Details
| Name / Japanese | Kurofune / クロフネ |
| Birth Year | 1998 |
| Sex | male |
| Earnings | 370,235,000 yen |
| Races-Win / G1-Win | 10-6 / 3-2 |
| Sire | French Deputy |
| Dam (Sire) | Blue Avenue (Classic Go Go) |
| Other site link | JBIS / Umanity / en.netkeiba |
| Awards | JRA Award for Best Dirt Horse (2001) |
- The name “Kurofune” comes from the Japanese word for “黒船 (Black Ship)”.
(Wikipedia)
Even foreign-born horses would be able to run in the Tokyo Yushun (Japnese Derby) in 2001.
His owner named it in the hope that he would win the Derby.
(His hair color was whitish gray despite his name.)
All grade races
| Y D/M |
Track | Race | No | Pl |  |
| 2000 23/12 |
Hanshin T2000 |
Radio Tampa Hai Sansai Stakes (G3) | 5 | 3 | G |
| 2001 24/03 |
Hanshin T2000 |
Mainichi Hai (G3) | 2 | 1 | G |
| 2001 06/05 |
Tokyo T1600 |
NHK Mile Cup (G1) | 4 | 1 | ◆ |
| 2001 27/05 |
Tokyo T2400 |
Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) (G1) | 17 | 5 | ◆ |
| 2001 23/09 |
Hanshin T2000 |
Kobe Shinbun Hai (G2) | 7 | 3 | G |
| 2001 27/10 |
Tokyo D1600 |
Tokyo Chunichi Sports Hai Musashino Stakes (G3) | 15 | 1 | G |
| 2001 24/11 |
Tokyo D2100 |
Japan Cup Dirt (G1) | 9 | 1 | ◆ |
- In the Radio Tampa Hai Sansai Stakes, he was 1st favorite.
(2nd: Agnes Tachyon, 3rd: Jungle Pocket)
He finished in 3rd place.
Agnes Tachyon was 1st place and Jungle Pocket was 2nd place.
His connections despised Agnes Tachyon before the race but suffered a frustration after the race. - In the Mainichi Hai, he was easy to win by 5 lengths.
- In the NHK Mile Cup, he overtook Grass Eiko O just before the finish-line.
It was his first G1 win. - Before the Tokyo Yushun, Agnes Tachyon was injured.
(Agnes Tachyon retired later without returning.)
In the race, he was 2nd favorite. (1st: Jungle Pocket)
He finished in 5th place and Jungle Pocket won the race.
The hope of his owner did not come true. - His connection’s goal for the autumn was the Tenno Sho (Autumn).
From 2000, two foreign-born horses could also run in the Tenno Sho (Autumn).
His connection had registered the race from early on.
Some horse racing fans wished the end of “the Era of T.M. Opera O and Meisho Doto”.
And they expected Kurofune to carry out that role.
But shortly before, Agnes Digital’s connection registered the race.
Meisho Doto and Agnes Digital earned more money than Kurofune did, so the foreign-born horses available for that race were Meisho Doto and Agnes Digital.
Some fans accused Agnes Digital’s connection.
(In the race, Agnes Digital won defeating T.M. Opera O and Meisho Doto.) - He ran the Tokyo Chunichi Sports Hai Musashino Stakes instead of the Tenno Sho (Autumn).
It was a first dirt race for him.
He was easy to win by 9 lengths.
He broke the record time by 1.2 seconds.
He showed a great performance in the dirt race. - In the Japan Cup Dirt, he showed a great performance again.
He won by 7 lengths.
He broke the JRA record time by 1.3 second.
And it was the world record.
There was a media wrote “There is a white Secretariat in Japan named Kurofune.” after the race. - His connections planed to run in the Dubai World Cup and dirt G1 races in USA including Breeders’ Cup Classic.
But he retired due to bowed tendon.
Stud Career
- Fillies and mares stand out in his crops.
- filly and mare
Sleepless Night, Curren Chan, Whale Capture, Aerolithe, White Fugue, Sodashi - colt
Fusaichi Richard, Clarity Sky, Up to Date, T.M. Jinsoku
Episode
- He ran only two dirt races.
But many horse racing fans think he is the strongest dirt horse in Japan.
When some media give a questionnaire to horse racing fans and people involved in horse racing, he always ranks by far the first. - When asked who is the greatest horse he has ridden in his career, Yutaka Take often said Deep Impact, Silence Suzuka and Kurofune. (and sometimes Oguri Cap)