2004 was a landmark year for the JRA, marking its 50th year's anniversary. Various events were held to celebrate this "Golden Jubilee Year". For example, two Grade I races, the Japan Cup Turf (G1) and the Japan Cup Dirt (JPN G1), were held on the same day for the first time in JRA History.

(NAR, the National Association of Racing, had already held its JBC Classic (JPN G1) and JBC Sprint (JPN G1) on the same day since 2001).

Also throughout the year, we recollected the legendary horses in the 50 years history of Japanese horseracing by running races named after Hall of Famers and Horse-of-the-Year winners on weekly basis.

At the end of June, the ITC (Intercontinental Thoroughbred Classifications) Meeting was held at the Hanshin Racecourse in Takarazuka, Hyogo, which was the first international handicappers' meeting ever held in Japan. In the past, the ratings had been decided at either the ITC or IC (International Classifications), however these two have been incorporated into the newly founded body, i.e. the World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings Conference, which will publish the World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings twice a year. Accordingly, the JPN Classifications was also changed to "JPN Thoroughbred Rankings".

In 2004, four races were newly entitled the Part 1 status -- The Yasuda Kinen (G1), Mile Championship (G1), Osaka Hai (G2), and Milers Cup (G2).

[2-year-olds]

Compared to 2years old in previous years, 2004 was probably not remembered as an impressive year for 2 years old division.

The top ranked Miner Recolte (JPN) won the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes (JPN GI) in record time, and became the champion 2-year-old with 4 wins out of 5 starts. The champion filly was Shonan Peintre (JPN), winner of the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies (JPN GI). In the dirt division, the champion was Pride Kim (JPN), who won handily the Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun (JPN GI).

[3-year-olds]

Standing at the pinnacle in the spring season was King Kamehameha (JPN). This horse easily won the NHK Mile Cup (JPN GI) by 5 lengths to spare, and then also won the Tokyo Yushun (the Japanese Derby, JPN GI) in record time. Trainer Kunihide Matsuda, who has devoted himself to the goal of winning mile and champion distance races (2,400m) by the same horse at the Tokyo Racecourse, finally made his dream come true, the dream that Kurofune (USA) and Tanino Gimlet (JPN), both trained by Matsuda had failed to achieve in the past. King Kamehameha (JPN) duly went on to win his first outing in fall, The Kobe Shimbun Hai (JPN G2), and gave racing fans much expectation and promise for the forthcoming battles with older horses. But then a leg injury put him into retirement.

A horse that successfully aroused much interest among the racing public throughout the year was the NAR trained Cosmo Bulk (JPN). He ran all the Triple Crown races, finishing 2nd in the Satsuki Sho (the Japanese 2000 Guineas, JPN GI), and was always well supported by fans. His highest figure in 2004 was 117 pounds which he achieved when finishing 2nd in the Japan Cup.

Came fall, there was another improving colt; that was Delta Blues (JPN) who kept on showing much improvement during the second half of 2004. After winning the Kikuka Sho (the Japanese St. Leger, JPN GI) as a long shot, he kept on improving by finishing 3rd in the Japan Cup.

As for fillies, all GI races for 3-year-old fillies had different winners. First of all, Dance in The Mood (JPN), who scored the triumph in the Oka Sho (the Japanese 1000 Guineas, JPN GI), then was shipped out to the US where she finished 2nd to Ticker Tape (GB) in the American Oaks (G1) that was run in the Hollywood Park. She also ran well against the elder horses to finish 2nd in both the Tenno Sho (Autumn) (JPN GI) and the Mile Championship (G1) in autumn to be the top ranked 3years old fillies. As for the other two Grade I races in this division, the Yushun Himba (the Japanese Oaks, JPN GI) was won by Daiwa el Cielo (JPN) while Sweep Tosho (JPN) won the Shuka Sho (JPN GI).

In the 3-year-old dirt division, Personal Rush (USA) won the Derby Grand Prix (JPN GI) by a 9-length with the record time, while NAR trained Adjudi Mitsuo (JPN) beat off older challengers to win the Tokyo Daishoten (JPN GI). These two were the equally top ranked horses in this division at 114 pounds. Personal Rush (USA) also battled well for 6th place to Ghostzapper (USA) in the Breeders' Cup Classic (GI) in the Lone Star Park.

[4-Year-olds & Up]

As was the case last year, the leading trainer Kazuo Fujisawa again produced the Horse of the Year in Zenno Rob Roy (JPN). Although he failed to prove his talent against very tough competitors in the spring season, in the second half this horse was victorious in the Tenno Sho (Autumn), the Japan Cup, and the Arima Kinen (the Grand Pix, JPN G1) -- top-level G1 races for older horses -- finishing the year with three successive wins. His ratings in these three races was, respectively, 119, 122, and 120, making him the top ranked horse in the I-L category in Japan. He also became the second horse, since T.M. Opera O (JPN) in 2000, to win the winning bonus for the autumn Triple Crown series for older horses (200 million yen, or about 1.94 million US dollars).

He was ridden by O. Peslier, the French Top Rider, and he was the first Jockey who has ever won the Arima Kinen in three years in row. The horse will continue his racing career in 2005, when we can expect even Greater things from him.

2003 Japan Cup winner Tap Dance City (USA) also scored the triumph in the Takarazuka Kinen (G1). In autumn, he was shipped out to France to challenge for the Arc de Triomphe (G1), but, with some problems with his travel arrangements, he finished poor 17th. Back in Japan, however, he once again showed his true talent in the Arima Kinen (JPN G1), in which he finished close 2nd place.

In the Mile category, the 2003 Best Sprinter/Miler, Durandal (JPN), had to settle for 2nd place in the sprint races (the Takamatsunomiya Kinen and the Sprinters Stakes), but later on won the Mile Championship (G1) with a strong final spurt, winning this race two years in row.

The spring sprint champion Sunningdale (JPN) and autumn sprint champion Calstone Light O (JPN) both ran in the Hong Kong Sprint (G1), but they finished poorly and were huge disappointments.

In 2004, a total of 17 Japanese-trained horses ran in overseas Group/Grade or listed races, but the best performance was achieved by Dance in the Mood (JPN), runner-up in the American Oaks. This was the first time in last 6 years where Japanese horses have failed to win Group/Grade races in overseas.

In the older horses dirt division, Admire Don (JPN) again had a successful year, winning three dirt GI races in the February Stakes (JPN G1), Teio Sho (JPN G1), and JBC Classic (JPN G1). However, as the representative from Japan in the Dubai World Cup (G1), he could only finish 8th to Pleasantly Perfect (USA), revealing only too clearly how difficult it is to adjust to overseas dirt racing.

The Japan Cup Dirt (JPN GI) was won by Admire Don's stablemate Time Paradox (JPN). His jockey, Yutaka Take, broke his own record for the most wins in a year (except overseas and NAR), which he extended from 204 to 211.