was a champion Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In 1984, he became the fourth colt to win the Japanese Triple Crown, and was inducted into the Japan Racing Association Hall of Fame in 1987. He was sired by , a son of Milesian, and out of Sweet Luna, a daughter of Speed Symboli. Due to his racing career and his namesake, Rudolf I of Germany, the horse was dubbed "Kōtei (皇帝)", or emperor.
Background Symboli Rudolf's father, Partholon, was a leading sire in Japan, while Rudolf's mother, Sweet Luna, was the offspring of Speed Symboli, a famous horse born at Symboli Bokujo. Sweet Luna's first foal with Partholon was Symboli Friend, who, despite his talent, had a poor temper; his best race result was winning the Keio Hai Spring Handicap.『優駿』2020年11月号 通巻923号 114-115頁 They had two more foals after that, but both had difficult temperaments and didn't see success. Nevertheless, Tomohiro Wada at Symboli Bokujo had the pair mate a fourth time, which resulted in Symboli Rudolf's birth in 1981. He had a crescent-moon-shaped mark on his forehead, and it was said that he only took twenty minutes to stand on his own after being born. While at the farm, he was called "Luna."『優駿』1985年6月号 通巻498号 77頁
Racing career Symboli Rudolf became the first undefeated Triple Crown champion (not losing a single race until winning Kikuka Sho, a feat later matched by Deep Impact in 2005 and Contrail in 2020) as well as the first Triple Crown winner since the introduction of the graded system in Japan.
Symboli Rudolf's first defeat was in the 1984 Japan Cup, an international event with champions from various parts of the world; the event was won by his rival Katsuragi Ace, but Symboli Rudolf managed to win the 1985 Japan Cup. His son Tokai Teio also won the 1992 Japan Cup, 7 years after his father.
Symboli Rudolf ultimately went on to win a total of 7 Grade I races in his career.
1983: two-year-old season Symboli Rudolf won his maiden race on July 23, 1983, at Niigata Racecourse. His jockey, Yukio Okabe, said afterwards that the horse had raced a 1600-meter race in 1000 meters.
After being trained at Symboli Bokujo after his debut, he returned to Miura Training Center in early October before winning the Icho Stakes on October 29. When his trainer Yuji Nohira saw Okabe's riding, he said he had run a 2400-meter race in 1600 meters.
For Symboli Rudolf's third race, his team eschewed the Asahi Hai Sansai Stakes, considered to be the junior championship race, instead opting for an open race on October 27, on the same day and at the same track as that year's Japan Cup. His trainer Nohira explained this choice as being rooted in a desire to show the rest of the world that Japan could produce incredible racehorses too.『名馬列伝 シンボリルドルフ』 p.20
1984: three-year-old season As the year began, Okabe was faced with a choice. He had also jockeyed Bizen Nishiki the year before, another strong horse who was on a four-race winning streak, but both he and Symboli Rudolf were slated to race against one another in the Yayoi Sho, the Satsuki Sho, and the Tokyo Yushun. There was a good deal of media attention given to this choice, and it was thought for a time that Okabe would choose Bizen Nishiki. However, he instead chose Symboli Rudolf, commenting that it wasn't even a choice at all.『名馬列伝 シンボリルドルフ』 p.22 This choice was later proven to be the correct one.
Symboli Rudolf's first race in his 1984 three-year-old season was the G2 Yayoi Sho. Bizen Nishiki was the number-one favorite, but Symboli Rudolf defeated him by 1 1/4 lengths.
After recovering from a minor injury, the horse underwent harsher training to make up for it. He would race Bizen Nishiki again in the G1 Satsuki Sho, the first leg of the Japanese Triple Crown; the two were considered the two main racers, but Symboli Rudolf was the number-one favorite this time. After keeping a third-place position throughout the race, he moved into the lead on the fourth corner. The final stretch turned into a one-on-one between him and Bizen Nishiki on the outside, and the two horses knocked into each other at one point before Symboli Rudolf won by 1 1/4 lengths and setting a race record, earning his first crown. The oblique motion that led to the collision on the track saw Okabe prohibited from jockeying for the next two days. At the award ceremony, Okabe held one finger up in the air, anticipating two more crowns. (Yutaka Take, who jockeyed Deep Impact, would later imitate that performance.)
The 1984 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) was nicknamed the "SB Derby," indicating the fierce rivalry between Symboli Rudolf and Bizen Nishiki. Symboli Rudolf was overwhelmingly the favorite, however, with 1.3 odds. Several other racehorses pulled out of the race, leading to a field of 21 horses, which was the lowest it had ever been at the time. The track was in poor condition because of a late-spring cold wave and lingering snowfall, which had deposited dirt on the course, giving an edge to horses that had more power than speed.『史上最強馬シンボリルドルフ』 p.61 The race began with Suzu Mach, Fujino Fuun, and Suzu Parade, all strong horses, running in the lead. On the far straightaway, Symboli Rudolf didn't respond to Okabe's signal to spurt, leading to audible confusion in the crowd. But on the stretch, he grabbed his bit in his own teeth, overtaking the three in the lead to win his second crown. Bizen Nishiki ended the race far back in 14th, possibly due to his lightness and focus on speed.『ルドルフの背』 p.52 Okabe held two fingers up at the awards ceremony.
