Tamamo Cross (Japanese: タマモクロス, Hepburn: Tamamo Kurosu; May 23, 1984 – April 10, 2003) was a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. He competed from 1987 to 1988, recording nine wins in eighteen starts, including the 1988 Tennō Shō (Spring), 1988 Tennō Shō (Autumn), and 1988 Takarazuka Kinen. He received the Japanese Horse of the Year award in 1988.

Background Tamamo Cross was a gray horse bred in Niikappu, Hokkaido, by Nishikino Bokujo. He was sired by C.B. Cross, a Japanese stallion, and his dam was Green Chateau, a daughter of the American-bred Chateaugay. He was purchased by Michio Mino and raced under the Tamamo Co., Ltd. banner. He was sent into training with Isami Obara at the JRA's Ritto Training Center.

Racing career

1987: Three-year-old season Tamamo Cross debuted on March 1, 1987, in a maiden race on the turf at Hanshin Racecourse, finishing seventh. He transitioned to dirt and won his next start, a maiden race at Hanshin on April 11. In May, he failed to finish an allowance race at Kyoto Racecourse after encountering interference.

He returned to the turf in October, winning two consecutive allowance races at Kyoto. On December 6, he contested the Naruo Kinen (GII) at Hanshin. Ridden by Katsumi Minai, he won the 2500-meter race by a margin of 1.0 seconds, setting a new track record of 2:33.0 on a good to soft track.

1988: Four-year-old season Tamamo Cross began his 1988 campaign by winning the Kyoto Kimpai (GIII) on January 5. In March, he contested the Hanshin Daishoten (GII), finishing in a dead heat for first place with Dyna Carpenter.

On April 29, he entered the Tenno Sho (Spring, GI) at Kyoto. He won the 3200-meter race by 0.5 seconds over Running Free, securing his first GI victory. In June, he won the Takarazuka Kinen (GI) at Hanshin, defeating Nippo Teio by 0.4 seconds.

In the autumn, Tamamo Cross contested the Tenno Sho (Autumn, GI) at Tokyo Racecourse on October 30. In a notable matchup against fellow gray horse Oguri Cap, Tamamo Cross took the lead in the final straight and won by 0.2 seconds.

On November 27, he ran in the Japan Cup (GI) at Tokyo. He finished second, losing by 0.1 seconds to the American-trained horse Pay the Butler. He made his final start in the Arima Kinen (GI) at Nakayama Racecourse on December 25, finishing second by 0.1 seconds to Oguri Cap.

Following the Arima Kinen, Tamamo Cross was named the 1988 Japanese Horse of the Year and received the JRA Award for Best Older Colt or Horse.

Statistics The following table details all 18 starts of Tamamo Cross's racing career based on official netkeiba and JBIS records.

