was a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. He is regarded as one of the greatest short-distance race horses in Japanese horse-racing history, winning 11 of his 12 starts in races 1400 meters or shorter, including consecutive victories in the Grade 1 Sprinters Stakes and earning the JRA Award for Best Sprinter or Miler in 1994.『優駿』1995年2月号、pp.23-24 However, he never won a race longer than 1400 meters despite nine attempts at them. As a sire, Sakura Bakushin O was also successful, producing numerous graded stakes winners. As a damsire, Sakura Bakushin O has continued to see success, most notably through Kitasan Black.
Background Sakura Bakushin O was a bay horse with a diamond-shaped white star foaled on April 14, 1989, at the Shadai Farm in Abira, Hokkaido. His sire was Sakura Yutaka O, who was the winner of the 1986 Autumn Tenno Sho. His dam, Sakura Hagoromo, was a daughter of Northern Taste and was a full-sister of 1981 Arima Kinen and 1983 Spring Tenno Sho winner Amber Shadai.平出（2014）p.26
In the fall of 1991, when Sakura Bakushin O was two years old, he was transferred to the Miho Horse Training Center in Ibaraki Prefecture.『名馬物語』pp.79-84 His trainer Katsutaro Sakai noted that he showed excellent speed, but like his sire Sakura Yutaka O, appeared to have a weak constitution and some leg problems. However, with Sakura Bakushin O being related to Amber Shadai, there was hope that Sakura Bakushin O would eventually be able to do well with longer distance races and was not considered yet to be a sprinter.
Racing career Three-year-old season Sakura Bakushin O made his racing debut in January 1992 in a newcomers race at Nakayama Racecourse's dirt track. Bakushin was the second favorite, but in the race took the lead early and extended to win by five lengths.『名馬列伝サクラバクシンオー』p.18 Two weeks later, he was entered in to the Kurochiku Sho, a 1600-meter open race also at Nakayama. He entered as the favorite, but was beaten in the final straight by Meiner Coat.『名馬列伝サクラバクシンオー』p.19 His third race, a 1200-meter race again at Nakayama, was a victory for Sakura Bakushin O, winning by four lengths and running a time faster than four-year-old horses achieved on the same day.『名馬列伝サクラバクシンオー』p.20 After this success, Sakura Bakushin O's trainer decided it best to focus on shorter-distance sprint races, but agreed with the horse's owner to enter him in to a medium-distance race one more time for a last evaluation.『優駿』1992年6月号、pp.148-149 As such, Sakura Bakushin O was entered in to the Spring Stakes at the end of March, a trial race often used in preparation for the Satsuki Shō. Sakura Bakushin O was the third favorite, but his run in the race was poor, finishing only 12th in the 14 horse field, several seconds behind race winner Mihono Bourbon.『週刊100名馬 Vol.31 サクラバクシンオー』p.13
After the poor showing at the Spring Stakes, Sakura Bakushin O's trainer abandoned plans to enter him in to the classics races. In mid-April, he was instead entered in to the Grade 3 Crystal Stakes in a return to shorter races. He won by lengths for his first graded stakes win.『名馬列伝サクラバクシンオー』pp.24-25 His next race, the open Shobu Stakes at Tokyo Racecourse, was also a win, but June, he was entered in to the New Zealand Trophy, a 1600-meter race. Sakura Bakushin O was only able to finish seventh, with the result blamed on a combination of race distance and poor training.『名馬列伝サクラバクシンオー』pp.26-29
Sakura Bakushin O was rested for the summer. He returned in autumn with a pair of 1600 meter races - the Grade 3 Keisei Hai Autumn Handicap in mid-September and the open Tamagawa Stakes in late October. Sakura Bakushin O did not win either, finishing third and seventh, respectively.『名馬列伝サクラバクシンオー』pp.30-35 In November, he was entered in to the 1400 meter Capital Stakes, where he returned to victory. At the end of December, he was entered in to his first Grade 1 event, the Sprinters Stakes. He entered as the second favorite behind Daitaku Helios.『名馬列伝サクラバクシンオー』pp.36-37 In the race, neither would win, and instead Nishino Flower charged forward from the back and took victory, while Sakura Bakushin O slipped backwards and finished sixth. It would be the only time that Sakura Bakushin O would lose a 1400-meter race.
