Rey de Oro ( ja, レイデオロ, link=no foaled 5 February 2014) 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. As a juvenile in 2016 he was undefeated in three races including the Grade 2

Hopeful Stakes The Hopeful Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. Open to two-year-old horses, the Hopeful is the first Grade I stakes for two-year-olds each season and historically has ...

and was rated one of the best two-year-old colts in Japan. In the following year he won the

Tokyo Yushun Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...

and

Kobe Shimbun Hai The Kobe Shimbun Hai (Japanese 神戸新聞杯) is a Japanese Grade 2 flat horse race in Japan for three-year-old Thoroughbreds. It is run over a distance of 2400 metres at Hanshin Racecourse in September, but was contested over 2000 metres unti ...

and finished second in the

Japan Cup The is one of the most prestigious horse races in Japan. It is contested on the last Sunday of November, post time of 15:40 at Tokyo Racecourse in Fuchu, Tokyo at a distance of 2400 meters (about miles) run under weight for age conditions with ...

. At the end of the season he was rated one of the best three-year-old colts in the world and took the

JRA Award for Best Three-Year-Old Colt The JRA Award for Best Three-Year-Old Colt is a title awarded annually by the Japan Racing Association The Japan Racing Association ( ja, 日本中央競馬会 Nippon Chūō Keiba Kai, or JRA) is a public company established to operate Chūō Keiba ...

. As a four-year-old in 2018 he won the

Sankei Sho All Comers The Sankei Sho All Comers (Japanese オールカマー) is a Grade 2 horse race for Thoroughbreds aged three and over run in September over a distance of 2,200 metres at Nakayama Racecourse. It was first run in 1955 and was promoted to Grade 3 in ...

and took the 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 ...

Background

Rey de Oro 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 ...

bred in Japan by Northern Farm. During his racing career he carried the green, white and pink colours of U Carrot Farm and was trained by

Kazuo Fujisawa (born September 22, 1951, in Tomakomai, Hokkaido, Japan) is a retired trainer of Thoroughbred race horses. He had been a licensed trainer in Japan since 1987 and since 1993 has won the training title eleven times. He has trained three horses tha ...

. He has been ridden in most of his races by

Christophe Lemaire Christophe Patrice Lemaire (Japanese:, born 20 May 1979) is a French-born jockey. He has enjoyed much of his success on the Japanese flat racing circuit, with the most wins at Japan Racing Association racetracks for five consecutive years sinc ...

. His sire, King Kamehameha was one of the best Japanese colts of his generation, beating a field including Heart's Cry and

Daiwa Major Daiwa Major ( ja, ダイワメジャー, link=no) is a retired Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse and active sire (horse), sire. A horse who excelled at distances of , he won the Satsuki Shō, the first leg of the Japanese Triple Crown in 2004. His ...

in the 2004

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 diaspor ...

. His other winners as a breeding stallion include

Lord Kanaloa is a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. A specialist sprinter, he recorded his first important success in 2011 when he won the Grade 3 Keihan Hai at Kyoto Racecourse. In the following year he won once from his first four starts but then ...

Rose Kingdom Rose Kingdom ( ja, ローズキングダム, link=no, foaled 10 May 2007) is a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse and sire (horse), sire. In a racing career which lasted from 2009 until 2013 he won six of his twenty-five races. As a two-year-old in ...

Leontes King Leontes is a fictional character in Shakespeare's play ''The Winter's Tale''. He is the father of Mamillius and husband to Queen Hermione. He becomes obsessed with the belief that his wife has been having an affair with Polixenes, his childh ...

, Apapane and

Duramente Duramente ( ja, ドゥラメンテ, link=no, 22 March 2012 – 31 August 2021) was a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse. In 2015 he completed the first two legs of the Japanese Triple Crown by winning the Satsuki Shō and the Tokyo Yūshun before h ...

