Hideaki Miyuki
Breeder Ichikawa Farm
Wins / Starts in 2014 3 / 6
(NAR 2/ 3, Oversea 0 / 1)
Earnings in 2014 273,574,000 Yen
(NAR 137,200,000 Yen)
Principal Wins in 2014 Champions Cup (G1)
Kawasaki Kinen
Tokyo Daishoten (G1)

Video
Champions Cup (G1 - English) PLAY

Best Steeplechase Horse:

Apollo Maverick (JPN)

5-Year-Old, Bay, Horse
Sire
Dam (Sire of Dam)
Apollo Kingdom
Omega Fastar (Theatrical)
Owner Apollo Thoroughbred Club
Trainer Masahiro Horii
Jockey Yusuke Igarashi
Breeder Apollo Thoroughbred Club
Wins / Starts in 2014 2 / 5 (flat race 0 / 1)
Earnings in 2014 106,788,000 Yen
Principal Wins in 2014 Nakayama Grand Jump (J-G1)

Video
Nakayama Grand Jump (J-G1) PLAY


■TRAINERS & JOCKEYS

*Best Trainer (races won): Yoshito Yahagi (56 wins)

*Best Trainer (winning average): Kazuo Fujisawa (0.170%)

*Best Trainer (money earned): Katsuhiko Sumii (1,817,684,400 Yen)

*Best Trainer (training technique): Katsuhiko Sumii

JRA Best Jockey (races won): Keita Tosaki (146 wins)

JRA Best Jockey (winning average): Yuga Kawada (0.166%)

JRA Best Jockey (money earned): Yasunari Iwata (2,878,528,000 Yen)

**MVJ - Most Valuable Jockey: Keita Tosaki 56 points

Best Steeplechase Jockey: Shinya Kitazawa (12 wins)

Best Jockey (newcomer): Fuma Matsuwaka (47 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.

■2014 JRA Equine Cultural Award

Winner: “The Golden Journey: A Horse Beyond Imagination – the Story of Stay Gold (book)

Recipient: Toshinori Ishida

Recipient Profile: Toshinori Ishida – Born in Tokyo in 1966. Graduated Waseda University, Dept. of Literature, Literary Arts. Worked at Sankei Sports newspaper as a racing reporter and, from 1993, as a freelance writer.

Winner Summary: Stay Gold, winning in Hong Kong his first G1 in the last race of his career, went to stud with no great promise of success for his future. But, delivering us such horses as Orfevre, Gold Ship and Fenomeno, Stay Gold is now one of Japan’s leading stallions. This non-fiction work follows his tracks through the ties of blood.

Reason for Recognition: The book, amid the somewhat difficult concept of “pedigree,” and through the story of the stallion Stay Gold, depicts the capabilities of a horse and the pleasures of racing as seen from the perspective of pedigree and does so in terms easily understandable even by those not familiar with racing. The book is lauded due to its ability to stir wide interest in racing and pedigree.

(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.

■2014 JRA Equine Cultural Award - Award of Merit

Winner: The Jockey Club (UK)

Reason for Recognition:
 The Jockey Club, in line with the 60th anniversary of the founding of the JRA, has given permission to exhibit 10 artworks (oil paintings) from the club’s treasured collection in a special exhibit at the Tokyo Racecourse Racing Museum in the town of Fuchu.Entitled "JRA 60th Anniversary Special Exhibition "Treasured Paintings of the Jockey Club"," the selected paintings include highly prized works of historical and artistic value and will surely be equally prized by lovers of fine art, and, as evidence once again of the high level of racing culture, are sure to deepen interest and further the understanding of racing.
 The special lending of these paintings are also evidence of the over 150 years of Jockey Club’s close support, not only of the JRA but of the development of modern racing in Japan. This award recognizes the great contributions made to the development and promotion of Japan’s equine culture.



Results of the 2014 JRA Awards (Total Votes: 285)

Horse of the Year
Place Horse Votes
1 Gentildonna (JPN) 231
2 Just a Way (JPN) 51
3 None 2
4 Epiphaneia (JPN) 1
Total   285

Best Two-Year-Old Colt
Place Horse Votes
1 Danon Platina (JPN) 285
Total   285

Best Two-Year-Old Filly
Place Horse Votes
1 Shonan Adela (JPN) 285
Total   285

Best Three-Year-Old Colt
Place Horse Votes
1 Isla Bonita (JPN) 170
2 One and Only (JPN) 109
3 Toho Jackal (JPN) 4
4 None 2
Total   285

Best Three-Year-Old Filly
Place Horse Votes
1 Harp Star (JPN) 170
2 Nuovo Record (JPN) 112
3 None 2
4 Shonan Pandora (JPN) 1
Total   285

Best Older Colt or Horse
Place Horse Votes
1 Just a Way (JPN) 242
2 Epiphaneia (JPN) 31
3 Gold Ship (JPN) 11
4 None 1
Total   285

Best Older Filly or Mare
Place Horse Votes
1 Gentildonna (JPN) 285
Total   285

Best Sprinter or Miler
Place Horse Votes
1 Snow Dragon (JPN) 193
2 Copano Richard (JPN) 34
3 Just a Way (JPN) 32
4 Mikki Isle (JPN) 12
4 None 12
6 Copano Rickey (JPN) 2
 Total   285

Best Dirt Horse
Place Horse Votes
1 Hokko Tarumae (JPN) 276
2 Copano Rickey (JPN) 9
Total   285

Best Steeplechase Horse
Place Horse Votes
1 Apollo Maverick (JPN) 179
2 Red Kingdom (JPN) 103
3 None 3
Total   285