Four-year-old season Sakura Bakushin O suffered leg injuries at the start of 1993, and as a result did not race in the spring or summer.『名馬列伝サクラバクシンオー』pp.38-39 He returned in October with the Autumn Sprint Stakes at Nakayama. He was the second favorite, in part due to not racing in so long, but took victory. At the end of October he was entered in to another 1600 meter race, but finished only fourth. He was then entered in to the Capital Stakes for the second year in a row. He won the race again, setting a similar time as what he had done the previous year.『名馬列伝サクラバクシンオー』pp.40-43
Sakura Bakushin O was once again entered in to the Sprinters Stakes. He entered the race as the second favorite behind Yamanin Zephyr, who had already won both the Yasuda Kinen and Autumn Tenno Sho in 1993 and had been the second-place finished in the 1992 Sprinters Stakes.『優駿』1994年2月号、p.32 In the race, both Sakura Bakushin O and Yamanin Zephyr settled in the mid-pack in the early race, but in the final stretch Sakura Bakushin O broke out to the front and took victory by 2 lengths. It was Sakura Bakushin O's first grade 1 race victory.
At the end of the year, Sakura Bakushin O finished second in voting for the JRA Award for Best Sprinter or Miler, behind Yamanin Zephyr.
Five-year-old season For 1994, Sakura Bakushin O's trainer aimed to run him in the spring at the Yasuda Kinen, a Grade I event of 1600 meters, despite the horse having not won at that distance yet.『名馬列伝サクラバクシンオー』pp.46-47 In preparation, Sakura Bakushin O was initially entered in to the Tokyo Shimbun Hai, a race of similar distance, but due to the handicap that would be assigned to him in this race, he was withdrawn and instead entered in to the Lord Derby Challenge Trophy, a 1200-meter race. Sakura Bakushin O won again, pulling out to such a large lead that his jockey was able to pull up before the finish line. In May, Sakura Bakushin O was entered in the Yasuda Kinen as planned. In 1994, the Yasuda Kinen had reached international Grade 1 status, and so attracted entry from multiple horses from overseas, including the American horses Zieten and Ski Paradise, the British horse Sayyedati, and the French horse Dolphin Street.『優駿』1994年7月号、pp.40-41 Sakura Bakushin O was third favorite entering the race, with Dolphin Street the favorite. During the race, Sakura Bakushin O was toward the front for most of the race and led entering the final straight, but was unable to keep up in the final straight and fell to fourth, while the horse North Flight took victory.『名馬列伝サクラバクシンオー』pp.48-49
Sakura Bakushin O was rested for the summer before returning in autumn, with his trainer aiming for a potential run in the autumn Tenno Sho.『名馬列伝サクラバクシンオー』pp.50-51 In early October, he was entered in to the Grade 2 Mainichi Ōkan in preparation for this attempt, marking the first time since 1992 that he ran a race of 1800 meters. He entered the race as the fourth favorite. Sakura Bakushin O led for some of the race, but slipped to fourth, with the eventual Tenno Sho winner Nehai Caesar taking victory. With this loss, his trainer decided to abandon running the Tenno Sho and return to shorter distance races again.
In late October, Sakura Bakushin O was entered in to the grade 2 Swan Stakes. He would win this race by length over North Flight. His winning time was 1:19.9, marking the first time that a horse went faster than 1:20 in a 1400-meter race in Japan.『名馬列伝サクラバクシンオー』pp.52-53 The time would also stand as a record for that distance at Hanshin Racecourse until 2017. In November, he was then entered in to the Grade 1 Mile Championship, his final attempt to race at 1600 meters. He was the second favorite behind North Flight. The fight for the win was between himself and North Flight, with North Flight taking victory by length.『優駿』1995年1月号、pp.24-25
In December, Sakura Bakushin O was entered in to the Sprinters Stakes for the third year in a row. Prior to the race, his trainer announced that this would be his final race before being retired, regardless of the result.『優駿』1995年2月号、pp.140-141 For 1994, the Sprinters Stakes became an international grade 1 event, and like the Yasuda Kinen attracted foreign horses. Zieten, who had run in the Yasuda Kinen, returned for the Sprinters Stakes, along with Soviet Problem, who had finished second in the Breeders' Cup Sprint in America two months earlier.『優駿』1995年2月号、pp.30-31 Despite the foreign presence, Sakura Bakushin O was the favorite entering the Sprinters Stakes. In the race, he ran just behind the leaders until the final turn, when he broke free and pulled ahead, taking his second victory in a row in the Sprinter Stakes by four lengths over Biko Pegasus. The American horse Soviet Problem finished seventh and did not place. Sakura Bakushin O's winning time was 1:07.1, a new record for fastest 1200 meters in Japan. This record would stand as a national record until 1997, and a course record for Nakayama until 2001.
