Tokai Teio (

Japanese 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 ...

: トウカイテイオー, April 20, 1988 – August 30, 2013) was a champion 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 ...

. In 1991 he won the

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: ...

and 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 ...

. He was the 1991

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 ...

. In 1992 he won 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 ...

where champion horses like the

European Horse of the Year The Cartier Racing Awards are awards in European horse racing, founded in 1991, and sponsored by Cartier SA, Cartier. The award winners are decided by points earned in group races (40%) plus the votes cast by British racing journalists (30%) and rea ...

and the

Australian Champion Racehorse of the Year The Australian Champion Racehorse of the Year is awarded to the Thoroughbred horse who is voted to be the champion horse within an Australian racing season. This award is open to all racehorses racing within Australia, regardless of age and sex, ...

participated. In 1993, after he has just rested his broken leg injury for a whole year (364 days), he won the Arima Kinen. Tokai Teio was inducted into the

Japan Racing Association Hall of Fame The Horse Racing Hall of Fame ( ja, 競馬の殿堂) is a Japanese horse racing memorial hall which was installed on September 2, 1985 at the JRA Horse Racing Museum, Fuchu, Tokyo. It was founded by Japan Racing Association to honor the achievem ...

in 1995.

Background

Tokai Teio was sired by triple crown winner Symboli Rudolf. Tokai Teio's dam was Tokai Natural, the half sister of

Yushun Himba The , also known as the is a Japanese Grade 1 flat horse race for three-year-old thoroughbred fillies run over a distance of 2,400 metres (approximately 1 mile 4 furlongs) at the Tokyo Racecourse, Fuchū, Tokyo in May. History It was first run i ...

winner Tokai Roman. Because Natural had foot problems, she could not debut and became a brood mare. Natural and Roman's owner Masanori Uchimura had obtained the breeding right to Symboli Rudolf and originally planned to breed him with Roman. However, Roman, who was supposed to retire after the

Niigata Daishoten The Niigata Daishoten ( Japanese 新潟大賞典) is a Grade 3 horse race for Thoroughbreds aged four and over, run in late April or early May over a distance of 2000 metres on turf at Niigata Racecourse. The Niigata Daishoten was first run in i ...

, placed second, and it was decided that she would race for one more year. Natural was bred with Rudolf instead.『優駿』2005年12月号、p.41 Tokai Natural gave birth on April 20, 1988, at the Nagahama Ranch in

Niikappu, Hokkaido is a town located in Hidaka Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. History The town was established September 1881. Geography Niikappu stretches from the Pacific Ocean of southeast Hokkaido north to the Hidaka Mountains along the Niikappu River. The ...

. Immediately after birth, the foal was referred to as「帝王」"Teio", meaning monarch, referring to his sire Symboli Rudolf's nickname「皇帝」"Koutei", meaning emperor. Thus, the foal was named Hamano Teio. Teio had long legs and a delicate frame and did not receive high valuations. However, once he started exercising, his flexible movement became apparent, garnering expectations. In October the following year, Teio was transferred to the Nibutani Training Center in

Biratori, Hokkaido ( ain, ピラ・ウトゥル, translit=pira-utur) is a town located in Hidaka Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. The name of the town means 'between the rocky cliffs' in the Ainu language. As of September 2016, the town has an estimated populat ...

where his flexibility and competitive spirit was highly received. Teio would remain at Nibutani for an entire year until reaching the racing age of 3 years in October, 1990, after which he entered the Rittō Training Center in

Rittō, Shiga 270px, Ritto Horse Training Center 270px, Otsuki Taisha ''honden'' is a city located in Shiga Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 70,312 in 29068 households and a population density of 1300 persons per km². The total ar ...

under trainer Shoichi Matsumoto. Teio's racing name was registered as Tokai Teio. During training, Tokai Teio was outstanding on the ramp course where horses with long strides are not supposed to record good times, giving Matsumoto high expectations.『優駿』1991年7月号、p.84 Believing Teio to have a chance in the Japanese Triple Crown, Matsumoto back-calculated from the

Satsuki Shō The is a Japanese Grade 1 flat horse race in Japan for three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies run over a distance of 2,000 metres (approximately mile) at the Nakayama Racecourse, Funabashi, Chiba, in April. It was first run in 1939 and ...

and

Tokyo Yūshun 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 37.4 ...

and planned a schedule with leeway. Furthermore, Teio's

farrier A farrier is a specialist in equine hoof care, including the trimming and balancing of horses' hooves and the placing of shoes on their hooves, if necessary. A farrier combines some blacksmith's skills (fabricating, adapting, and adjus ...

was surprised at the flexibility of his joints, saying to his

groom A bridegroom (often shortened to groom) is a man who is about to be married or who is newlywed. When marrying, the bridegroom's future spouse (if female) is usually referred to as the bride. A bridegroom is typically attended by a best man an ...

that "the derby horse has arrived".『優駿』2013年6月号、p.84

Racing career

; Major Racing Wins * 1991

(Japanese 2000 Guineas) (Domestic GI), Nakayama Turf 2000m * 1991

(Japanese Derby) (Domestic GI), Tokyo Turf 2400m * 1992

Osaka Hai is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2 ...

(Domestic GII), Hanshin Turf 2000m * 1992

(GI), Tokyo Turf 2400m * 1993 Arima Kinen (Grand Prix) (Domestic GI), Nakayama Turf 2500m

Honours

* 1991

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 ...

* 1991 JRA Award for Best Horse By Home-bred Sire * 1993 JRA Special Award Tokai Teio was inducted into the

in 1995.

Stud career

Tokai Teio's descendants include: ''c =

colt Colt(s) or COLT may refer to: *Colt (horse), an intact (uncastrated) male horse under four years of age People * Colt (given name) *Colt (surname) Places *Colt, Arkansas, United States *Colt, Louisiana, an unincorporated community, United States ...

, f =

filly A filly is a female horse that is too young to be called a mare. There are two specific definitions in use: *In most cases, a ''filly'' is a female horse under four years old. *In some nations, such as the United Kingdom and the United States, t ...

, g=

gelding A gelding is a castrated male horse or other equine, such as a pony, donkey or a mule. Castration, as well as the elimination of hormonally driven behavior associated with a stallion, allows a male equine to be calmer and better-behaved, makin ...

Popular culture

Tokai Teio was the inspiration for the main character of the 2021 anime '' Uma Musume Pretty Derby Season 2''.

Pedigree

Notes

Citations

References

* ISBN 4908655073 * ISBN 4839912270 {{refend 1988 racehorse births 2013 racehorse deaths Thoroughbred family 19-b Racehorses bred in Japan Racehorses trained in Japan Japan Cup winners Japanese Thoroughbred Horse of the Year Byerley Turk sire line