Family Lines in Japan #2

2023-04-30 | By jpkeiba | Filed in: Family Line.

Family Lines in Japan #2

Tip Top family
Esther Dee family
Silver Button family
Thonella family
Shimousa Goryo Farm’s 8 mares

Tip Top family

Family Name	Tip Top / チツプトツプ (チップトップ)
Background	Born in USA in 1900 and moved to Japan in 1903
From / Family Number	Magnolia family / F-No.4-m
To	(Speed Kiyofuji family – Rosita family)
Famous Horses (Excerpts)	Hiroichi, Asa Denko, Gold City, Merry Nice, Silk Justice, Espoir City (Rosita, Milford Slew, Run for the Dream, Oken Sakura) in Speed Kiyofuji family (Ibuki Goverment, Kanetsu Fleuve, Regular Member) in Rosita family
JBIS

Tip Top came to Japan as long ago as 1903.
Tip Top family line is a good family line that has been active for a long time.
Merry Nice and Silk Justice are famous for winning major G1 races on turf.
The Tip Top family has always been strong in dirt racing, but this has become even more the case in recent years.
The descendants of the famous Rosita are now numerous in the NAR.
Espoir City, which won Best Dirt Horse for its excellent performance, is also a Tip Top family.
Although the Tip Top family line is a very old family line, it may be said that it is not very successful in steeplechase races.
The family line is still active, but since the success of Espoir City, it has not been very active in graded races.

Esther Dee family

Family Name	Esther Dee / エスサーデイー
Background	Born in GB in 1902 and moved to Japan in 1908
From / Family Number	Cream Cheeks family / F-No.6-a
To
Famous Horses (Excerpts)	Umeno Chikara, Carib Song, Nehai Caesar, Yukino Bijin, Lively Mount, Meisei Opera, Tsurumaru Boy, Toshin Blizzard
JBIS

Perhaps the most famous horse in the Esther Dee family line is Meisei Opera.
Lively Mount, Tsurumaru Boy, and Toshin Blizzard are also popular horses.
Although it is a very old family line, only two or three successful horses are born every ten years or so.
However, there were many successful horses in the 1990s and early 2000s or so.

Silver Button family

Family Name	Silver Button / シルバーバツトン
Background	Born in GB in 1908 and moved to Japan in 1912
From / Family Number	Queen of the May family/ F-No.4-g
To
Famous Horses (Excerpts)	Track O, Wizard, Golden Wave, Dainana Hoshu, Hamano Parade, Passing Shot, Tico Tico Tac
JBIS

Perhaps the most famous horse in the Silver Button family is Dainana Hoshu.
Dainana Hoshu still holds the JRA record with 11 consecutive victories, and also won three of the eight major races in an outstanding performance.
He also broke the record three times (one of them with a very heavy handicap of 65 kg).
He was a legendary horse in terms of his race record.
He was also nominated for the Hall of Fame Honor Horse, but was not selected.
It is said that the reason he was not selected was because one of the selection committee members claimed that he was too small and therefore not suitable for the honored horse. (His body is said to have weighed only about 380 kg.)
He is still known as the horse that failed to win an honors for reasons too ridiculous and close to quibbling.
Horses from the Silver Button family have been active, but their success has gradually decreased since about 1980.
Since the grading system was established, only Passing Shot and Tico Tico Tac have won a G1 race.

Thonella family

Family Name	Thonella / ソネラ
Background	Born in USA in 1919 and moved to Japan in 1928
From / Family Number	Miss Obstinate family / F-No.4-r
To	(Dai-3 Thonella family – Reru du Temps family)
Famous Horses (Excerpts)	Lunella, Gipsy Nella, Kanetsu Seki (Nihon Pillow Ace, Kamino Tesio, Nasuno Kotobuki) in Dai-3 Thonella family (Mejiro Bright, Mejiro Bailey, Suzuka Presto) in Reru du Temps family
JBIS

Thonella came to Japan from the USA in 1928, and her foal Rounella and Rounella’s foal Rollsnella also came to Japan from the USA later.
Thonella’s offspring in the USA include an American horse named Wait a Bit, winner of the Carter Handicap and Vosburgh Handicap.
Nasuno Kotobuki and Mejiro Bright are famous, but none of the horses in the Thonella family have made outstanding achievements.
The Reru du Temps family is still pretty active today.

Shimousa Goryo Farm’s 8 mares

Shimousa is the old name of the place and Goryo means something used by the imperial family.
Shimousa Goryo Farm was operated by the Ministry of the Imperial Household, which assisted the Emperor and the Imperial Household, the highest authorities in Japan at that time.
Shimousa Goryo Farm had been producing Thoroughbred horses using mares mainly from Koiwai Farm, but partly due to the enactment of the new Horse Racing Law, the farm changed its policy to produce great horses in its own way.
Shimousa Goryo Farm imported Young Man’s Fancy and Helenagain from the GB in 1926.
(In 1927, they also imported Tournesol, who later became a great stallion in Japan.)
They imported Fairy Maiden, Ima Baby, Alzada in 1931 and Valiant Lady, Secure, Sloping in 1932 from the USA
They were given Japanese names after they came to Japan, so English names are not often used in Japan.
At that time, Japanese horse racing was dominated by horses with British-derived pedigrees, so the value of the American-derived mares that came in 1931 and 1932 was significant.

