2021 News

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Winners of the 2020 JRA Awards announced

On Jan. 6, Almond Eye was announced as a double winner for the JRA Awards for 2020. Almond Eye won both the Japan Racing Association's Horse of the Year for 2020 and Best Older Filly or Mare award. In the voting for the Horse of the Year award, Almond Eye received 236 votes out of 283.

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.

Note: All information, including ages and race performances, are as of December 31, 2020, unless otherwise indicated.

■RACEHORSES

Almond Eye (JPN)

Video
Victoria Mile (G1 - English)
Tenno Sho (Autumn) (G1 - English)
Japan Cup (G1 – English)

2020 Horse of the Year Connection comments

Owner: Masashi Yonemoto, CEO of Silk Racing Co. Ltd.
“Firstly, let me say that the honor of being chosen Horse of the Year from among many splendid horses and from many stunning races is for me a very great honor. I would like to express my appreciation to, above all, the Kunieda Stable and the farm staffs, and to all who were in any way involved with this horse. Presently, she has retired safely and will begin her career as a broodmare and, at the debut of her first foal, I ask all of you once again for your support.”

Trainer: Sakae Kunieda
“Last year, she won three Grade 1 races and set new records doing so. She ran her heart out and shone brilliantly until the end. I have nothing but gratitude for Almond Eye. And I think it was due to the support of her owner, her breeder and her fans that she was able to be chosen as Horse of the Year.”

Jockey: Christophe Lemaire
“She was strong again last year. She’d shown her great potential as a 2-year-old and put everything into her races until the end. It is wonderful that she was able to race without injury until her retirement. She is a horse I will never forget. It has been a great joy to have ridden her these past 3 years and I am looking forward to meeting her foals.”

 

Best Two-Year-Old Colt:

Danon the Kid (JPN)

Video
Hopeful Stakes (G1 - English)

Best Two-Year-Old Filly:

Sodashi (JPN)

Video
Hanshin Juvenile Fillies (G1 - English)

Best Three-Year-Old Colt:

Contrail (JPN)

Video
Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) (G1 - English)
Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) (G1 - English)
Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger) (G1 - English)

Best Three-Year-Old Filly:

Daring Tact (JPN)

Video
Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) (G1 - English)
Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) (G1 - English)
Shuka Sho (G1 - English)

Best Older Colt or Horse:

Fierement (JPN)

Video
Tenno Sho (Spring) (G1-English)

Best Sprinter or Miler:

Gran Alegria (JPN)

Video
Yasuda Kinen (G1-English)
Sprinters Stakes (G1 – English)
Mile Championship (G1-English)

Best Dirt Horse:

Chuwa Wizard (JPN)

Video
Champions Cup (G1 - English)

Best Steeplechase Horse:

Meisho Dassai (JPN)

Video
Nakayama Daishogai (J-G1)

Special Award:

Chrono Genesis (JPN)

■TRAINERS & JOCKEYS

*Best Trainer (races won): Yoshito Yahagi (60 wins)
*Best Trainer (winning average): Yasuo Tomomichi (0.188)
*Best Trainer (money earned): Yoshito Yahagi (2,261,460,000 Yen)
*Best Trainer (training technique): Yoshito Yahagi
Special Award: Kazuo Fujisawa

JRA Best Jockey (races won): Christophe Lemaire (204 wins)
JRA Best Jockey (winning average): Yuga Kawada (0.281%)
JRA Best Jockey (money earned): Christophe Lemaire (4,539,130,000 Yen)
**MVJ (Most Valuable Jockey): Christophe Lemaire (54 points)
Best Steeplechase Jockey: Kazuma Mori
Best Jockey (newcomer): None

*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.

 

■JRA Equine Cultural Award

Winning work: “Nihon no Uma: Hito to Tomo ni Ikiru:”
                         The Horses of Japan: Living Together with People

Award recipient: Misao Takakusa

Recipient profile
Misao Takakusa is a freelance photographer from Tokyo. After graduating Aoyama Gakuin University, she pursued her main theme of “Horses of Japan” in photographing the country’s native horses and the ancient horse-breeding area of Tono in Iwate Prefecture. She has contributed numerous articles and photographs to a number of publications and has been responsible for the editing and publication of The Tono Horse Report, or “Tono Uma Tsushin,” a newsletter devoted to Tono-bred horses. Takakusa was the first person to receive the Tono City Horse Culture Award.

Synopsis of winning work
In composing her highly memorable work, the author traveled to areas where native horses of Japan live today and share deep bonds with the land and the people. Her photographs are interwoven with tales of the relationship between these horses and man from ancient times in such a way as to bridge the past with the future.

(Note)
The JRA Equine Cultural Award recognizes 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.

 

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Results of the 2020 JRA Awards (Total Votes: 283)

Horse of the Year

Place	Horse	Votes
1	Almond Eye	236
2	Contrail	44
3	Gran Alegria	2
4	Daring Tact	1
Total		283

Best Two-Year-Old Colt

Place	Horse	Votes
1	Danon the Kid	262
2	Grenadier Guards	21
Total		283

Best Two-Year-Old Filly

Place	Horse	Votes
1	Sodashi	283
Total		283

Best Three-Year-Old Colt

Place	Horse	Votes
1	Contrail	283
Total		283

Best Three-Year-Old Filly

Place	Horse	Votes
1	Daring Tact	283
Total		283

Best Older Colt or Horse

Place	Horse	Votes
1	Fierement	241
2	None	18
3	Danon Smash	12
4	Chrysoberyl	7
5	Chuwa Wizard	4
6	Meisho Dassai	1
Total		283

Best Older Filly or Mare

Place	Horse	Votes
1	Almond Eye	281
2	Gran Alegria	2
Total		283

Best Sprinter or Miler

Place	Horse	Votes
1	Gran Alegria	282
2	Almond Eye	1
Total		283

Best Dirt Horse

Place	Horse	Votes
1	Chuwa Wizard	186
2	Chrysoberyl	85
3	Mozu Ascot	4
3	None	4
5	Omega Perfume	2
6	Arctos	1
6	Danon Pharaoh	1
Total		283

Best Steeplechase Horse

Place	Horse	Votes
1	Meisho Dassai	199
2	Oju Chosan	81
3	None	3
Total		283