. Rey de Oro's dam La Dorado showed some racing ability, winning four of her eighteen races between 2009 and 2011 and was a half-sister to the Grade 3 winner Gold Blitz. She was a granddaughter of the Irish-bred mare Wind In Her Hair, the dam of Deep Impact.

Racing career

2016: two-year-old season

Rey de Oro made his debut in a contest for previously unraced two-year-olds over 2000 metres 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 ...

on 9 October and won by a

length 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 Interna ...

. He followed up on 3 December when he won the Habutan Sho over the same distance at

Nakayama Racecourse is located in Funabashi, Chiba, Japan. It is used for horse racing. It has a capacity of 165,676. It was built in 1990. Physical attributes Nakayama Race Course has two grass courses, a dirt course, and a jump course. The turf's measures 1840 ...

. The colt was then moved up in class for the Grade 2 Hopeful Stakes over the same course and distance on 25 December. He started the 1/2 favourite in a fourteen-runner field and won by one and a quarter length from Meiner Sphene. Rey de Oro finished runner up to Satono Ares in the voting for the

JRA Award for Best Two-Year-Old Colt The JRA Award for Best Two-Year-Old Colt is a title awarded annually by the Japan Racing Association The Japan Racing Association ( ja, 日本中央競馬会 Nippon Chūō Keiba Kai, or JRA) is a public company established to operate Chūō Keiba ( ...

2017: three-year-old season

On his first run of 2017 Rey de Oro started at 9.4/1 in an eighteen-runner field for the Grade 1

Satsuki Sho Satsuki is a traditional Japanese name for the month of . It is commonly used as a feminine given name and, more rarely, as a surname or a masculine name. Possible spellings Satsuki can be spelled using different ''kanji'' characters and can mean: ...

over 2000 metres at Nakayama. He was towards the rear in the early stages before finishing well and came home fifth behind

Al Ain Al Ain ( ar, ٱلْعَيْن, , ) is a city in the western side of Tawam (region), Tuwwam region and the seat of the administrative division of its namesake, Al-Ain Region, Abu Dhabi, Al Ain in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. ...

, Persian Knight, Danburite and Clincher. On 28 May Rey de Oro was one of eighteen three-year-old colts to contest the 84th running of the

over 2400 metres at Tokyo Racecourse. He was made the 4.3/1 second favourite behind the

Aoba Sho The Aoba Sho (Japanese 青葉賞) is a Japanese Grade 2 flat horse race in Japan for three-year-old Thoroughbreds. It is run over a distance of 2400 metres at Tokyo Racecourse in April. The Aoba Sho was first run in 1984 and was elevated to Grad ...

winner Admirable while the others included

Suave Richard Suave Richard ( ja, スワーヴリチャード, link=no, foaled 10 March 2014) is a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 2019 Japan Cup. He showed promising form as a juvenile in 2016 when he won one of his three races and ...

, Al Ain, Satono Arthur, Persian Knight, Danburite and Clincher. With Lemaire in the saddle he raced towards the rear before moving up into second place behind the front-running My Style approaching the final turn. He took the lead 200 metres from the finish and won by three quarters of a length from Suave Richard, with Admirable a length and a quarter back in third. Lemaire reportedly commented "We had no specific tactic, but we were forced to travel toward the rear after a slow start and the pace was slow, so I decided to move forward in the backstretch. He was very relaxed and was responding well in the homestretch so I knew we will win in the last 100 meters." After a summer break, Rey de Oro returned for the Grade 2

(a trial race for the Kikuka Sho) over 2400 metres 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 ...

. Starting the 1.2/1 favourite he tracked the leaders before taking the lead inside the furlong and won "readily" by two lengths from Kiseki. On 26 November Rey de Oro was matched against top class older horses to contest the

over 2400 metres at Tokyo and started 2.8/1 second favourite behind the five-year-old

Kitasan Black is a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse and prospective sire. In a three-year track career he won twelve of his twenty races including seven Grade 1 events, won four JRA Awards and set the record for prize money won in Japan. He was a stayer who h ...

