Dai Yusaku
Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse (1985–2013)
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Dai Yusaku (Japanese: ダイユウサク, Hepburn: Dai Yūsaku; 12 June 1985 – 8 December 2013) was a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. He competed from 1988 to 1992, recording eleven wins in thirty-eight starts, including the Kyōto Kimpai and the Arima Kinen in 1991.[1] He is best known for winning the 1991 Arima Kinen as a 137.9-1 outsider, defeating the overwhelming favorite Mejiro McQueen in a Japanese record time.[2]
| Dai Yusaku ダイユウサク | |
|---|---|
Dai Yusaku in September 2005 | |
| Sire | Nonoalco |
| Grandsire | Nearctic |
| Dam | Kuninokiyoko |
| Damsire | Daitakahata |
| Sex | Stallion |
| Foaled | 12 June 1985 |
| Died | 8 December 2013 (aged 28) |
| Country | Japan |
| Colour | Bay |
| Breeder | Yushun Bokujo |
| Owner | Kohei Hashimoto |
| Trainer | Shigeharu Naito |
| Jockey | Shigefumi Kumazawa |
| Record | 38: 11-5-4 |
| Earnings | ¥376,823,600 |
| Major wins | |
| Kyōto Kimpai (1991) Arima Kinen (1991) | |
Background
Dai Yusaku is a bay horse bred in Hokkaido by Yushun Bokujo.[1] He was sired by the French-bred stallion Nonoalco, and his dam was Kuninokiyoko, a daughter of Daitakahata.[3]
The horse was originally intended to be named "Daikousaku" by his owner, Kohei Hashimoto, combining the prefix "Dai" from his damsire and the name of his grandson, Kousaku. However, due to a handwriting error on the registration documents where the katakana character "コ" (ko) was written to resemble "ユ" (yu), the horse was officially registered as "Dai Yusaku".[4] He was sent into training with Shigeharu Naito at the JRA's Ritto Training Center.[1]
Racing career
1988 and 1989: Early career
Dai Yusaku debuted on October 30, 1988, in an allowance race on the dirt at Kyoto Racecourse, finishing eleventh.[5] In his second start at Fukushima Racecourse, he finished fourteenth, trailing the winner by over seven seconds.[5] Due to chronic shin splints and a weak back, he struggled in his early career and was briefly considered for retirement or a transition to jumping, though the latter was abandoned due to safety concerns.[4]
He recorded his first victory on April 16, 1989, in a dirt allowance race at Niigata Racecourse.[5] After securing another win on the turf at Kyoto in May, he became a regular mount for jockey Shigefumi Kumazawa.[5] In September, he won a 1200-meter allowance race at Hanshin Racecourse, setting a new track record of 1:08.9 on a firm track.[5]
1990: Five-year-old season
Returning from a layoff in June 1990, Dai Yusaku finished fourth in the CBC Sho (GII).[5] He later won the Moonlight Handicap (Allowance) at Chukyo Racecourse in September, the Topaz Stakes (Open) at Kyoto in November, and the Asuka Stakes (Open) at Kyoto in December.[5]
1991: Six-year-old season
Dai Yusaku began his 1991 campaign by winning the Kyōto Kimpai (GIII) on January 5.[5] He finished second in the Sankei Osaka Hai (GII) in March before being sidelined for six months due to a quarter crack.[5]
Returning in the autumn, he finished unplaced in the Kyoto Daishoten (GII) and the Swan Stakes (GII), and fifth in the Mile Championship (GI).[5] On December 7, he won the Hanshin Racecourse Renovation Memorial (Open).[5]
On December 22, Dai Yusaku contested the Arima Kinen (GI) at Nakayama Racecourse. Despite his recent open-class victory, he was largely ignored by bettors and started as the 14th favorite (second-to-last) at odds of 137.9-1.[5] The race was heavily favored towards Mejiro McQueen, who started at 1.7-1. Ridden by Kumazawa, Dai Yusaku tracked the leaders and launched a strong late charge on the inside rail, overtaking Mejiro McQueen in the final straight to win by 0.2 seconds.[5] His winning time of 2:30.6 set a new Japanese record for 2500 meters on turf.[2] The victory produced a massive upset, with the win ticket paying ¥13,790.[2]
1992: Seven-year-old season
Dai Yusaku remained in training for the 1992 season but failed to win in six starts. He finished sixth in the Sankei Ōsaka Hai (GII), ninth in the Tennō Shō (Spring, GI), and eighth in the Yasuda Kinen (GI) and Takarazuka Kinen (GI).[5] Following a fifteenth-place finish in the Swan Stakes (GII) on October 31, he was retired from racing.[5]
Statistics
The following table details all 38 starts and 1 scheduled entry of Dai Yusaku's racing career based on official netkeiba and JBIS records.
