Just A Way (Japanese ジャスタウェイ, foaled 8 March 2009) is a Japanese

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are c ...

racehorse Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic pr ...

. After showing useful, but unexceptional form in his early career he emerged as a major talent with a win in the 2013 Autumn edition of the

Tenno Sho The is a horse race held twice a year in Japan, once in the spring and once in the autumn. "Tenno" means "Emperor of Japan". The races are both International Grade I races. Prior to the 2007 races, both Tenno Sho races were Japanese domestic Gr ...

. In March 2014 he ran outside Japan for the first time and won the

Dubai Duty Free Dubai Duty Free (DDF) is the company responsible for the duty-free operations at Dubai International Airport and Al Maktoum International Airport. Founded in December 1983, DDF recorded first-year sales of US$20 million and has grown into one ...

by more than six

lengths Length is a measure of distance. In the International System of Quantities, length is a quantity with dimension distance. In most systems of measurement a base unit for length is chosen, from which all other units are derived. In the Intern ...

. By April 2014 he was the top-rated horse in the world and retained his position throughout the year.

Background

Just A Way is a bay horse with a white

star A star is an astronomical object comprising a luminous spheroid of plasma (physics), plasma held together by its gravity. The List of nearest stars and brown dwarfs, nearest star to Earth is the Sun. Many other stars are visible to the naked ...

and white

socks A sock is a piece of clothing worn on the feet and often covering the ankle or some part of the calf. Some types of shoes or boots are typically worn over socks. In ancient times, socks were made from leather or matted animal hair. In the late ...

on his hind legs bred in

Hokkaido is Japan's second largest island and comprises the largest and northernmost prefecture, making up its own region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō from Honshu; the two islands are connected by the undersea railway Seikan Tunnel. The la ...

by the Shadai Corporation. He was from the second crop of foals sired by Heart's Cry a horse whose wins included the

Arima Kinen The Arima Kinen (有馬記念) is a Grade I flat horse race in Japan open to Thoroughbreds which are three-years-old or above and the world's largest betting horserace.

and the

Dubai Sheema Classic The Dubai Sheema Classic is a Group 1 flat horse race in the United Arab Emirates open to thoroughbreds which are four-years-old or above. It is run over a distance of 2,400 metres (approximately miles; 2410 metres since 2010) on the turf track at ...

. His dam, Sibyl was a Japanese-bred daughter of the

Breeders' Cup Classic The Breeders' Cup Classic is a Grade I Weight for Age thoroughbred horse race for 3-year-olds and older run at a distance of on dirt. It is held annually at a different racetrack as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships in late October o ...

winner

Wild Again Wild, wild, wilds or wild may refer to: Common meanings * Wild animal * Wilderness, a wild natural environment * Wildness, the quality of being wild or untamed Art, media and entertainment Film and television * ''Wild'' (2014 film), a 2014 A ...

and the CCA Oaks winner

Charon In Greek mythology, Charon or Kharon (; grc, Χάρων) is a psychopomp, the ferryman of Hades, the Greek underworld. He carries the souls of those who have been given funeral rites across the rivers Acheron and Styx, which separate the wo ...

. As a descendant of the broodmare Venturesome, Charon was distantly related to several major winners including Silver Patriarch,

Touch Gold Touch Gold (foaled May 26, 1994 in Kentucky) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known as the winner of the Classic Belmont Stakes, in which he ended Silver Charm's bid for the U.S. Triple Crown. Background Sired by Canadian Horse Raci ...

Discreet Cat Discreet Cat is a thoroughbred race horse. As a foal of 2003 (May 1), the bay colt won the UAE Derby in March 2006. He was then shipped to the United States, but did not race in the Kentucky Derby or any other Triple Crown races. Connections D ...

With Approval With Approval (May 9, 1986 – June 21, 2010) was a Thoroughbred racehorse who won the Canadian Triple Crown in 1989 under jockey Don Seymour. Even though he missed the rest of his three-year-old season due to injury, he was named th ...

and

Izvestia ''Izvestia'' ( rus, Известия, p=ɪzˈvʲesʲtʲɪjə, "The News") is a daily broadsheet newspaper in Russia. Founded in 1917, it was a newspaper of record in the Soviet Union until the Soviet Union's dissolution in 1991, and describes ...

. In July 2010, the

yearling Yearling may refer to: *Yearling (horse), a horse between one and two years old *''The Yearling ''The Yearling'' is a novel by American writer Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, published in March 1938. It was the main selection of the Book of the Mo ...

was consigned by the Shiraoi Farm to the JRHA Select Sale and was bought for 12 million yen by Akatsuki Yamatoya. The name came from that of a toy in episode 32 of the

anime is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...

series

Gintama is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hideaki Sorachi. It was serialized in Shueisha's ''shōnen'' manga magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' from December 2003 to September 2018, later in ''Jump Giga'' from December 2 ...

, the script for which was written by Yamatoya and would later be used for a spear used by a monster in episode 37 of the

tokusatsu is a Japanese term for live action film or television drama that makes heavy use of practical special effects. ''Tokusatsu'' entertainment mainly refers to science fiction, War film, war, fantasy, or Horror film, horror media featuring such te ...

series Ressha Sentai ToQger, which Yamatoya also wrote that episode.

