Kurofune (horse)

Kurofune (Japanese クロフネ, 31 March 1998 - 17 January 2021) was an American-bred, Japanese-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire who won Grade 1 races on both turf and dirt. He showed promising form as a juvenile in 2000 when he won two of four races and ran third in a very strong edition of the Radio Tampa Hai Sansai Stakes. In the following year he took the Mainichi Hai and the NHK Mile Cup in spring on turf before being switched to dirt racing in late autumn and winning the Musashino Stakes and the Japan Cup Dirt. He won six of his ten races, four of them in track record times, before his track career was ended by injury. After his retirement from racing he became a very successful breeding stallion.

Kurofune
Kurofune in May 2001
SireFrench Deputy
GrandsireDeputy Minister
DamBlue Avenue
DamsireClassic Go Go
SexStallion
Foaled31 March 1998[1]
Died17 January 2021 (aged 22)
CountryUnited States
ColourGrey
BreederNicholas M. Lotz
OwnerMakoto Kaneko
TrainerKunihide Matsuda
Record10: 6-1-2
Earnings¥370,235,000
Major wins
Mainichi Hai (2001)
NHK Mile Cup (2001)
Musashino Stakes (2001)
Japan Cup Dirt (2001)
Awards
JRA Award for Best Dirt Horse

Background

Kurofune was a grey horse bred in Kentucky by Nicholas M. Lotz. In September 1999 the yearling was put up for auction at Keeneland and was bought for $70,000 by BNK Stable. In the following year he was consigned to the Fasig-Tipton Florida Select 2-Year-Olds In Training sale at which he was purchased by Katsumi Yoshida for $430,000.[1] The colt was exported to Japan where he entered the ownership of Makoto Kaneko and was sent into training with Kunihide Matsuda.

He was sired by French Deputy who recorded his biggest win in the 1995 Jerome Handicap.[2] As a breeding stallion, the best of his other progeny included Left Bank, Nobo Jack (JBC Sprint), Reginetta (Oka Sho), Admire Jupter (Tenno Sho) and Eishin Deputy (Takarazuka Kinen).[3]

Kurofune's dam Blue Avenue, from whom he inherited his grey colour, showed some racing ability, winning five of her twenty races.[4] She was a half-sister to the Vanity Handicap winner Brought To Mind and a great-great-granddaughter of the New Zealand mare Chubin whose other descendants included the Melbourne Cup winner Silver Knight.[5]

The term kurofune derives from the Black Ships, a name given to Western vessels arriving in Japan in the 16th and 19th centuries.

Racing career

2000: two-year-old season

Kurofune's first two runs were at Kyoto Racecourse in the autumn of 2000. After finishing third in a maiden race over 1600 metres on 14 October he then set a track record when he won a similar event over 2000 metres two weeks later. He then appeared at Hanshin Racecourse on 3 December and set another track record when he won the 2000 metres Erica Sho. Later that month at the same venue he was stepped up in class for the Grade 3 Radio Tampa Hai Sansai Stakes and came home third of the twelve runners behind Agnes Tachyon and Jungle Pocket.[6]

2001: three-year-old season

On 24 March at Hanshin, Kurofune recorded his first major win when he was a wide-margin winner of the Grade 3 Mainichi Hai over 2000 metres.[6] On his next appearance the colt was brought back to 1600 metres and promoted to Grade 1 level for the NHK Mile Cup at Tokyo Racecourse on 6 May when his opponents included Kitasan Channel (New Zealand Trophy), Kachidoki Ryu (Crystal Cup), Shower Party (Kyoto Nisai Stakes), Shower Party (Daily Hai Sansai Stakes) and T M Southpaw (Keio Hai Sansai Stakes). Ridden by Yutaka Take he won by half a length from Grass Eiko O with three lengths back to the filly Summer Candle in third.[7] Kurofune was moved up in distance for the Tokyo Yushun over 2400 metres three weeks later and came home fifth of the eighteen runners behind Jungle Pocket, Dantsu Flame, Dancing Color and Born King.[8]

