was a Japanese thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare in Japan and the United States.
Hishi Amazon was born in the United States and trained in Japan. She won the 1993 JRA Award for Best Two-Year-Old Filly, the 1994 JRA Award for Best Three-Year-Old Filly, and the 1995 JRA Award for Best Older Filly or Mare.
Her main jockey was Eiji Nakadate, only being jockeyed by someone else in the second race after her debut and her final race at the Arima Kinen.
Overview Hishi Amazon's racing career was marked both by the JRA's still-severe restrictions on foreign-born horses and also how well she competed against colts and stallions in spite of those restrictions. At the time, foreign-born horses weren't allowed to compete in the Classic races, and as a filly, Hishi Amazon's options for G1 races were limited.
After her first two races, which were on dirt tracks instead of turf due to worsening periostitis, she placed 2nd in her first graded race on a turf track, the Keio Hai Sansai Stakes. Later that year, Hishi Amazon won the filly-only G1 Hanshin Sansai Himba Stakes by five lengths, earning the JRA Award for Best Three-Year-Old Filly in 1993.
Despite being unable to race in the 1994 Classics, she won five graded races in a row that year—many over colts—culminating in a victory in the Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup over Classic winners Oguri Roman and Chokai Carol. While she lost the G1 Arima Kinen to Triple Crown-winner Narita Brian, she still came in second despite being the number-six favorite, beating out other veteran stallions like Rice Shower. She was given the JRA Award for Best Four-Year-Old Filly in 1994.
For the next two years, she began to struggle more in races, though she won the 1995 Sankei Sho All Comers and Kyoto Daishoten and placed 2nd in the Japan Cup, highest of all Japanese horses in that race. Her efforts earned her the JRA Award for Best Older Filly or Mare that year. She retired after three more races in 1996, becoming a broodmare.
Statistics The following statistics are based on information from netkeiba and JBIS. DateTrackNameGradeType/DistanceFieldFinishedTimeJockeyWinner (2nd Place)1993 – two-year-old seasonNakayamaMaiden RaceDirt 1200m111:13.7Eiji Nakadate(Nobori Ryu)TokyoPlatanus ShoDirt 1400m111:26.3Teruo EdaMitsuru MasaruTokyoKeio Hai Sansai StakesG2Turf 1400m91:22.9Eiji NakadateYamanin AbilityHanshinHanshin Sansai Himba StakesG1Turf 1600m15Eiji Nakadate(Robe Montante)1994 – three-year-old seasonNakayamaKeisei HaiG3Turf 1600m81:34.2Eiji NakadateBiko PegasusTokyoQueen CupG3Turf 1600m131:35.1Eiji Nakadate(Eishin Vermont)NakayamaCrystal CupG3Turf 1200m141:08.5Eiji Nakadate(Taiki Wolf)TokyoNew Zealand Trophy Yonsai StakesG2Turf 1600m91:35.8Eiji Nakadate(Machikane Allegro)NakayamaQueen StakesG3Turf 2000m112:02.9Eiji Nakadate(Jono Butterfly)HanshinRose StakesG2Turf 2000m152:00.0Eiji Nakadate(Agnes Parade)KyotoQueen Elizabeth II Commemorative CupG1Turf 2400m182:24.3Eiji Nakadate(Chokai Carol)NakayamaArima KinenG1Turf 2500m132:32.7Eiji NakadateNarita Brian1995 – four-year-old seasonChukyoTakamatsunomiya HaiG2Turf 2000m125th2:03.0Eiji NakadateMatikanetannhauserNakayamaSankei Sho All ComersG2Turf 2200m102:16.3Eiji Nakadate(Irish Dance)KyotoKyoto DaishotenG2Turf 2400m132.25.3Eiji Nakadate(Tamamo Highway)TokyoJapan CupG1Turf 2400m142:24.8Eiji NakadateLandoNakayamaArima KinenG1Turf 2500m125th2:34.6Eiji NakadateMayano Top Gun1996 – five-year-old seasonTokyoYasuda KinenG1Turf 1600m1710th1:33.9Eiji NakadateTrot ThunderKyotoQueen Elizabeth II Commemorative CupG1Turf 2200m167th(*)2:14.3Eiji NakadateDance PartnerNakayamaArima KinenG1Turf 2500m145th2:35.0Hiroshi KawachiSakura Laurel (*) Demoted from 2nd.
In popular culture An anthropomorphized version of Hishi Amazon appears in the multimedia franchise Umamusume: Pretty Derby, voiced by Yuiko Tatsumi. She is depicted as the assigned head student of Miho, one of Tracen Academy's dormitory buildings named after the real-life training center of the same name, where she is famous for her generosity, such as by cooking meals for her schoolmates. She is also a stubborn, competitive, and hot-blooded racer, but always demonstrates good sportsmanship against her opponents.
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See also List of racehorses