Date Distance (Condition) Race Class Course Odds(Favourite) Field Finish Time Winning(Losing)Margin Winner(2nd Place) Jockey Ref1987 – three-year-old season Turf 2000 m (Firm) 4-Y-O Newcomer Maiden Hanshin 3.5 (2nd) 11 7th 2:07.1 1.8 Aichi Matsushima Katsumi Minai Dirt 1800 m (Muddy) 4-Y-O Newcomer Maiden Hanshin 3.7 (2nd) 10 4th 1:56.3 0.7 Silk Maria Katsumi Minai Dirt 1700 m (Good) 4-Y-O Maiden Maiden Hanshin 3.0 (2nd) 12 1:48.3 –0.1 (Beautiful) Katsumi Minai Turf 2000 m (Firm) 4-Y-O Allowance Allowance Kyoto 11.2 (6th) 15 DNF Tosano Asakaze Katsumi Minai Dirt 1800 m (Fast) 4-Y-O Allowance Allowance Sapporo 11.7 (7th) 8 6th 1:55.6 3.0 Hokkai Seizan Seiki Tabara Dirt 2000 m (Fast) Rebun Tokubetsu Allowance Sapporo 18.0 (7th) 9 2:07.1 0.2 Hirono Hayate Tomio Yasuda Dirt 1800 m (Fast) Nose Tokubetsu Allowance Hanshin 4.8 (3rd) 9 1:55.0 0.3 Alpha Vivace Katsumi Minai Dirt 1700 m (Fast) 4-Y-O Allowance Allowance Hanshin 2.0 (1st) 11 1:47.9 0.6 Marukasky Katsumi Minai Turf 2200 m (Firm) 4-Y-O Allowance Allowance Kyoto 9.6 (5th) 16 2:16.2 –1.2 (Nachino Perso) Katsumi Minai Turf 2000 m (Good) Fujinomori Tokubetsu Allowance Kyoto 1.7 (1st) 14 2:03.0 –1.3 (Meisho Hien) Mikio Matsunaga Turf 2500 m (Good) Naruo Kinen GII Hanshin 5.8 (3rd) 13 –1.0 (Meisho Eikan) Katsumi Minai1988 – four-year-old season Turf 2000 m (Good) Kyoto Kimpai GIII Kyoto 2.2 (1st) 16 2:03.7 –0.1 (Hallow Point) Katsumi Minai Turf 3000 m (Good) Hanshin Daishoten GII Hanshin 1.7 (1st) 7 3:12.1 – Dyna Carpenter (dh) Katsumi Minai Turf 3200 m (Good) Tenno Sho (Spring) GI Kyoto 4.4 (1st) 18 3:21.8 –0.5 (Running Free) Katsumi Minai Turf 2200 m (Good) Takarazuka Kinen GI Hanshin 3.0 (2nd) 13 2:13.2 –0.4 (Nippo Teio) Katsumi Minai Turf 2000 m (Firm) Tenno Sho (Autumn) GI Tokyo 2.6 (2nd) 13 1:58.8 –0.2 (Oguri Cap) Katsumi Minai Turf 2400 m (Firm) Japan Cup GI Tokyo 3.2 (1st) 16 2:25.6 0.1 Pay the Butler Katsumi Minai Turf 2500 m (Firm) Arima Kinen GI Nakayama 2.4 (1st) 13 2:34.0 0.1 Oguri Cap Katsumi Minai

indicated that it was a record time finish

Stud career Tamamo Cross's descendants include:

c = colt, f = filly

Foaled Name Sex Major wins 1990 Bridge Teio c Soshun Sho, Takeyoriwake Sho 1991 Black Cross c Derby Grand Prix 1991 Kanetsu Cross c American Jockey Club Cup, Epsom Cup, Naruo Kinen 1993 Shirokita Cross c Kobe Shimbun Hai1994T.M. TokkyucKabutoyama Kinen 1994 Tamamo Inazuma c Diamond Stakes 1994 Makoto Raiden c Sirius Stakes 1995 Dantsu Sirius f Tulip Sho, Shinzan Kinen 1999 My Sole Sound c Hanshin Daishōten, Kyoto Kinen, Milers Cup, Kyoto Kimpai, Chunichi Shimbun Hai 2000 Win Generale c Nikkei Sho 2003 Tamamo Support c Radio Nikkei Sho, Kyoto Kimpai

In popular culture An anthropomorphized version of Tamamo Cross appears as a character in the multimedia franchise Umamusume: Pretty Derby, voiced by Naomi Ōzora. She is depicted as a small girl with a Kansai dialect. She comes from a poor family and takes every opportunity she can to save money, reflecting her real-world counterpart's farm going bankrupt early in his life. She is childhood friends, rivals, and roommates with Oguri Cap, whose socially awkward and gluttonous behavior regularly exasperates her. Due to her small build and as part of a running gag, Super Creek often coddles and sometimes infantilizes her despite her protests. She makes an appearance as a major character in the spin-off series Umamusume: Cinderella Gray.

In the manga Midori no Makibaō, the titular character Midori Makibaou (voiced by Inuko Inuyama in the anime adaptation) is believed to be based on Tamamo Cross. He is depicted as a small, white mule who, despite his size, races against thoroughbred horses.

Pedigree

Tamamo Cross was inbred 5 × 5 to Hyperion.

See also Thoroughbred racing in Japan Tenno Sho Takarazuka Kinen

References