Details
| Name / Japanese | Matikanefukukitaru / マチカネフクキタル |
| Birth Year | 1994 |
| Sex | male |
| Earnings | 370,246,000 yen |
| Races-Win / G1-Win | 22-6 / 6-1 |
| Sire | Crystal Glitters |
| Dam (Sire) | Athena Tosho (Tosho Boy) |
| Other site link | JBIS / Umanity / netkeiba |
All G1 races + grade-races he finished 1st and 2nd
| Y D/M |
Track | Race | No. | Pl. |  |
| 1997 01/06 |
Tokyo T2400 |
Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) (G1) | 14 | 7 | ◆ |
| 1997 14/09 |
Hanshin T2000 |
Kobe Shimbun Hai (G2) | 4 | 1 | G |
| 1997 12/10 |
Kyoto T2200 |
Kyoto Shimbun Hai (G2) | 1 | 1 | G |
| 1997 02/11 |
Kyoto T3000 |
Kikuka Sho (G1) | 4 | 1 | ◆ |
| 1998 27/12 |
Nakayama T2500 |
Arima Kinen (G1) | 1 | 13 | ◆ |
| 1999 14/02 |
Kyoto T2200 |
Kyoto Kinen (G2) | 8 | 2 | G |
| 1999 04/04 |
Hanshin T2000 |
Sankei Osaka Hai (G2) | 6 | 2 | G |
| 1999 02/05 |
Kyoto T3200 |
Tenno Sho (spring) (G1) | 1 | 7 | ◆ |
| 1999 11/07 |
Hanshin T2200 |
Takarazuka Kinen (G1) | 7 | 5 | ◆ |
| 2000 25/06 |
Hanshin T2200 |
Takarazuka Kinen (G1) | 5 | 8 | ◆ |
- In the Kobe Shimbun Hai, he was 2nd favorite.
Silence Suzuka was 1st favorite and Silk Justice was 3rd favorite.
Silence Suzuka was at the head of the pack, his specialty, and Matikanefukukitaru was at the bottom.
When they entered the home stretch, Silence Suzuka was still the top and Matikanefukukitaru was still the bottom.
Silence Suzuka had extended his lead even further and it looked like he was going to win.
But Matikanefukukitaru showed a great finishing-kick and passed all the other horses.
He won by 1+1/4 lengths.
It was his first grade-race win. - In the Kyoto Shimbun hai, he won defeating Mejiro Bright and Stay Gold.
- In the Kikuka Sho, the last classic race, he was 3rd favorite.
He was considered bad at long distance racing.
Silk Justice was 1st favorite and Mejiro Bright was 2nd favorite.
Matikanefukukitaru took the lead in the home stretch and won.
It was his first G1 win.
It was his fourth straight win, including a lower-class race. - His performance from summer to Kikuka Sho was incredible.
But then he suffered from hoof disease and could not perform well.
His name
- The original romanization of his name is Machikane Fukukitaru.
However, according to the international rules for racehorse names, the maximum number of letters in a name is 18, including spaces.
Thus, the romanization of his name is Matikanefukukitaru. - There is a saying and proverb in Japan:
“笑う門には福来る / Waraukado niwa Fukukitaru.
Waraukado means Laughing Gate.
Fukukitaru means good fortune comes true.
The strict translation is “Good fortune and happiness will come to the home of those who smile”
A simpler translation is “Smiling will bring you good fortune” and “Fortune comes in by a merry gate”.
///
His name was taken from this proverb.
By the way, there’s a horse named Machikanewaraukado who’s the same age as him and owned by the same owner.
Machikanewaraukado was active in dirt racing. (JBIS)
Machikanewaraukado and Matikanefukukitaru are known to fans as a combination that Waraukado niwa Fukukitaru, and are often mentioned as a pair.