Marche Lorraine (horse)

Marche Lorraine's name is derived from the French patriotic song of the same name.^[4]

Marche Lorraine was born at the Northern Farm in Abira, Hokkaido on February 4, 2016. Her sire, Orfevre, won 6 G1s including 2011 triple crown and 2 Arima Kinen. Her dam, Vite Marcher [ja], did not have a remarkable race career with only 1 win in her 9 starts, but her mother, Kyoei March [ja], won five group races including the Oka Sho. Kyoei March only produced 4 crops before dying, and Vite Marcher was the only filly.^[5] The horse was offered for 75,000 JPY a share for a total of 30 million yen by Carrot Farm [ja], a Hitokuchi Banushi organization that offers stakes in horse ownership.^[4]

After being sent to Yoshito Yahagi's stable at the Ritto Training Center, she made her debut at a maiden race on February 3 held at Kyoto Racecourse, where she came in 2nd behind I Love Tailor.^[6] She would win her first race after five starts.^[7] She finished that year with an additional victory, with her total wins at 2 out of 7 starts.^[7]

Marche Lorraine won her 3rd win at her first race of the season, which was the Shikoku Shimbun Hai.^[7] She ran in group races but could not win before turning to dirt races after coming in second place at the Hakata Stakes on August 16.

After winning her first dirt race,^[8] she went on to run her first NAR race at the Ladies' Prelude [ja], where she won the race with a 3 lengths lead, making it her first group race win.^[9] Later on she entered the Japan Breeding farm's Cup Ladies' Classic, where the horse became the most favored, but wound up in 3rd place to Fashionista.^[10]

Marche Lorraine's first race of the season was the TCK Jo-o Hai [ja], which she won.^[11] She also won her next race, the Empress Hai [ja], where she passed the other horses from the rear.^[12] The horse was sent to run in mixed-gender races after this, and while she came in 3rd at the Heian Stakes, she finished at 8th at the Teio Sho. Marche Lorraine returned to filly-only races and won the Breeders' Gold Cup [ja] showing her strength once again.

Marche Lorraine finished her season with her first race abroad, with her entering the Breeders' Cup Distaff held at Del Mar Fairgrounds on November 6. She placed herself in the rear of the pack in the early stages of the race, and took the lead at around the 4th corner, where she went neck-and-neck against Dunbar Road before winning the race, making it her first G1 victory.^[13]。This race also marked the first victory of an international dirt G1 race abroad for a Japanese-trained horse.^[14] As a result, the horse was awarded the 2021 NAR Grand Prix Special Awards. She was also nominated for the American Champion Older Dirt Female Horse of the Eclipse Awards that year but lost to Letruska. Marche Lorraine was, however, awarded the National Thoroughbred Racing Association Moment of the Year together with Loves Only You.^[15]

Marche Lorraine entered the Saudi Cup that year as her final race of her career before retiring to stud, with Christophe Soumillon as her jockey. She could not win that race and finished in 6th place.^[16] Her racehorse registration was withdrawn as of March 9 to become a broodmare at the Northern Farm Airport Farm. She was bred with Drefong for her first season.^[17][18]

The list below is based on information available at JBIS Search,^[19] netkeiba.com^[7] as well as equibase.com,^[20] Sakab Jockey Club,^[21] and Racing Post.^[22]