was a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse and a leading sire in Japan. His major wins include the Satsuki Shō, and the Yayoi Sho. He ran undefeated from 2000 until 2001, and was widely anticipated to win the year's Classic Triple Crown. However shortly after winning the Satsuki Shō, a bowed tendon suddenly ended his racing career, leading to newspapers referring to him as a 'phantom' Triple Crown winner.
After retiring from racing, Agnes Tachyon had a successful stud career, siring many graded stakes-winning horses. He was named 2008's leading sire in Japan, ending his sire Sunday Silence's twelve-year streak as Japan's leading sire.
Background Agnes Tachyon was sired by Sunday Silence and his dam Agnes Flora (by Royal Ski); Agnes Flora won the Oka Sho, and his granddam, Agnes Lady, won the Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks), while Sunday Silence had won the 1989 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, and was Japan's leading sire from 1995 to 2007. Agnes Tachyon was the younger brother of the 2000 Tōkyō Yūshun winner Agnes Flight.The name "Tachyon" is derived from tachyonic particles, hypothetical particles which travel faster than the speed of light.
Agnes Flora had mated with Sunday Silence several times before Agnes Tachyon's birth, with their first time occurring in Agnes Flora's first year as a broodmare, 1992. At the time, Sunday Silence had not yet sired any runners at Shadai, as it was his second year season as a stallion. In the following year, 1993, their first foal was born, a colt.Yushun, June 2008, p. 69 As successful horses from Sunday Silence had begun gaining popularity, this first foal was named "Agnes Takao", using Watanabe Takao's name.Yushun, June 2000, p. 31 Agnes Takao was entrusted to trainer Mitsumasa Hamada, but he could not perform as expected due to inherited leg weaknesses from his mother.Yushun, June 2008, p. 69 After mating twice with Tony Bin, Sunday Silence was once again chosen as Agnes Flora's mating partner in 1996, resulting in Agnes Flight being born on 2 March 1997 at Shadai Farm. Agnes Flora and Sunday Silence were paired again later the same year, leading to Agnes Tachyon's birth in 1998.Yushun, April 2019, p. 81
Racing career
2000: 2-year-old season He made his debut relatively late, in a maiden race over 2,000 meters on the turf at Hanshin Racecourse in December 2000. Although he attracted much attention, being the full brother of Agnes Flight, his training times were not particularly impressive, so he was only the third favorite. However, in the race, he recorded a final three-furlong split in a 33-second range, winning by a commanding three-and-a-half-lengths margin over the runner-up, Libroadcast. The favorite, Born King, finished fifth.
In the subsequent Radio Tampa Hai Sansai Stakes for 3-Year-Olds (now the Hopeful Stakes), the competition was even tougher, but he went on to win, setting a record time for a 2-year-old over 2,000m. Jungle Pocket finished second by two and a half lengths, and Kurofune came in third—a high-level contest in which future G1 winners took the top three spots. Despite adopting a strategy known as "early move", or sensing the slow pace, he began to surge as early as the third turn, and was neck-and-neck for the lead by the fourth turn. He recorded the fastest final three furlongs of any horse in the field, at 34.1 seconds.Nikkan Sports Magazine, 24 December 2000 After the race, jockey Kawachi was recorded saying, "I'm convinced this horse is in a league of its own." Trainer Nagahama highly praised Agnes Tachyon's performance, stating, "His racing style is better than his older brother's."
In the selection for Best 2-Year-Old Colt, a press vote where the winner of the Asahi Hai Stakes had historically been chosen, Agnes Tachyon garnered an exceptional 119 votes. However, was defeated by Asahi Hai winner Mejiro Bailey, who received 147 votes.
2001: 3-year-old season Agnes Tachyon's owner had described him as having the potential to win the Triple Crown, and so he was entered into the Yayoi Sho, a major trial race for the Satsuki Sho, since both races are run over the same distance. On a heavy track, he won by five lengths over the second-place finisher, Born King, while the future Kikuka-shō winner, Manhattan Cafe, finished fourth.
Having performed so well in the qualifier race, and with Agnes Gold (who had been considered a top contender alongside Agnes Tachyon) withdrawn due to injury, he entered the Satsuki Sho as the overwhelming favorite. He started the race with a win-only betting support rate of 59.4%, the second-highest in history at the time. He won the race by easily kicking off in the final spurt from a good mid-pack position, in fourth or fifth place.Nikkan Sports, 16 April 2001
With this, he had won all four of his highly competitive races, and, since each victory had been achieved without any real threat, expectations were high for him to win the Triple Crown. However, on 2 May, he developed superficial flexor tendonitis in his left front leg and had to withdraw from the Japanese Derby. Nagahama, who had expressed concern even while celebrating his Satsuki Sho victory, saying, "I'm happy, but I'm worried he might end up like Agnes Gold (who fractured his leg)" saw his fears become a reality.
