Mayano Top Gun
Japanese-bred Thoroughbred racehorse
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Mayano Top Gun (Japanese: マヤノトップガン, Hepburn: Mayano Toppu Gan; March 24, 1992 – November 3, 2019) was a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse. His wins included the Kikuka Sho, Arima Kinen, Takarazuka Kinen, Hanshin Daishoten and Tenno Sho. In the 1995 JRA Awards, he was declared the Japanese Horse of the Year and the Best Three-year-old Colt.
| Mayano Top Gun | |
|---|---|
March 9, 1996 | |
| Sire | Brian's Time |
| Grandsire | Roberto |
| Dam | Alp Me Please |
| Damsire | Blushing Groom |
| Sex | Stallion |
| Foaled | March 24, 1992[1] |
| Died | November 3, 2019 (aged 27) |
| Country | Japan |
| Colour | Chestnut |
| Breeder | Etsuo Kawakami |
| Owner | Yu Tadokoro |
| Trainer | Masahiro Sakaguchi |
| Jockey | Seiki Tabara |
| Record | 21: 8-4-5[2] |
| Earnings | 810,039,000 JPY |
| Major wins | |
| Kikuka Sho (1995) Arima Kinen (1995) Takarazuka Kinen (1996) Hanshin Daishoten (1997) Tenno Sho (Spring) (1997) | |
| Awards | |
| Japanese Horse of the Year (1995) JRA Award for Best Three-Year-Old Colt (1995) | |
| Last updated on January 26, 2026 | |
Background
Mayano Top Gun was a chestnut horse with a white blaze and a long white stocking on his left foreleg bred in Japan by Etsuo Kawakami. He was sired by the American stallion Brian's Time, who finished second in the Preakness Stakes in 1988 before becoming a highly successful breeding stallion in Japan. His dam Alp Me Please was sired by Blushing Groom and was a half-sister of the Grand Prix de Paris winner Swink: as a descendant of the broodmare Sonrisa, she was also a distant relative of the Belmont Stakes winner Ruler on Ice.[3]
His name came from the owner's crown name Mayano which was derived from Mount Maya in Kobe, Hyogo, and Top Gun, the 1986 American movie.[4][5]
Racing career
1995: three-year-old season
Mayano Top Gun began his career racing on dirt and won three of his nine races in the early part of 1995.[6] He was then switched to turf, being placed twice at both Kobe Shimbun Hai and Kyoto Shimbun Hai in September and October.[7][8] He emerged as a top class performer in the late autumn in the Kikuka Sho. In the race, he was the third favourite behind Dance Partner and Narita King O.[9] When the race began, he was chasing comfortably from a good position, was already close to the front by the fourth corner, and in the straight he pulled away from the rest of the pack to take the win by one and a quarter length over Tokai Palace and Hokkai Rousseau.[10][9] In December, he contested one of Japan's most prestigious weight-for-age races, the Arima Kinen over 2500 metres at Nakayama. He pulled away early in the race, maintained that position throughout the race and won by two lengths from Taiki Blizzard and Sakura Chitose O.[11][12]
1996: four-year-old season