| Date | Distance (Condition) | Race | Class | Course | Odds (Favourite) |
Field | Finish | Time | Winning (Losing) Margin |
Winner (2nd Place) |
Jockey | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 – three-year-old season | ||||||||||||
| Oct 30 | Dirt 1800 m (Standard) | 4-Y-O Allowance | Allowance | Kyoto | 56.1 (10th) | 11 | 11th | 2:06.7 | 13.0 | Kyoei Wells | Hideyoshi Mizohashi | [5] |
| Nov 12 | Turf 1800 m (Firm) | 4-Y-O Maiden | Maiden | Fukushima | 81.3 (13th) | 14 | 14th | 2:00.0 | 7.3 | Kyoei Touch | Seiji Harada | [5] |
| 1989 – four-year-old season | ||||||||||||
| Mar 18 | Dirt 1700 m (Standard) | 5-Y-O Allowance | Allowance | Chukyo | 8.4 (4th) | 10 | 5th | 1:51.9 | 0.7 | Eishin Kansai | Hideyoshi Mizohashi | [5] |
| Mar 25 | Dirt 1000 m (Muddy) | 5-Y-O Allowance | Allowance | Chukyo | 11.9 (7th) | 16 | 8th | 1:02.1 | 0.7 | Ascot Jaguar | Hideyoshi Mizohashi | [5] |
| Apr 16 | Dirt 1700 m (Sloppy) | 5-Y-O Allowance | Allowance | Niigata | 26.7 (10th) | 12 | 1st | 1:47.4 | –0.5 | (Hakusan Coppel) | Takayoshi Deguchi | [5] |
| Apr 29 | Dirt 1200 m (Sloppy) | Sanjo Tokubetsu | Allowance | Niigata | 10.7 (5th) | 8 | 4th | 1:13.8 | 1.1 | Gin Sekai | Takayoshi Deguchi | [5] |
| May 13 | Turf 1600 m (Soft) | 5-Y-O Allowance | Allowance | Kyoto | 15.6 (9th) | 18 | 1st | 1:37.9 | –0.0 | (Great Napoleon) | Shigefumi Kumazawa | [5] |
| May 27 | Turf 2000 m (Firm) | 5-Y-O Allowance | Allowance | Hanshin | 3.5 (1st) | 13 | 2nd | 2:05.0 | 0.1 | Hirayoshi Rookie | Shigefumi Kumazawa | [5] |
| Jun 10 | Turf 2000 m (Soft) | Taka Tokubetsu | Allowance | Hanshin | 5.2 (3rd) | 12 | 2nd | 2:04.6 | 0.1 | Wonder Merveille | Shigefumi Kumazawa | [5] |
| Jun 25 | Turf 2000 m (Soft) | Ontake Tokubetsu | Allowance | Chukyo | 2.9 (1st) | 15 | 1st | 2:01.6 | –0.2 | (Mint Star) | Shigefumi Kumazawa | [5] |
| Jul 9 | Turf 2000 m (Good) | Takamatsunomiya Hai | GII | Chukyo | 47.8 (11th) | 14 | 7th | 2:00.3 | 1.4 | Mejiro Ardan | Seiji Harada | [5] |
| Aug 12 | Turf 1800 m (Firm) | Hazuki Sho | Allowance | Kokura | Scratched | 12 | Scratched | Senshu Ururu | Scratched | [5] | ||
| Sep 10 | Turf 1200 m (Firm) | 4-Y-O Allowance | Allowance | Hanshin | 4.3 (2nd) | 14 | 1st | R1:08.9 | –0.6 | (Tireil) | Shigefumi Kumazawa | [5] |
| Sep 30 | Turf 1400 m (Firm) | Koto Tokubetsu | Allowance | Hanshin | 1.4 (1st) | 14 | 1st | 1:21.8 | –0.0 | (Hakuyo Command) | Shigefumi Kumazawa | [5] |