He was subsequently sent to Shadai Farm for pasture rest, and following discussions among his trainer and owner, the decision was made to retire him. His retirement was announced to the public on 29 August. A retirement ceremony was held at Hanshin Racecourse on 30 September.
Racing form Agnes Tachyon won four races out of four starts. This data is available on JBIS and netkeiba. He raced on turf track in all of his races. DateRacecourseRaceGradeDistance(Condition)EntryHNOdds (Favored)FinishTimeMarginsJockeyWinner (Runner-up)2000 – two-year-old season2 DecHanshin2YO Newcomer2,000 m (Firm)1045.8 (3)1st2:04.3–0.6Hiroshi Kawachi(Rebroadcast)23 DecHanshinRadio Tampa Hai Sansai StakesG32,000 m (Firm)1224.5 (2)1st–0.4Hiroshi Kawachi(Jungle Pocket)2001 – three-year-old season4 MarNakayamaHochi Hai Yayoi ShoG22,000 m (Heavy)811.2 (1)1st2:05.7–0.8Hiroshi Kawachi(Born King)15 AprNakayamaSatsuki ShoG12,000 m (Firm)1871.3 (1)1st2:00.3 –0.2Hiroshi Kawachi(Dantsu Flame) indicated that it was a record time finish
Stud record
Agnes Tachyon was assigned to the stud duty at Shadai Stallion Station. By 2008, he had produced many great foals, such as Daiwa Scarlet and Deep Sky. He was awarded as the leading sire in Japan that same year. He died the year after from heart failure, at the age of eleven years old.
Agnes Tachyon's prominent descendants include:Australian Stud Book: Agnes Tachyon (JPN) Retrieved 13 November 2010
c = colt, f = filly, bold = grade 1 stakes NameFoaledSexMajor wins Lanzarote 2003 c Procyon Stakes Shonan Tachyon 2003 c Niigata Nisai Stakes Logic 2003 f NHK Mile Cup Daiwa Scarlet 2004 f Oka Sho, Shūka Sho, Queen Elizabeth II Cup, Osaka Hai, Arima Kinen Admire Aura 2004 f Yayoi Sho, Kyōto Kinen, Shinzan Kinen, Shonan Talent 2004 f Flower Cup Meine Canna 2004 f Fukushima Himba Stakes Deep Sky 2005 c Tokyo Yūshun, NHK Mile Cup Admire Commando 2005 c Aoba Sho Rainbow Pegasus 2005 c Kisaragi Sho, Sekiya Kinen Daiwa Wild Boar 2005 c St Lite Kinen Little Amapola 2005 c Queen Elizabeth II Cup, Queen Cup, Aichi Hai Captain Thule 2005 c Satsuki Shō, Daily Hai Nisai Stakes, Asahi Challenge Cup Copano Jingu 2005 f Meguro Kinen Broad Street 2006 f Rose Stakes I Am Kamino Mago 2006 f Hanshin Himba Stakes Nike High Grade 2006 c Haneda Hai Sunrise Prince 2007 c New Zealand Trophy Quark Star 2007 c St Lite Kinen Ridill 2007 c Swan Stakes, Daily Hai Nisai Stakes Red Davis 2008 c Shinzan Kinen, Mainichi Hai, Naruo Kinen Reve d'Essor 2008 f Daily Hai Nisai Stakes, Hanshin Juvenile Fillies, Tulip Sho I Am Actress 2008 f Unicorn Stakes Grandezza 2009 c Spring Stakes, Tanabata Sho, Sapporo Nisai Stakes Sound of Heart 2009 f Hanshin Himba Stakes Omega Heartland 2009 f Flower Cup Osumi Ichiban 2009 c Diolite Kinen, Hyogo Championship Northern River 2009 c Sakitama Hai, Arlington Cup, Capella Stakes Red Claudia 2009 f Queen Sho Red Arion 2010 c Yomiuri Milers Cup, Sekiya Kinen Jebel Musa 2010 c Elm Stakes
In popular culture An anthropomorphized version of Agnes Tachyon appears as a character in the Japanese multimedia franchise Umamusume: Pretty Derby, voiced by Sumire Uesaka. She is depicted as a mad scientist obsessed with pushing the physical limits of Umamusume, with her implied motive being that she wishes to overcome the limitations of her fragile legs using scientific methods. A movie featuring the character titled Umamusume: Pretty Derby – Beginning of a New Era released in Japan on 24 May 2024.
Pedigree
See also Fuji Kiseki – 1994 Asahi Hai Sansai Stakes winner; shared a similar undefeated career in 4 starts and retiring after a leg injury. List of leading Thoroughbred racehorses
References