In March 1996, Mayano Top Gun was matched against the 1994 Japanese Horse of the Year Narita Brian in the Hanshin Daishoten and was beaten into second place.[13] In June at Kyoto he recorded his biggest success as a four-year-old at the Takarazuka Kinen over 2200 metres. At the race, the thirteen starters battling it out closed the whole race. Mayano Top Gun himself was held back by Kanetsu Cross and Legacy World. At the final kilometer, Mayano Top Gun surged past both of those horses and held the position to win the race, beating Sunday Branch and the mare Dance Partner by a length and half.[14] Later in the year he finished second to Bubble Gum Fellow in the autumn edition of the Tenno Sho where the three-year-old colt took the early lead and had the extra energy on the final straight over Mayano Top Gun and Sakura Laurel.[15]
1997: five-year-old season
In March 1997, Mayano Top Gun raced in the Hanshin Daishoten. His jockey, Seiki Tabara made a bold call to change the horse running strategy from early lead to final pursuit.[16] On the race day, Mayano Top Gun stayed mostly at the back. Then, in the final stretch, he began to sprint in between the third and fourth corner. Entering the straight, he unleashed a powerful finishing kick and broke through for his first win of the season over Big Symbol and Gigaton.[16][17] A month later he contested the Spring edition of the Tenno Sho over 3200 metres at Kyoto. This would be an epic battle between the three strongest older horses (Sakura Laurel, Marvelous Sunday and himself). Both Sakura Laurel and Marvelous Sunday took the lead at the ending phase but Mayano Top Gun, stuck to the strategy from previous race, chased after both in the final straight and crossed the line first.[16] He won the race from Sakura Laurel (winner of the race in 1996), with Marvelous Sunday in third place and etched a new record finish at the time.[18][19] Unfortunately, he had to retire right after the race as he developed tendonitis on his legs.[16] A retirement ceremony was held at Hanshin Racecourse during the lunch break on November 30.[20]
Racing form
Mayano Top Gun won eight race out of 21 starts and snatched four G1 win during his career. This data available is based on JBIS and netkeiba.[21][6]
| Date | Track | Race | Grade | Distance (Condition) |
Entry | HN | Odds (Favored) |
Finish | Time | Margins | Jockey | Winner (Runner-up) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 – three-year-old season | ||||||||||||
| Jan 8 | Kyoto | 3yo Newcomer | 1,200 m (Fast) | 16 | 13 | 1.7 (1) | 5th | 1:14.9 | 1.1 | Yutaka Take | Wonder Perfume | |
| Feb 19 | Kyoto | 3yo Maiden | 1,200 m (Fast) | 14 | 2 | 7.6 (4) | 3rd | 1:14.2 | 0.4 | Seiki Tabara | Star Swallow | |
| Mar 11 | Kyoto | 3yo Maiden | 1,200 m (Good) | 8 | 1 | 1.8 (1) | 3rd | 1:14.2 | 0.7 | Yutaka Take | Polish Admiral | |
| Mar 25 | Kyoto | 3yo Maiden | 1,200 m (Fast) | 14 | 2 | 2.0 (2) | 1st | 1:13.0 | –0.2 | Yutaka Take | (Land Zenobia) | |
| Apr 15 | Kyoto | 3yo Allowance | 1W | 1,200 m (Sloppy) | 14 | 6 | 6.8 (3) | 3rd | 1:12.6 | 0.3 | Yutaka Take | Fusaichi Victory |
| May 7 | Kyoto | 3yo Allowance | 1W | 1,200 m (Fast) | 11 | 4 | 5.2 (4) | 3rd | 1:12.1 | 0.6 | Seiki Tabara | Wakana Ines |
| May 28 | Chukyo | 3yo Allowance | 1W | 1,700 m (Fast) | 11 | 8 | 8.2 (4) | 1st | 1:46.8 | –1.2 | Seiki Tabara | (Kitasan Silver) |
| Jun 18 | Chukyo | Royal HKJC Trophy | 2,000 m (Firm) | 13 | 13 | 15.3 (5) | 3rd | 2:01.3 | 0.1 | Seiki Tabara | Fair Dance | |
| Jul 9 | Chukyo | Yamayuri Stakes | 1,800 m (Firm) | 16 | 2 | 5.2 (2) | 1st | 1:49.8 | –0.2 | Seiki Tabara | (Thrilling Hour) | |
| Sep 17 | Kyoto | Kobe Shimbun Hai | 2 | 2,000 m (Firm) | 14 | 14 | 13.5 (5) | 2nd | 1:59.8 | 0.0 | Seiki Tabara | Tanino Create |