種正 (Tanemasa) family / Young Man’s Fancy family

Family Name	種正 (Tanemasa) / Young Man’s Fancy
Background	Born in GB in 1920 and moved to Japan in 1926
From / Family Number	Ann of the Forest family/ F-No.5-h
To
Famous Horses (Excerpts)	Tokumasa, Bostonian, Hikaru Takai, Bamboo Memory, Inari One, Max Fleet, My Shinzan, Narita Homare
JBIS

Inari One is the most famous horse in the Tanemasa family.
Many of the horses in the Tanemasa family, such as Hikaru Takai, Inari One, and Bamboo Memory, are tremendous performers when they are in good shape.
The descendants of Max Fleet, nicknamed “the strongest mare in the Tokai region” or “Female Oguri Cap,” are still active today.

種道 (Tanemichi) family / Helenagain family

Family Name	種道 (Tanemichi) / Helenagain
Background	Born in GB in 1922 and moved to Japan in 1926
From / Family Number	Hollyleaf family / F-No.22
To	Take Yutaka family
Famous Horses (Excerpts)	Koma Hikari, Noboru Toko, Press Toko, Kanetsu Cross, Take Yutaka (Kane Yutaka O, Kitasan Channel, Kitasan Hibotan, Kitasan Mikazuki) in Take Yutaka family
JBIS

The Tanemichi family line is an old family line, but no horse has won more than two of the eight major races or G1 races.
It is a modest family line.
Take Yutaka is a mare born in 1971.
Her racing record was not good, but now her name and the success of her descendants are often talked about.
Her name is talked about as being the same as that of 武豊 (Take Yutaka / Yutaka Take), who was born in 1969 and later became a great jockey.
As for her name, it may be a coincidence, or perhaps her owner and Kunihiko Take, Yutaka Take’s father, were close acquaintances and gave her the same name as Yutaka Take. (Her owner had Kunihiko Take on Take Hope in the Kikuka Sho to beat Haiseiko.)
The descendants of the horse “Take Yutaka” were active.
In particular, the owner of “Kitasan” has purchased many horses in her family line, some of which have been successful.
When the owner of “Kitasan” changed the jockey of “Kitasan Black”, he asked Yutaka Take to ride him.
The owner of “Kitasan” said that he wanted Yutaka Take to ride his horse because of his connection with the horse “Take Yutaka”.
(Kitasan Black is not a Take Yutaka family horse.)

星旗 (Hoshihata) family / Fairy Maiden family

Family Name	星旗 (Hoshihata) / Fairy Maiden
Background	Born in USA in 1924 and moved to Japan in 1931
From / Family Number	Tuscan Red family / F-No.16-h
To	Tsukishiro family
Famous Horses (Excerpts)	Cleopatra Thomas (Tsukishiro), Kumohata (Takakura Yama, Haku Chikara, Nihon Pillow Moutiers, Sanei Thank You, Gold Ship) in Tsukishiro family
JBIS

Cleopatra Thomas was the horse that Hoshihata (Fairy Maiden) was carrying when she arrived in Japan, and her sire was Campfire, a good American stallion at the time.
Cleopatra Thomas was so successful in racing that there were even plans for an international expedition because she was so strong. (Eventually, that plan was allegedly lost due to a change in ownership due to a scandal involving her owner.)
After her retirement, she became very successful under the name Tsukishiro, and the Hoshihata family can almost be considered the Tsukishiro family.
Kumohata and Haku Chikara were inducted into the Hall of Fame Honors.
Of course, Gold Ship is now the most famous horse of the Hoshihata family.
Gold Ship is a popular horse that has been the center of attention for many years, both for his performance in races, his non-racing activities, and even after his retirement.

星若 (Hoshiwaka) family / Ima Baby family

Family Name	星若 (Hoshiwaka) / Ima Baby
Background	Born in USA in 1924 and moved to Japan in 1931
From / Family Number	Fractious family / F-No.3
To	(Tsukioka family – Okataka family)
Famous Horses (Excerpts)	Elle Gala Thomas (Tsukioka), Kamiwaka (Teito O, Kumowaka (Okataka)) in Tsukioka family (Wakakumo, Ten Point, Kings Point, Wakao Raiden, Diana Tholon, Fujiyama Kenzan) in Okataka family
JBIS