Sakura Bakushin O was retired from racing as planned after the Sprinters Stakes, and a retirement ceremony was held at Nakayama Racecourse on 15 January 1995.『優駿』1995年3月号、p.74 During the JRA awards at the end of 1994, he was selected as the best sprinter or miler for the year, finishing ahead of North Flight in the voting.『優駿』1995年2月号、p.17
Racing record Sakura Bakushin O ran in 21 total races in his career. He won 11 of these races, all at distances of 1400 meters or shorter.
Date Race Grade Distance (condition) Track Field Finish Time Jockey 1st Place (2nd Place)1992 – Three-year-old season 12 Jan 1992 Three Year Old 1200m (Good) Nakayama 16 1:11.8Futoshi Kojima (Meiner Truth) 26 Jan 1992 Kurochiku Sho 1600m (Firm) Nakayama 11 1:35.1Futoshi Kojima Meiner Coat 14 Mar 1992 Sakuraso Tokubestu 1200m (Firm) Nakayama 12 1:08.8 Futoshi Kojima (Hayano Raiden) 29 Mar 1992 Spring Stakes GII 1800m (Soft) Nakayama 14 12th1:53.6 Futoshi Kojima Mihono Bourbon 18 Apr 1992 Crystal Cup GIII 1200m (Firm) Nakayama 11 1:08.6Futoshi Kojima (Tai True) 9 May 1992 Shobu Stakes OP 1400m (Firm) Tokyo 10 1:22.8Futoshi Kojima (A. P. Jet) 7 Jun 1992 New Zealand Trophy Yonsai Stakes GII 1600m (Firm) Tokyo 10 7th1:36.0Futoshi Kojima Shinko Lovely 13 Sep 1992 Keisei Hai Autumn Handicap GIII 1600m (Firm) Nakayama 13 1:33.0Futoshi Kojima Toshi Green 31 Oct 1992 Tamagawa Stakes OP 1600m (Firm) Tokyo 12 7th1:33.5Futoshi Kojima Kyoei Bonanza 28 Nov 1992 Capital Stakes OP 1400m (Firm) Tokyo 16 1:21.1Futoshi Kojima (Mr. Tojin) 20 Dec 1992 Sprinters Stakes GI 1200m (Firm) Nakayama 16 6th1:08.3Futoshi Kojima Nishino Flower1993 – Four-year-old season 2 Oct 1993 Autumn Sprint Stakes OP 1200m (Firm) Nakayama 12 1.08.8Futoshi Kojima (Fille Du Vent) 30 Oct 1993 Ireland Trophy OP 1600m (Soft) Tokyo 12 4th1.35.5Futoshi Kojima Iide Zao 27 Nov 1993 Capital Stakes OP 1400m (Firm) Tokyo 16 1.21.2Futoshi Kojima (Air Real) 19 Dec 1993 Sprinters Stakes GI 1200m (Firm) Nakayama 14 1:07.9Futoshi Kojima (Yamanin Zephyr)1994 – Five-year-old season 3 Apr 1994 Lord Derby Challenge Trophy GIII 1200m (Firm) Nakayama 13 1.08.9Futoshi Kojima (Dojima Muteki) 15 May 1994 Yasuda Kinen GI 1600m (Firm) Tokyo 16 4th1:33.7Futoshi Kojima North Flight 9 Oct 1994 Mainichi Okan GII 1800m (Firm) Tokyo 11 4th1.45.0Futoshi Kojima Nehai Caesar 29 Oct 1994 Swan Stakes GII 1400m (Firm) Hanshin 18 Futoshi Kojima (North Flight) 20 Nov 1994 Mile Championship GI 1600m (Firm) Kyoto 14 1:33.2Futoshi Kojima North Flight 18 Dec 1994 Sprinters Stakes GI 1200m (Firm) Nakayama 14 Futoshi Kojima (Biko Pegasus)
Stud career