Rose Kingdom ( ja, ローズキングダム, link=no, foaled 10 May 2007) 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 and

sire Sire is an archaic respectful form of address to reigning kings in Europe. In French and other languages it is less archaic and relatively more current. In Belgium, the king is addressed as "Sire..." in both Dutch and French. The words "sire" a ...

. In a racing career which lasted from 2009 until 2013 he won six of his twenty-five races. As a two-year-old in 2009 he was undefeated in three races and was voted Japanese Champion two-year-old colt. In the following year he won the Kobe Shimbun Hai and finished second in both 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 ...

before being awarded 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 ...

on the disqualification of

Buena Vista Buena Vista, meaning "good view" in Spanish, may refer to: Places Canada *Bonavista, Newfoundland and Labrador, with the name being originally derived from “Buena Vista” *Buena Vista, Saskatchewan *Buena Vista, Saskatoon, a neighborhood in ...

. He won only once in sixteen subsequent starts and was retired from racing in 2013.

Background

Rose Kingdom is a dark bay or brown horse with a small 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 ...

standing 1.63

metres The metre (British spelling) or meter (American spelling; see spelling differences) (from the French unit , from the Greek noun , "measure"), symbol m, is the primary unit of length in the International System of Units (SI), though its prefi ...

bred in Japan by Northern Farm. 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 diaspo ...

. 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 th ...

Lovely Day "Lovely Day" is a song by American soul and R&B singer Bill Withers. Written by Withers and Skip Scarborough, it was released on December 21, 1977, and appears on Withers's 1977 album, ''Menagerie''. The song is notable for Withers's sustaine ...

, Belshazzar (

Japan Cup Dirt The Champions Cup ( JPN G-1, formerly the ''Japan Cup Dirt'' until 2013) is a thoroughbred horse race contested in Japan in early December. It is run for three-year-olds and older at a distance of 1,800 meters. In recent years, the race has follow ...

), Rulership (

Queen Elizabeth II Cup The Queen Elizabeth II Cup is a Group One Thoroughbred horse race at Sha Tin Racecourse in the New Territories, Hong Kong. Established in 1975 by the Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club, it is run annually in April at a distance of 2,000 metres (ten ...

) and Apapane. Rose Kingdom's dam Rosebud won three races including the Grade II

Fillies' Revue The Fillies' Revue Japanese フィリーズレビュー} is a Japanese Grade 2 flat horse race in Japan for three-year-old Thoroughbred fillies run over a distance of 1,400 metres at Hanshin Racecourse, Takarazuka, Hyogo. The race is run in M ...

and finished second in the

Oka Sho The is a Japanese Grade 1 flat horse race in Japan. The race is restricted to three-year-old Thoroughbred fillies and is run over a distance of 1,600 metres (approximately 1 mile) at the Hanshin Racecourse, Takarazuka, Hyōgo in April. It was ...

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 ...

and

Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup The Queen Elizabeth II Cup (''Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup'' until 2012) is an Graded stakes race, International Grade 1 Flat racing, flat Horse racing, horse race in Japan for three-year-old and above thoroughbred Filly, fillies and mar ...

. She was a descendant of the

Poule d'Essai des Pouliches The Poule d'Essai des Pouliches is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run over a distance of 1,600 metres (about 1 mile) at ...

winner

Riverqueen Riverqueen (1973 – after 1989) was a French Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare. After winning her only race as a two-year-old she emerged as one of the best fillies in Europe in the spring and summer of 1976, winning the Prix de la Gr ...

. During his racing career Rose Kingdom was owned by the Sunday Racing Co Ltd and was trained by Kojiro Hashiguchi.

Racing career

2009: two-year-old season

On his racecourse debut, Rose Kingdom contested 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 1800 metres at

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 25 October and won from

Victoire Pisa Victoire Pisa ( ja, ヴィクトワールピサ, link=no) is a retired Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse and active sire. After winning three of his four starts as a juvenile, the colt won the Satsuki Shō at Nakayama Racecourse in April 2010. Aft ...

and nine others. In the following month he was stepped up in class for the Grade III Tokyo Sports Hai Nisai Stakes and won from Tosen Phantom. On 20 December, Rose Kingdom was moved up to Grade I class for Japan's most prestigious race for two-year-olds, the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes over 1600 metres 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 ...

. Ridden by the 42-year-old Futoshi Komaki, he won by one and a quarter

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 ...

from Eishin Apollon (later to win the

Mile Championship The Mile Championship is an Graded stakes race, International Grade I Flat racing, flat Horse racing, horse race in Japan for three-year-old and above thoroughbreds run over a distance of 1,600 metres (approximately 1 mile) on the turf at Kyoto Ra ...

) with Daiwa Barbarian two lengths back in third. After the race Komaki explained "He was very relaxed from the moment he set foot on the course today... He's such an easy ride and I just hope I can keep winning the big races with him. At my age, I'm a veteran in most people's eyes, but I haven't won that many big races yet". In the JRA Awards for 2009, Rose Kingdom was awarded the title of Japanese Champion two-year-old colt taking 285 of the 287 votes.