After the derby, Tomohiro Wada made plans for Rudolf to race overseas, which was reported in newspapers at the time.『史上最強馬シンボリルドルフ』 p.183 But after an injury to his left front leg and not meeting quarantine requirements, this plan was announced to be canceled in July.『史上最強馬シンボリルドルフ』 pp.202-203
Recovered from an injury to his right shoulder, Symboli Rudolf went into the autumn season fully refreshed, winning the St Lite Kinen with a record time. From there, he took on the Kikuka Sho, the last of the Triple Crown races. He kept to the middle pack, and while the racers slightly ahead of him formed a wall on the third corner, Rudolf broke out on the final stretch and passed Gold Way to win by 3/4 of a length. He became the first ever horse in JRA racing history to win the Classic Triple Crown while undefeated, as well as the first Classic Triple Crown winner after the introduction of the grading system. At the awards ceremony, Okabe held up three fingers. To date, four other horses have won the Triple Crown, but no others have come from the Kanto region.
After the 3000-meter Kikuka Sho, Symboli Rudolf advanced to the Japan Cup just a week later. The 4th Japan Cup would be the first time two Triple Crown winners would compete against each other, as Mr. C.B. had won the Triple Crown the year before. However, Symboli Rudolf was widely reported to be in bad shape, for example having diarrhea, and his younger age compared to the rest of the field as well as the 1-week gap from his previous race led to him being the number-four favorite, the lowest he would ever be in his career. The first favorite was Mr. C.B., who had just come off a record-breaking win at the Autumn Tenno Sho as an end closer. The second favorite was Bedtime, a British horse who was said to be G1-class despite never being able to run in a G1 race due to being a gelding; the third favorite was the American turf-racer Majesty's Prince, said to be the second coming of John Henry. However, it was Takarazuka Kinen winner Katsuragi Ace, who flew under the radar at number-ten favorite, who would run away with the victory, becoming the first Japanese horse to win the Japan Cup. Symboli Rudolf maintained a good position throughout the race, but came in 3rd place to Bedtime, bringing an end to his 8-win streak.
Coming off of his first loss, Symboli Rudolf would then compete against Mr. C.B. and Katsuragi Ace in the Arima Kinen. While Rudolf was only second-place in the fan vote to Mr. C.B., he was the favorite to win, with 1.7 odds. Okabe devoted himself to learning more about Katsuragi Ace after the upset. Katsuragi Ace attempted to replicate his result in the Japan Cup, running far out in front; Rudolf maintained his position in 2nd place the entire time. On the final stretch, though, they traded places, Rudolf beating Katsuragi Ace by two lengths and achieving record time. Symboli Rudolf became the first JRA horse in history to earn four crowns in his three-year-old season. At the awards ceremony, Okabe held up four fingers. With a record that year of 6 wins and 1 third-place finish, Symboli Rudolf was chosen as the JRA's Horse of the Year.
1985: four-year-old season
Symboli Rudolf's first race of 1985 was the Nikkei Sho, where he was favored to win with 1:1 odds. When no other horses took a position in front, Rudolf took the lead, winning by four lengths. Despite only being a G2 race, many saw this as the greatest display of Rudolf's strength. Okabe never took his hands off the reins once during the race.
His third race against fellow triple-crown winner Mr. C.B. would come at the Spring Tenno Sho. Mr. C.B. surged early from the rear of the pack, just before the third corner. However, when Mr. C.B. slowed down going into the final stretch, Rudolf easily passed him, winning by 2 1/2 lengths over Sakura Gaisen, another foal of Partholon. At the awards ceremony, Okabe held up five fingers. Rudolf was the first horse to win five crowns since Shinzan.
From there, the team scheduled a race abroad—he, along with fellow Derby-winner Sirius Symboli, would compete in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. He was also voted into the 1985 Takarazuka Kinen, but on the Saturday before the race, the team pulled out of it because of a left shoulder limp sustained during his training because of a turf issue where the jockey was almost thrown off the horse. His owner Wada was furious, and the story was picked up by the news. The cancellation, however, was also due to Nohira sensing the horse was in poor condition; he didn't want Rudolf to run, which went counter to Symboli Bokujo's desire at the time, but Wada agreed to compromise. This injury would cancel Symboli Rudolf's plans to go abroad, with Sirius Symboli going alone. Wada also submitted his resignation at this time.
Meanwhile, the media reported on a comment of Wada's stating that Rudolf would retire. In a last-ditch effort, the team is said to have used acupuncture to heal Rudolf's condition; as the horse began to recover, Wada retracted his comment.
Symboli Rudolf's next race would be the Autumn Tenno Sho, a 2000-meter course said to be unfavorable at the time; he was the number-one favorite despite starting far out in post 17. He was also still in the process of recovering from his injury. He had a late start as well, and the high pace of the race made it difficult for him to catch up. Still, on the opposite straight, he pulled into a better position, and coming into the final stretch he took the lead, causing a crazed uproar in the audience. But despite his astonishing strength at out-speeding horses like Windsor Knot, he ultimately lost just before the finish line by half a length to Gallop Dyna, the thirteenth-favorite. It was reported that after the race, Symboli Rudolf cried in frustration in his stable.
Despite the loss, trainer Nohira said, "They say there are no absolutes in horse racing, but Rudolf is an exception. He is an absolute."『ルドルフの背』 p.161
Symboli Rudolf then returned to the Japan Cup after his loss there the year prior. This time, global media attention was on him, with many jockeys for other competing racehorses offering impressed comments on him. The Daily Racing Form placed him on the same level as John Henry and Sagace, winner of the previous Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.