. After racing in mid-division he stayed on strongly in the straight to finish second to Cheval Grand with Kitasan Black in third. The other beaten horses included

Idaho Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and Wyom ...

Makahiki The Makahiki season is the ancient Hawaiian New Year festival, in honor of the god Lono of the Hawaiian religion. It is a holiday covering four consecutive lunar months, approximately from October or November through February or March. The focu ...

Soul Stirring Soul Stirring ( ja, ソウルスターリング, link=no, foaled 13 February 2014) is a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse. As a two-year-old in 2016 she won the JRA Award for Best Two-Year-Old Filly after winning all three of her races including t ...

and

Satono Crown Satono Crown ( ja, サトノクラウン, link=no, foaled 10 March 2012) is a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse. He showed promising form as a two-year-old in 2014, winning both of his races including the Grade 3 Tokyo Sports Hai Nisai Stakes. As ...

. In January 2018, Rey de Oro won the

, taking 289 of the 290 votes. In the

2017 World's Best Racehorse Rankings The 2017 World's Best Racehorse Rankings, sponsored by Longines was the 2017 edition of the World's Best Racehorse Rankings. It was an assessment of Thoroughbred racehorses issued by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities The Long ...

, Rey de Oro was given a rating of 121, making him twenty-ninth best horse in the world, the third best horse in Japan, and the fifth best three-year-old.

2018: four-year-old season

Kyoto Racecourse is located in Fushimi-ku, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. It is used for horse racing. It has a capacity of 120,000. It was built in 1999. History Kyoto Race Course opened on December 1, 1925. In preparation for the track's 100th anniversary ...

on 11 February, Rey de Oro began his third campaign in the Grade 2

Kyoto Kinen Kyoto (; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe. , the city ...

over 2200 metres. He started the odds-on favourite but was beaten a length and a neck into third place by Clincher and Al Ain. He was then sent to the

United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...

to contest the

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 ...

on 31 March and stayed on in the straight to come home fourth of the ten runners behind

Hawkbill Hawkbill (foaled 6 March 2013) is an American-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse. During his racing career he competed in England, Ireland, France, Germany, Canada and Dubai. In 2015 he was beaten on his first two appearances but then ...

Poet's Word Poet's Word (foaled 5 April 2013) is an Irish-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and breeding stallion. He showed useful but unremarkable form in his first two seasons before developing into a high-class performer at the age of four w ...

and Cloth of Stars. Lemaire later reported that he had problems settling the horse in the race. Rey de Oro was off the track for almost six months before returning for the Grade 2 Sankei Sho All Comers at Nakayama on 23 September. He started favourite and won by a neck from Al Ain, with the pair finishing three lengths clear of the other ten runners. Five weeks later, with Lemaire in the saddle, the colt started the 2.1/1 second favourite behind Suave Richard for the autumn edition of the Grade 1 Tenno Sho over 2000 metres at Tokyo. The other ten runners included Sungrazer (Sapporo Kinen), Makahiki, Kiseki, Al Ain,

Vivlos Vivlos ( ja, ヴィブロス, link=no, foaled 9 April 2013) is a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare. She showed some promise as a juvenile in 2015 when she won a minor race on the second of her two starts. In the following year she wa ...

and Mikki Rocket (

Takarazuka Kinen The Takarazuka Kinen (宝塚記念) is a Conditions races, Grade I Flat racing, flat Horse racing, horse race in Japan for three-year-old and above thoroughbreds where they run over a distance of 2,200 metres (approximately miles) at Hanshin Race ...

). After racing in sixth place, Rey de Oro moved into contention on the outside on the final turn before taking the lead from the front-running Kiseki in the straight. He won by one and a quarter lengths from Sungrazer, with Kiseki a nose further back in third. Lemaire commented "I knew I had a good chance to win. The colt's condition and the race development were perfect. The pace was just right and the colt was relaxed so everything went smoothly. He showed good long-lasting speed". As Lemaire had been booked to ride the filly

Almond Eye Almond Eye (Japanese アーモンドアイ, foaled 10 March 2015) is a champion Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse who won the Japanese Fillies' Triple Crown in 2018, and holds a world record over 2,400 meters on turf. She is also a two-time winn ...

in the

, Rey de Oro's connections opted to bypass the race in favour of 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.