Kurofune wins the Japan Cup Dirt

Following the summer break Kurofune returned in September for the Kobe Shimbun Hai (a trial race for the Kikuka Sho) over 2000 metres at Hanshin and ran third behind Air Eminem and Sunrise Pegasus. Having raced on turf in all of his previous races, Kurofune was switched to the dirt for the Grade 3 Musashino Stakes over 1600 metres at Tokyo on 27 October, winning from Eagle Cafe (2000 NHK Mile Cup) in a new track record of 1:33.3.[6] On 24 November Kurofune was matched against older horses when he contested the Grade 1 Japan Cup Dirt over 2100 metres at Tokyo and started the 0.7/1 favourite ahead of the American challenger Lido Palace. The other fourteen runners included Wing Arrow (winner of the race in the previous year and twice winner of the JRA Award for Best Dirt Horse), Miracle Opera (Mercury Cup), Regular Member (JBC Classic), Nobo True (February Stakes), Generous Rosi (Gordon Richards Stakes), Hagino High Grade (Tokai Stakes) and King of Tara (Prix Eugène Adam). Ridden by Take, Kurofune settled behind the leaders, took the lead on the final turn and drew right away in the straight to win by seven lengths from Wing Arrow.[9] Lido Palace's rider Jerry Bailey commented "[Kurofune] was going so easy. He passed me without any effort, and my horse had no fight in him when the gray horse came to him".[10]

In December it was announced that Kurofune had sustained a serious injury to the tendons in his right foreleg and that he would be unable to race again.[11]

In January 2002 Kurofune was voted Best Dirt Horse in the JRA Awards for 2001.[12]

Stud record

After his retirement from racing Kurofune stood as a breeding stallion at the Shadai Stallion Station before being withdrawn from stud duty in 2019. He was among the top ten sires in Japan on ten occasions and was the most successful sire of Japanese dirt runners in 2009 and 2010.[13] He has also sired several rare white foals when bred to the broodmare Shirayukihime.[14] Kurofune is the damsire of Chrono Genesis and the Victoria Mile winner Normcore. Kurofune died on 17 January 2021.[15]

Major winners

c = colt, f = filly, g = gelding

Foaled Name Sex Major Wins
2003 Fusaichi Richard c Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes
2004 Sleepless Night f Sprinters Stakes
2007 Curren Chan f Sprinters Stakes, Takamatsunomiya Kinen
2008 Whale Capture f Victoria Mile
2012 Clarity Sky c NHK Mile Cup
2014 Aerolithe f NHK Mile Cup
2018 Sodashi f Hanshin Juvenile Fillies, Oka Sho, Victoria Mile
2019 Mama Cocha f Sprinters Stakes

Pedigree
Pedigree of Kurofune (USA), grey stallion, 1998[1]
Sire
French Deputy (USA)
1992		 Deputy Minister (CAN)
1979		 Vice Regent Northern Dancer
Victoria Regina
Mint Copy Bunty's Flight
Shakney (USA)
Mitterand (USA)
1981		 Hold Your Peace Speak John
Blue Moon
Laredo Lass Bold Ruler
Fortunate Isle
Dam
Blue Avenue (USA)
1990		 Classic Go Go (USA)
1978		 Pago Pago (AUS) Matrice
Pompilia
Classic Perfection Never Bend
Mira Femme
Eliza Blue (USA)
1983		 Icecapade Nearctic (CAN)
Shenanigans
Corella Roberto
Catania (NZ) (Family: 2-r)[5]

References
  1. "Kurofune pedigree". Equineline.
  2. "French Deputy – Statistics". Equibase.
  3. "Stallion Reports – French Deputy". JBIS.
  4. "Blue Avenue – Statistics". Equibase.
  5. "Sister to Admiral – Family 2-r". Thoroughbred Bloodlines.
  6. "Race Records:Lifetime Starts Kurofune". JBIS.
  7. "NHK Mile Cup result". Racing Post. 6 May 2001.
  8. "Tokyo Yushun result". Racing Post. 27 May 2001.
  9. "Japan Cup Dirt result". Racing Post. 24 November 2001.
  10. Paulick, Ray (24 November 2001). "Kurofune Romps to Victory in Japan Cup Dirt". The Blood-Horse.
  11. Paulick, Ray (25 December 2001). "Japan Cup Dirt Winner Kurofune Retired With Tendon Injury". The Blood-Horse.
  12. Paulick, Ray (8 January 2002). "Jungle Pocket Japan's Horse of the Year". The Blood-Horse.
  13. "Stallion report Kurofune". JBIS.
  14. "Family:Dam Information Shirayukihime". JBIS.
  15. "Japanese Champion and Sire Kurofune Dies at 23". Blood-Horse. January 20, 2021. Retrieved January 20, 2021.
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