Racing career

2011: two-year-old season

Just A Way made a successful debut on 23 July 2011 when he won a

maiden race In horse racing a maiden race is an event for horses that have not won a race. Horses that have not won a race are referred to as maidens. Maiden horse races are held over a variety of distances and under conditions with eligibility based on the se ...

over 1600 metres at Niigata Racecourse. He was moved up to Grade 3 level at the same course in September and finished second when 7/10 favourite for the Niigata Nisai Stakes. On his final appearance of the season he finished fourth behind

Deep Brillante Deep Brillante (Japanese ディープブリランテ foaled 8 May 2009) is a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. He showed very promising form in 2011 when he won both of his races including the Grade 3 Tokyo Sports Hai Nisai Stakes. In t ...

in the Tokyo Sports Hai Nisai Stakes Grade 3 at

Tokyo Racecourse is located in Fuchu, Tokyo, Japan. Built in 1933 for horse racing, it is considered the "racecourse of racecourses" in Japanese horseracing. It has a capacity of 223,000, with seating for 13,750. Tokyo Racecourse hosts numerous G1 (Grade 1) r ...

in November.

2012: three-year-old season

In February 2012, Just A Way finished fourth in the Grade 3 Kisaragi Sho and then recorded his first important success when winning the Grade 3 Arlington Cup over one mile at

Hanshin Racecourse is located in Takarazuka, Hyogo, Japan. It has a capacity of 139,000 and it is used for horse racing. The land was originally owned by Kawanishi Aircraft Company, which manufactured combat planes during World War II. After the World War II, GH ...

. He was then moved up to Grade 1 class in May and finished unplaced in both the

NHK Mile Cup The NHK Mile Cup () is a Grade 1 flat horse race in Japan for three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies, run over a distance of 1,600 metres (approximately one mile) on the turf at Tokyo Racecourse in May. The NHK Mile Cup is sponsored by ...

and the

Japanese Derby Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspo ...

. After a break of four months, Just A Way returned in autumn to finish second in the Grade 2 Mainichi Okan and sixth in the

2013: four-year-old season

Just A Way was beaten in his first five races, competing in Grade 2 and Grade 3 races. He finished third in the Nikkan Sports Sho and second in the Epsom Cup, Sekiya Kinen and Mainichi Okan. On 27 October, Just A Way started at odds of 14.5/1 for the Grade 1 Tenno Sho over ten furlongs at Tokyo. The

Japanese Horse of the Year The Japanese Horse of the Year is the highest honor given in Japanese thoroughbred horse racing. It is awarded annually by the Japan Racing Association (JRA). Since 1987 the honor has been part of the JRA Awards. This award originally started as p ...

Gentildonna is a retired Japanese thoroughbred racehorse. In 2012 she won the Japanese Fillies Triple Crown and was voted Japanese Horse of the Year. She was also the first three-year-old filly to win the Japan Cup, in 2012, and the following year became th ...

started favourite for the race ahead of Tokei Halo and Eishin Flash who had won the race in the previous year. Ridden by Yuichi Fukunaga, Just A Way was not among the early leaders but began to make progress with a quarter of a mile left to run. He took the lead a furlong from the finish and drew clear in the closing stages to win by four

from Gentildonna in "impressive" style. After the race Fukunaga said: "In his previous race I felt he was getting stronger, so I expected his success today."

2014: five-year-old season

Just A Way began his fourth season in the Nakayama Kinen on 3 March and won by three and a half lengths from Archimedes. He was then sent to Dubai where he started 3/1 favourite for the

over nine furlongs at

Meydan Racecourse Meydan Racecourse is a racecourse in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The grandstand is over a mile in length, and can accommodate over 60,000 spectators. Meydan opened on 27 March 2010, replacing Nad Al Sheba Racecourse, which formerly occupi ...

. His opponents included the British mares The Fugue and Dank as well as runners from South Africa, France, Dubai and Hong Kong. He was restrained towards the rear of the field by Fukunaga before moving forward in the straight. He took the lead a furlong and a half from the finish and accelerated clear to win by six and a quarter lengths from the South African horse Vercingetorix with Dank in third place. Fukunaga commented: "That was amazing. The start didn't go as I hoped it would and I had to change my plan but it all worked out for me". On his return to Japan, Just A Way was moved back in distance for the Yasuda Kinen over 1600 metres at Tokyo on 8 June. Despite doubts about his ability to cope with the soft turf he was made 7/10 favourite against sixteen opponents, with

Yoshitomi Shibata (born July 30, 1966, in Tōhoku, Aomori) is a Japanese Horse racing jockey. He was a three-time champion jockey of Kantō, riding 2000 victories in his career. He comes from a racing family; most notably his uncle , who was a prolific jockey ...

taking over from the suspended Fukunaga. He looked likely to be beaten in the straight as the 147/1 outsider Grand Prix Boss established a clear lead, but produced a strong finish to take the lead in the last stride and win by a nose. In autumn, Just A Way was one of three Japanese horses, the others being

Gold Ship Gold Ship ( ja, ゴールドシップ, link=no) is a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse. In a racing career which began in July 2011, he ran twenty-eight times and won thirteen races. As a two-year-old in 2011, he won his two of his four races. In ...

and

Harp Star Harp Star ( ja, ハープスター, link=no, foaled 24 April 2011) is a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse. She was one of the leading two-year-old fillies in Japan in 2013 when she won the Niigata Nisai Stakes and was narrowly beaten in the Hansh ...