| Oct 22 | Dirt 1400 m (Standard) | Kifune Stakes | Allowance | Kyoto | 3.1 (1st) | 16 | 10th | 1:26.1 | 1.8 | Dancing Tham | Shigefumi Kumazawa | [5] |
| Nov 11 | Turf 2000 m (Firm) | Hiei Stakes | Allowance | Kyoto | 3.3 (1st) | 14 | 2nd | 2:01.5 | 0.1 | Million Highline | Shigefumi Kumazawa | [5] |
| Dec 3 | Turf 2000 m (Firm) | Golden Whip Trophy | Allowance | Kyoto | 1.8 (1st) | 12 | 2nd | 2:00.6 | 0.2 | Satsuki Oasis | Katsumi Minai | [5] |
| Dec 16 | Turf 1600 m (Firm) | Sakasegawa Stakes | Allowance | Hanshin | 2.0 (1st) | 12 | 3rd | 1:35.7 | 0.6 | Meisho Masamune | Shigefumi Kumazawa | [5] |
| 1990 – five-year-old season | ||||||||||||
| Jun 24 | Turf 1200 m (Good) | CBC Sho | GII | Chukyo | 19.9 (9th) | 16 | 4th | 1:09.1 | 0.8 | Passing Shot | Shigefumi Kumazawa | [5] |
| Jul 7 | Turf 1200 m (Firm) | July Stakes | Allowance | Chukyo | 3.2 (2nd) | 14 | 4th | 1:09.6 | 0.9 | Louis Tate | Shigefumi Kumazawa | [5] |
| Sep 9 | Turf 1200 m (Firm) | Centaur Stakes | GIII | Chukyo | 12.1 (5th) | 11 | 3rd | 1:08.6 | 0.1 | Aco Caesar | Yoshiyuki Muramoto | [5] |
| Sep 29 | Turf 2000 m (Good) | Moonlight Handicap | Allowance | Chukyo | 1.6 (1st) | 9 | 1st | 2:01.3 | –0.6 | (Yamahisa Boy) | Yoshiyuki Muramoto | [5] |
| Oct 28 | Turf 2000 m (Firm) | Tennō Shō (Autumn) | GI | Tokyo | 33.8 (11th) | 18 | 7th | 1:59.0 | 0.8 | Yaeno Muteki | Yoshiyuki Muramoto | [5] |
| Nov 25 | Turf 2000 m (Firm) | Topaz Stakes | Open | Kyoto | 1.9 (1st) | 14 | 1st | 2:00.1 | –0.7 | (Nichido Thunder) | Shigefumi Kumazawa | [5] |
| Dec 8 | Turf 1600 m (Firm) | Asuka Stakes | Open | Kyoto | 1.3 (1st) | 10 | 1st | 1:35.0 | –0.3 | (Yagura Stella) | Shigefumi Kumazawa | [5] |
| 1991 – six-year-old season | ||||||||||||
| Jan 5 | Turf 2000 m (Firm) | Kyōto Kimpai | GIII | Kyoto | 2.7 (1st) | 16 | 1st | 2:00.1 | –0.2 | (White Arrow) | Shigefumi Kumazawa | [5] |
| Mar 31 | Turf 2000 m (Good) | Sankei Osaka Hai | GII | Kyoto | 3.9 (3rd) | 10 | 2nd | 2:01.7 | 0.2 | White Stone | Shigefumi Kumazawa | [5] |
| Sep 15 | Turf 2000 m (Good) | Asahi Challenge Cup | GII | Chukyo | 9.6 (5th) | 16 | 7th | 1:59.9 | 0.8 | Nuevo Tosho | Shigefumi Kumazawa | [5] |
| Oct 6 | Turf 2400 m (Firm) | Kyoto Daishoten | GII | Kyoto | 9.3 (3rd) | 7 | 5th | 2:28.5 | 2.0 | Mejiro McQueen | Shigefumi Kumazawa | [5] |
| Oct 26 | Turf 1400 m (Firm) | Swan Stakes | GII | Kyoto | 13.9 (6th) | 16 | 4th | 1:20.9 | 0.3 | K.S. Miracle | Shigefumi Kumazawa | [5] |