Elle Gala Thomas was the horse that Hoshiwaka (Ima Baby) was carrying when she arrived in Japan, and her sire was Sir Gallahad, who had been the leading sire in North America the previous year and would be the leading sire in North America a total of four times.
Like Cleopatra Thomas of the Hoshihata family, Elle Gala Thomas was active in racing, and after her retirement she became a broodmare under the name of Tsukioka.
Kumowaka’s Equine Infectious Anemia incident
Kumowaka was successful in racing, winning 11 races, but became ill in the summer of 1952 (her fourth year).
Kumowaka was diagnosed as suffering from equine infectious anemia, which was prevalent at the Kyoto Racecourse at the time, and it was decided that he would be killed in accordance with the law.
However, her health continued to improve, and at the appeal of the concerned parties, the killing of her was postponed.
Kumowaka was quietly transferred to the farm in 1955 and began breeding activities in 1956.
Then she was applied for registration with the Japan studbook association under the name Okataka, and the registration was accepted.
However, in 1958, when the association realized that Okataka was Kumowaka, it canceled her registration, saying that it could not register a horse that had been notified to be killed.
Her owner objected to this action and asked the governor of Kyoto Prefecture to rescind the notice to kill her, and the notice was rescinded in 1959.
Her owner applied to the association to have her re-registered, but the application was denied because even though she is negative now, she could have been positive in the summer of 1952, and there is a possibility that she could relapse.
Her owner filed a civil lawsuit against the association seeking to register her and her foal, and lost in the first instance.
In 1963, during the second round of discussions, other horse owners and the Racehorse Breeders Association also demanded her registration, and the studbook association softened its stance, allowing her and her foals to be registered in the Stud Book.
This ended the dispute over her registration.
If Kumowaka (Okataka) had been killed or if she had never been studbooked, her descendants, such as Ten Point, would never have come into the world.
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However, it is also true that Equine Infectious Anemia still has no cure or vaccine, and once an epidemic occurs, it can have a significant negative impact on the racehorse industry, so it is not surprising that the organization is cautious.
There are also rumors that her trainer and the veterinarians at the Kyoto Racecourse were on bad terms, or that she was involved in a factional dispute among the veterinarians at the Kyoto Racecourse, in addition to a simple lack of diagnostic accuracy.
The most famous horse in the Hoshiwaka family is Ten Point.
The races between him and his rival, Tosho Boy, and his death are still talked about as famous events in the history of Japanese horse racing.
The Hoshiwaka family line is still in existence today, but after Fujiyama Kenzan’s success in the 1990s, there have been almost no other successful horses.

星友 (Hoshitomo) family / Alzada family

Family Name	星友 (Hoshitomo) / Alzada
Background	Born in USA in 1923 and moved to Japan in 1931
From / Family Number	Spinster family / F-No.19-b
To
Famous Horses (Excerpts)	Tsukitomo, Hisatomo, Tokai Roman, Tokai Teio, Tokai Oza
JBIS

Tsukitomo was the colt that Hoshitomo (Alzada) was carrying when she arrived in Japan, and his sire was Man o’ War, who is sometimes considered the best racehorse in American history and also a successful stallion.
Although Tsukitomo did not race, he was a successful stallion.
Man o’ War’s breeding numbers and the mares he could breed were limited by his owner’s wishes, so his foals were extremely valuable.
Tsukitomo was an extremely valuable stallion in the history of Japanese horse racing, and many horses are still descended from him.
Hisatomo was the first filly to win the Derby.
Tokai Roman, Tokai Teio and Tokai Oza were born from her family line.
Tokai Teio, the Hall of Fame horse, is the most famous member of the Hoshitomo family.
No horse from the Hoshitomo family line has been active since Tokai Teio’s younger brother, Tokai Oza, was active in the early 2000s.

星谷 (Hoshitani) family / Secure family

Family Name	星谷 (Hoshitani) / Secure
Background	Born in USA in 1925 and moved to Japan in 1932
From / Family Number	Paraffin family / F-No.1-l
To
Famous Horses (Excerpts)	Tokino Chikara, Tsuki Kawa, Sunny Brian
JBIS

Hoshitani family has few successful horses.
Sunny Brian, a double crown winner, was born out of nowhere.
It was such a small family line that it is surprising that the family line survived until Sunny Brian.
By the way, Hoshitani (Secure)’s younger sister is Capture.
Capture won the Arlington Lassie Stakes, an American race.
Capture’s descendants are active mainly in the United States and have won G1 races in the U.S., Britain, France, Chile, Peru, Japan.

星濱 (Hoshihama) family / Valiant Lady family

Family Name	星濱 (Hoshihama) / Valiant Lady
Background	Born in USA in 1929 and moved to Japan in 1932
From / Family Number	Popingaol family / F-No.1-n
To
Famous Horses (Excerpts)	Miss Marusa, Asahoko, Raijin
JBIS

No horse from the Hoshihama family line is still well known today.

星富 (Hoshitomi) family / Sloping family

Family Name	星富 (Hoshitomi) / Sloping
Background	Born in USA in 1926 and moved to Japan in 1932
From / Family Number	Spilletta family / F-No.12
To
Famous Horses (Excerpts)	Hisayoshi

There were few successful horses in the Hoshitomi family, and it is reported that the family was severed in the 1950s.
Hisayoshi won the Oaks easily, but was disqualified after the race when alcohol was detected.
Her trainer protested, claiming that the testing method was incomplete, proving that it was not.
It was the military that held horse races at the time, and her trainer was sometimes threatened with a sword, but he did not give in.
In the end, Hisayoshi’s disqualification was not rescinded, but the testing method was changed as incorrect.
This is referred to as the Hisayoshi Incident, and is considered the first incident of its kind in Japanese horse racing.

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Family Lines in Japan #2

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