2010: three-year-old season

On his first appearance as a three-year-old Rose Kingdom sustained his first defeat when he finished third behind Aliseo and Gestalt in the Grade II Fuji TV Sho Spring Stakes over 1800 metres at Nakayama on 21 March. In April he contested the Grade I

over 2000 metres and finished fourth behind Victoire Pisa, Hiruno d'Amour and Eishin Flash. On 30 May he was one of seventeen colts to contest the

and finished second by a neck to Eishin Flash with Victoire Pisa in third. After a break of almost four months, Rose Kingdom returned in the Grade II Kobe Shimbun Hai 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 ...

on 26 September. Ridden by Yutaka Take he recorded his first win of the year as he defeated Eishin Flash by a neck with Big Week three length back in third place. In the Grade I Kikuka Sho at Kyoto on 24 October, Rose Kingdom was moved up in distance to 3000 metres and finished second to Big Week, with Beat Black in third. The 30th running of the

in front of 106,322 at Tokyo on 28 November attracted eighteen runners and Rose Kingdom, ridden by Take, started the 7.8/1 second favourite behind

(a filly also owned by Sunday Racing) and the three-year-old filly Pelusa. The overseas challenge comprised Fifty Proof from Canada, Voila Ici (

Premio Roma The Premio Roma is a Group 2 flat horse race in Italy open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Capannelle over a distance 2,000 metres (about 1¼ miles), and it is scheduled to take place each year in November. History The e ...

Gran Premio di Milano The Gran Premio di Milano is a Group 2 flat horse race in Italy open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Milan over a distance of 2,400 metres (about 1½ miles), and it is scheduled to take place each year in June. The event w ...

) from Italy,

Cirrus des Aigles Cirrus des Aigles (foaled 8 May 2006) is a retired French Thoroughbred racehorse. In a career which lasted from October 2008 until December 2015 he has raced in France, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Japan and the United Arab Emirates. After rac ...

, Marinous (

Grand Prix de Deauville The Grand Prix de Deauville is a Group 2 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Deauville over a distance of 2,500 metres (about 1 mile and 4½ furl ...

) and Timos from France,

Joshua Tree ''Yucca brevifolia'' is a plant species belonging to the genus ''Yucca''. It is tree-like in habit, which is reflected in its common names: Joshua tree, yucca palm, tree yucca, and palm tree yucca. This monocotyledonous tree is native to the ar ...

from Ireland and Dandino (

King George V Stakes The King George V Stakes is a flat handicap horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old horses. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 1 mile 3 furlongs and 211 yards (2,406 metres), a ...

) from Britain. The other Japanese-trained runners included

Nakayama Festa is a champion Japanese thoroughbred racehorse, which is most notable for winning the 2010 Takarazuka Kinen and running second to Workforce in the 2010 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. Pedigree Nakayama Festa was sired by the 2001 Hong Kong Vase win ...

, Eishin Flash, Oken Bruce Lee (2008 Kikuka Sho) and Jaguar Mail (

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 Gra ...

spring). Take settled the colt in fifth place and switched from the rail position to make a challenge on the outside in the straight. He was bumped when Buena Vista cut to the inside but recovered to take second place, one and three quarter lengths behind the filly and a nose ahead of Victoire Pisa. After a 24-minute stewards inquiry Buena Vista was disqualified for causing interference and the race was awarded to Rose Kingdom. His trainer admitted to having "mixed feelings" about the result but praised the colt saying "being bumped a few times didn't faze him, and he put in another effort even after that to finish second. He's always had guts but the determination he showed today was amazing." Plans to for the colt to end his season in the Arima Kinen were abandoned when he developed

colic Colic or cholic () is a form of pain that starts and stops abruptly. It occurs due to muscular contractions of a hollow tube ( small and large intestine, gall bladder, ureter, etc.) in an attempt to relieve an obstruction by forcing content out ...

two days before the race. In the JRA Awards for 2010, Rose Kingdom finished second to Victoire Pisa in the voting for Japanese Champion three-year-old colt.

2011: four-year-old season

Rose Kingdom began his four-year-old season by finishing third to Rulership in a Grade II race at Kyoto in January and then finished third again in the Grade II Nikkei Sho at Hanshin in April. When moved back up to Grade I class he finished down the field behind Hiruno d'Amour in the spring running of the Tenno Sho and then ran fourth to Earnestly in the

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 ...

. He started his autumn campaign in the Grade II

Kyoto Daishoten 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 ...

on 9 October. Ridden by Hiroki Goto, he was made the odds-on favourite and won from Beat Black, Oken Bruce Lee and Jaguar Mail. Goto commented: "I think he has grown up and he feels better than he did when I rode him to finish second in last year's Derby." Rose Kingdom made little subsequent impact that year, finishing unplaced in the autumn Tenno Sho, the Japan Cup and the Arima Kinen.

2012 & 2013: later career

Rose Kingdom remained in training for two further seasons, competing in many of Japan's top races, but had no further successes. In 2012 he managed one fourth place from six starts, but in the following year he finished well down the field in both of his races as a six-year-old.

Stud record

Rose Kingdom was retired from racing to become a breeding stallion. For the 2015 season he was based at the Breeders Stallion Station. In 2018, Rose Kingdom suffered a head injury that left him unable to stand stud, resulting in him being retired and pensioned at the Versailles Farm. On September 15, 2019, the manes of Rose Kingdom and Taiki Shuttle, a fellow JRA Champion pensioned at Versailles Farm at the time, were mysteriously cut by an unknown person. It appeared that a sharp tool had been used to cut the hair, but the horses were otherwise unharmed. The farm filed a report with the Hokkaido Police and ceased visitation to the farm for security and investigative purposes. The suspect, 55 year old Kazuyo Tanaka from

Kawaguchi, Saitama is a city located in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 607,373 in 293,582 households and a population density of 9800 persons per km². The total area of the city is . It is the Greater Tokyo Area's 8th most p ...

, was arrested the following year.

Pedigree

References

{{Reflist, 2 2007 racehorse births Racehorses bred in Japan Racehorses trained in Japan Thoroughbred family 1-w Japan Cup winners