| Nov 17 | Turf 1600 m (Firm) | Mile Championship | GI | Kyoto | 15.4 (5th) | 15 | 5th | 1:35.3 | 0.5 | Daitaku Helios | Shigefumi Kumazawa | [5] |
| Dec 7 | Turf 1600 m (Firm) | Hanshin Renovation Memorial | Open | Hanshin | 3.7 (2nd) | 16 | 1st | 1:36.1 | –0.1 | (Stage Hero) | Shigefumi Kumazawa | [5] |
| Dec 22 | Turf 2500 m (Firm) | Arima Kinen | GI | Nakayama | 137.9 (14th) | 15 | 1st | R2:30.6 | –0.2 | (Mejiro McQueen) | Shigefumi Kumazawa | [5] |
| 1992 – seven-year-old season | ||||||||||||
| Apr 5 | Turf 2000 m (Firm) | Sankei Ōsaka Hai | GII | Hanshin | 17.1 (4th) | 8 | 6th | 2:07.1 | 0.8 | Tokai Teio | Shigefumi Kumazawa | [5] |
| Apr 26 | Turf 3200 m (Firm) | Tennō Shō (Spring) | GI | Kyoto | 46.0 (5th) | 14 | 9th | 3:24.0 | 4.0 | Mejiro McQueen | Shigefumi Kumazawa | [5] |
| May 17 | Turf 1600 m (Firm) | Yasuda Kinen | GI | Tokyo | 21.8 (8th) | 18 | 8th | 1:34.6 | 0.8 | Yamanin Zephyr | Shigefumi Kumazawa | [5] |
| Jun 14 | Turf 2200 m (Firm) | Takarazuka Kinen | GI | Hanshin | 11.5 (4th) | 13 | 8th | 2:21.8 | 3.2 | Mejiro Palmer | Shigefumi Kumazawa | [5] |
| Jul 12 | Turf 2000 m (Good) | Takamatsunomiya Hai | GII | Chukyo | 9.3 (5th) | 18 | 14th | 2:02.7 | 2.1 | Mr. Spain | Shigefumi Kumazawa | [5] |
| Oct 31 | Turf 1400 m (Firm) | Swan Stakes | GII | Kyoto | 15.3 (6th) | 16 | 15th | 1:23.8 | 2.4 | Dictor Girl | Shigefumi Kumazawa | [5] |
- R indicates a track record.
Stud career
Following his retirement, Dai Yusaku stood at Yagi Bokujo in Hokkaido.[6] He sired only 17 registered foals, with his most notable progeny being Grand Oracion, who won the Grand Mix in the regional NAR circuit.[1] He was retired from stud duties in 1998 and spent his remaining years at the Urakawa Yushun Village AERU facility.[6] Dai Yusaku died of old age on December 8, 2013, at the age of 28.[7]
Pedigree
| Sire Nonoalco (FR) 1971 |
Nearctic (CAN) 1954 |
Nearco | Pharos |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nogara | |||
| Lady Angela | Hyperion | ||
| Sister Sarah | |||
| Seximee (FR) 1966 |
Hasty Road | Roman | |
| Traffic Court | |||
| Jambo | Crafty Admiral | ||
| Bank Account | |||
| Dam Kuninokiyoko (JPN) 1977 |
Daitakahata (JPN) 1962 |
Hindostan | Bois Roussel |
| Sonibai | |||
| Diane Ke | Lillolkid | ||
| Bonnie Luna | |||
| Kuninohana (JPN) 1967 |
Never Beat | Never Say Die | |
| Bride Elect | |||
| Akiizumi | Kurinohana | ||
| Asamidori |
- Dai Yusaku is outcross within five generations.[3]