| Oct 15 | Kyoto | Kyoto Shimbun Hai | 2 | 2,200 m (Firm) | 15 | 11 | 4.4 (2) | 2nd | 2:11.5 | 0.1 | Seiki Tabara | Narita King O |
| Nov 5 | Kyoto | Kikuka Sho | 1 | 3,000 m (Firm) | 18 | 10 | 6.5 (3) | 1st | 3:04.4 | –0.2 | Seiki Tabara | (Tokai Palace) |
| Dec 24 | Nakayama | Arima Kinen | 1 | 2,500 m (Firm) | 12 | 10 | 13.0 (6) | 1st | 2:33.6 | –0.3 | Seiki Tabara | (Taiki Blizzard) |
| 1996 – four-year-old season | ||||||||||||
| Mar 9 | Hanshin | Hanshin Daishoten | 2 | 3,000 m (Firm) | 10 | 10 | 2.0 (1) | 2nd | 3:04.9 | 0.0 | Seiki Tabara | Narita Brian |
| Apr 21 | Kyoto | Tennō Shō (Spring) | 1 | 3,200 m (Firm) | 16 | 7 | 2.8 (2) | 5th | 3:18.8 | 1.0 | Seiki Tabara | Sakura Laurel |
| Jul 7 | Hanshin | Takarazuka Kinen | 1 | 2,200 m (Firm) | 13 | 9 | 2.0 (1) | 1st | 2:12.0 | –0.2 | Seiki Tabara | (Sunday Branch) |
| Sep 15 | Nakayama | Sankei Sho All Comers | 2 | 2,200 m (Soft) | 9 | 6 | 1.8 (1) | 4th | 2:17.6 | 0.9 | Seiki Tabara | Sakura Laurel |
| Oct 27 | Tokyo | Tennō Shō (Autumn) | 1 | 2,000 m (Firm) | 17 | 8 | 8.1 (4) | 2nd | 1:58.8 | 0.1 | Seiki Tabara | Bubble Gum Fellow |
| Dec 22 | Nakayama | Arima Kinen | 1 | 2,500 m (Firm) | 14 | 3 | 5.9 (2) | 7th | 2:35.3 | 1.5 | Seiki Tabara | Sakura Laurel |
| 1997 – five-year-old season | ||||||||||||
| Mar 16 | Hanshin | Hanshin Daishoten | 2 | 3,000 m (Good) | 8 | 9 | 1.9 (1) | 1st | 3:07.2 | –0.6 | Seiki Tabara | (Big Symbol) |
| Apr 27 | Kyoto | Tennō Shō (Spring) | 1 | 3,200 m (Firm) | 16 | 4 | 3.7 (2) | 1st | R3:14.4 | –0.2 | Seiki Tabara | (Sakura Laurel) |
Legend:
Turf
Dirt
- R on the time indicates that this was a record time
Assessment and awards
In 1995, Mayano Top Gun was voted Japanese Horse of the Year and the Best Three-year-old Colt.[22]
Stud career and death
After retirement, Mayano Top Gun stand as a stud at Yushun Stallion Station in Niikappu, Hokkaido until he retired in 2015.[23] He stayed there for the rest of his life until he died of old age on November 3, 2019, at 27 years old.[24]
Major winners
| Foaled | Name | Sex | Major Wins |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Bamboo Juventus | c | Nikkei Shinshun Hai |
| 1999 | Precise Machine | c | Swan Stakes, Hankyu Hai, Chunichi Shimbun Hai (2x) |
| 2000 | Chakra | c | Meguro Kinen, Stayers Stakes |
| 2002 | Hokko Pas de Chat | c | Niigata Kinen |
| 2002 | Meisho Tokon | c | Tokai Stakes, Breeders' Gold Cup, Heian Stakes, Nagoya Daishoten |
| 2002 | Top Gun Joe | c | Niigata Kinen, Epsom Cup |
| 2003 | King Top Gun | c | Meguro Kinen, Hakodate Kinen |
| 2008 | Mousquetaire | c | Meguro Kinen |
In popular culture
An anthropomorphized version of Mayano Top Gun appears in the Umamusume: Pretty Derby franchise, voiced by Mio Hoshitani.[26]
Pedigree
| Sire Brian's Time |
Roberto | Hail to Reason | Turn-to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nothirdchance | |||
| Bramalea | Nashua | ||
| Rarelea | |||
| Kelley's Day | Graustark | Ribot | |
| Flower Bowl | |||
| Golden Trail | Hasty Road | ||
| Sunny Vale | |||
| Dam Alp Me Please |
Blushing Groom | Red God | Nasrullah |
| Spring Run | |||
| Runaway Bride | Wild Risk | ||
| Aimee | |||
| Swiss | Vaguely Noble | Vienna | |
| Noble Lassie | |||
| Gala Host | My Host | ||
| Huspah (Family: 14-a)[3] |