. When asked to compare the two horses Lemaire said "Almond Eye is like a Ferrari, but ey de Orois like a Land Rover. He's strong and he can keep giving you more in the stretch. He's like a fast four-wheel drive." On 23 December the colt started 6/5 favourite for the Arima Kinen at Nakayama. The field is partly determined by a public vote and Rey de Oro stopped the poll ahead of the absent Almond Eye and the popular steeplechaser

Oju Chosan Oju Chosan (Japanese : オジュウチョウサン, foaled April 3, 2011) is a retired champion Japanese thoroughbred racehorse who is best known for his multiple victories in Japan's major steeplechase races. He owns speed records in Nakayama Rac ...

. After racing in ninth on the outside he produced a strong late run in the straight but failed by a neck to overhaul the three-year-old

Blast Onepiece Blast Onepiece, ( ja, ブラストワンピース, link=no, foaled 2 April 2015) is a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse. After winning his only start as a two-year-old he improved to become the best colt of his generation in Japan in the following ...

. In January 2019 Rey de Oro was voted

JRA Award for Best Older Male Horse The is a title awarded annually by the Japan Racing Association (JRA). Since 1987 the honor has been part of the JRA Awards. Records Most successful horse (2 wins): * Orfevre – ''2012, 2013'' * Kitasan Black is a Japanese Thoroughbred race ...

at the

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 ...

s for 2018, taking 212 of the 276 votes.

2019: five-year-old season

In March 2019 Rey de Oro was again sent to Dubai for the Sheema Classic, but after leading for most of the way he faded badly in the straight and finished sixth of the eight runners, more than twelve lengths behind the winner

Old Persian Old Persian is one of the two directly attested Old Iranian languages (the other being Avestan language, Avestan) and is the ancestor of Middle Persian (the language of Sasanian Empire). Like other Old Iranian languages, it was known to its native ...

. The colt returned to Japan and made his next appearance in the

over 2200 metres at Hanshin on 23 June in which he started the 2.9/1 second favourite in a field of twelve. He raced on the inside in sixth place but was unable to make any significant progress in the straight and came home fifth behind

Lys Gracieux Lys Gracieux ( ja, 'リスグラシュー, link=no, foaled 18 January 2014) is a champion Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse. As a two-year-old in 2016 she showed top-class form, winning two of her four starts (including the Artemis Stakes) and fi ...

, Kiseki, Suave Richard and Al Ain. After a three-month break Rey de Oro returned to the track and attempted to repeat his 2018 success in the Sankei Sho All Comers. He started favourite but finished fourth, two and a quarter lengths behind the winner Stiffelio. Despite having failed to win in over a year, Rey de Oro started the 3.2/1 favourite for the Japan Cup on 24 November but came home eleventh of the fifteen runners behind Suave Richard. On his final start of the year he ran unplaced behind Lys Gracieux in the Arima Kinen at Nakayama on 22 December.

Pedigree

*Rey de Oro is

inbred Inbreeding is the production of offspring from the mating or breeding of individuals or organisms that are closely related genetically. By analogy, the term is used in human reproduction, but more commonly refers to the genetic disorders and o ...

3 × 4 to

Mr. Prospector Mr. Prospector (January 28, 1970 – June 1, 1999) was a Thoroughbred racehorse who became an outstanding breeding stallion and notable sire of sires. A sprinter whose career was cut short by repeated injuries, he won seven of his 14 starts, i ...

, meaning that this stallion appears in both the third and fourth generations of his pedigree.

References

{{Reflist 2014 racehorse births Racehorses bred in Japan Racehorses trained in Japan Thoroughbred family 2-f