, sent to Europe to contest the 93rd running of the

Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp Racecourse in Paris, France, over a distance ...

Longchamp Racecourse The Longchamp Racecourse (french: Hippodrome de Longchamp) is a 57 hectare horse-racing facility located on the Route des Tribunes at the Bois de Boulogne in Paris, France. It is used for flat racing and is noted for its variety of interlaced tr ...

. Racing over a distance of 2400 metres for the first time for more than two and a half years, he started the 8/1 fifth choice in the betting behind

Taghrooda Taghrooda (foaled 27 January 2011) is an Irish bred British trained Thoroughbred racehorse. In 2014 she won the classic Oaks Stakes and went on to win Britain's premier weight-for-age race, the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. She subse ...

Avenir Certain Avenir Certain (foaled 30 April 2011) is a French Thoroughbred racehorse who was unbeaten until racing in the 2014 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. She only raced twice as a two-year-old, and after winning one minor race in 2014, she won the Group 1 P ...

Ectot Ectot (foaled 8 February 2011) is a French Thoroughbred racehorse. After finishing second on his debut, he won his remaining four starts as a two-year-old in 2013 including the Prix des Chênes and the Critérium International. In the following ...

and Harp Star. He raced in mid-division before making some progress in the straight but never looked likely to win and finished eighth of the twenty runners, five lengths behind the winner Treve. On his return to Japan, Just A Way continued to compete over longer distances and started third favourite behind

and Harp Star for the Japan Cup on 30 October. He finished second of the eighteen runners, four lengths behind the winner Epiphaneia. On his final racecourse appearance, Just A Way was stepped up in distance again for the

Arima Kinen The Arima Kinen (有馬記念) is a Grade I flat horse race in Japan open to Thoroughbreds which are three-years-old or above and the world's largest betting horserace.

over 2500 metres on 28 December and started third favourite behind Gold Ship and Epiphaneia. After being held up at the back of the field by Fukunaga he made progress on the outside in the straight but was unable to reach the leaders and finished fourth behind Gentildonna, To The World and Gold Ship.

Assessment and awards

In the April edition of the

World's Best Racehorse Rankings The Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings (LWBRR), known as World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings (WTRR) before 2012, are horseracing's equivalent to World Rankings by other major sporting organizations such as ATP Tennis Rankings, World Golf R ...

Just A Way was placed first, five pounds ahead of

Game On Dude Game On Dude (foaled April 26, 2007 in Kentucky) is a retired American Thoroughbred racehorse gelding. He won fourteen graded stakes races, including eight Grade I stakes: the Santa Anita Handicap in 2011, 2013, and 2014 the only horse to have won ...

. His rating of 130 was the highest achieved so early in the year since

Curlin Curlin (foaled March 25, 2004, in Kentucky) is an American Thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse who was the American Horse of the Year in both 2007 and 2008. He retired in 2008 as the highest North American money earner with over US$10.5 ...

in 2008. In the polling for the 2014

JRA Award The is given annually since 1987 by the Japan Racing Association (JRA) to the outstanding horses and people in Japanese Thoroughbred horse racing. The awards originally started as the in 1954 and since 1972 the {{Nihongo, Yūshun Awards, 優駿賞 ...

Just A Way was elected Best Older Male Horse, taking 242 of the 285 votes beating Epiphaneia (31 votes) and Gold Ship (11 votes). He also finished runner-up to Gentildonna in the

poll and third to Snow Dragon in voting for the JRA Award for Best Sprinter or Miler. When the 2014 World's Best Racehorse Rankings were published in January 2015, Just A Way was rated the best horse to race anywhere in the world in 2014, one pound ahead of Epiphaneia and two ahead of

Able Friend Able Friend ( zh, 步步友:, link=no foaled 19 September 2009) is an Australian-bred, Hong Kong-trained Thoroughbred racehorse. After showing some promise when winning one of his two races in his native country, the gelding was transferred to r ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

, Kingman,

The Grey Gatsby The Grey Gatsby (foaled 14 March 2011) is an Irish-bred racehorse who was trained in Britain and Ireland. In 2014 he established himself as one of the best colts of his generation in Europe by winning the Dante Stakes and the Prix du Jockey Club ...

and

Variety Club Variety, the Children's Charity is a charitable organization founded in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1927. History On October 10, 1927, a group of eleven men involved in show business set up a social club which they named the "Variety Club". On ...

Pedigree

References

{{reflist 2009 racehorse births Racehorses bred in Japan Racehorses trained in Japan Thoroughbred family 2-n