Sunny Brian
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| Sunny Brian サニーブライアン | |
|---|---|
| Breed | Thoroughbred |
| Sire | Brian's Time |
| Grandsire | Roberto |
| Dam | Sunny Swift |
| Damsire | Swift Swallow |
| Sex | Stallion |
| Foaled | 23 April 1994[1] |
| Died | 3 March 2011 (aged 16)[1] |
| Country | Japan |
| Color | Bay |
| Breeder | Murashita Farm |
| Owner | Moriyasu Miyazaki |
| Trainer | Senji Nakao |
| Record | 10: 4-1-1 |
| Earnings | ¥340,306,000[2] |
| Major wins | |
| Satsuki Shō (1997) Tōkyō Yūshun (1997) | |
| Awards | |
| JRA Award for Best Three-Year-Old Colt (1997)[3] | |
Sunny Brian (サニーブライアン, Hepburn: Sanī Buraian, 23 April 1994 – 3 March 2011)[1] was a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse who won the first two leg of Japanese Classic Races, the Satsuki Shō and the Tōkyō Yūshun in 1997. He had a total earnings of ¥340,306,000 before his retirement.[2]
Born on April 23, 1994, Sunny Brian was a bay horse foaled by Sunny Swift, a Japanese racemare with the same owner as his, Moriyasu Miyazaki. He was sired by Brian's Time, an American-bred racehorse who also sired notable Japanese racehorses such as Narita Brian, Mayano Top Gun, and Tanino Gimlet.[3]
Racing Career
1996: Three-year-old season
Sunny Brian debuted on October 5 at the Tokyo Racecourse. Ridden by Naohiro Onishi, he finished first by two and a half lengths.[4] On his next three races, his performance dropped suddenly and failed to place, finishing fifth, seventh, and fifth once again.[5]
1997: Four-year-old season
His next season started when he competed in Wakatake Sho, an allowance race, placing second.[5] At the Junior Cup, he finally secured a win once again, finishing with a time of 2:03.07 by half a length.[6] In the Hochi Hai Yayoi Sho, he placed third with three and a half lengths behind the second place, Osumi Sunday.[7] On the Wakaba Stakes, he placed fourth despite being the most popular horse.[5]
At the Classics, he placed first in the Satsuki Shō, winning against Silk Lightning by a neck.[8] However, in the Tōkyō Yūshun, he was unusually unpopular for a horse who won the Satsuki Shō, where he was only the sixth favorite. Despite this, he broke the fans' low expectations and managed to win by a length, becoming the youngest Derby winner.[9][10]
Race Records
The table below from netkeiba and JBIS shows his overall racing career. In his 10 starts, he won four races.[5][11]
| Date | Track | Race | Grade | Distance | Surface (Condition) |
BK (PP) | Entry | Odds (Favored) |
Finish | Time | Margin | Jockey | Winner (Runner-up) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 – three-year-old season | |||||||||||||
| Oct 5 | Tokyo | 3YO Debut | 1800m | Turf (Firm) | 6 (8) | 13 | 5.2 (3) | 1st | 1:50.4 | -0.4 | Naohiro Onishi | (Scholarship) | |
| Nov 2 | Tokyo | Hyakunichiso Tokubetsu | ALW (1 Win) | 1800m | Turf (Soft) | 5 (6) | 12 | 3.5 (2) | 5th | 1:50.3 | 0.9 | Naohiro Onishi | Kris the Brave |
| Nov 17 | Tokyo | Fuchu Sansai Stakes | G3 | 1800m | Turf (Firm) | 2 (2) | 13 | 7.4 (2) | 7th | 1:50.6 | 0.9 | Naohiro Onishi | Godspeed |
| Dec 15 | Nakayama | Hiiragi Sho | ALW (1 Win) | 1600m | Turf (Firm) | 6 (11) | 15 | 14.5 (3) | 5th | 1:37.0 | 0.8 | Naohiro Onishi | Speed World |
| 1997 – four-year-old season | |||||||||||||
| Jan 6 | Nakayama | Wakatake Sho | ALW (1 Win) | 2000m | Turf (Soft) | 4 (7) | 16 | 5.7 (4) | 2nd | 2:04.7 | 0.1 | Naohiro Onishi | Funnel Mark |
| Jan 18 | Nakayama | Junior Cup | OP | 2000m | Turf (Firm) | 3 (3) | 7 | 5.2 (4) | 1st | 2:03.7 | -0.1 | Naohiro Onishi | (Tokio Excellent) |
| Mar 2 | Nakayama | Hochi Hai Yayoi Sho | G2 | 2000m | Turf (Firm) | 3 (4) | 14 | 15.5 (5) | 3rd | 2:03.1 | 1.1 | Naohiro Onishi | Running Gale |
| Mar 22 | Nakayama | Wakaba Stakes | OP | 2000m | Turf (Soft) | 1 (1) | 16 | 3.5 (1) | 4th | 2:04.3 | 0.4 | Naohiro Onishi | Silk Lightning |
| Apr 13 | Nakayama | Satsuki Shō | G1 | 2000m | Turf (Firm) | 8 (18) | 18 | 51.8 (11) | 1st | 2:02.0 | -0.1 | Naohiro Onishi | (Silk Lightning) |
| Jun 1 | Tokyo | Tōkyō Yūshun | G1 | 2400m | Turf (Firm) | 8 (18) | 17 | 13.6 (6) | 1st | 2:25.9 | -0.2 | Naohiro Onishi | (Silk Justice) |