Red Desire (Japanese: レッドディザイア, Hepburn: Reddo Dizaia; 19 April 2006 – 20 May 2016) was a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare. She won the Shuka Sho in 2009 and also the Al Maktoum Challenge in 2010. She famously finished second in both the 2009 Oka Sho and the Yushun Himba behind 2010 Japanese Horse of the Year Buena Vista. She retired in 2011 with four wins in 14 races and gave birth to four foals. She died in 2016 due to peritonitis after giving birth to her final foal.

Background Red Desire was sired by 2001 Kikuka Sho winner Manhattan Cafe and foaled out of Great Sunrise who only won one race out of seven starts before becoming a broodmare. Tokyo Horse Racing Co. Ltd offered sixty thousand yen per 200 shares (equalling to 12 million yen) to became the owner of Red Desire.

The owner believed that Red Desire might emulate her father's prominence in long-distance races. During training, Red Desire had a fall and suffered colic in September which delayed her debut until the next year.

Racing career 3 years old (2009) Red Desire made her debut in a 1800m race at Kyoto Racecourse on January 4, in which she won the race by a nose. She went on to compete in Elfin Stakes, where she took over Wide Sapphire just before the finishing line to win by a nose for a second time.

With two wins in hand, Red Desire aimed straight for the Oka Sho. She started in the rear of the pack and successfully broke away in the straight, but was overtaken by Buena Vista, who was further to the outside, finishing second by half a length. She went on to compete in the Yushun Himba in May. She ran in the middle of the pack, took the inside at the fourth corner, and broke through the pack in the straight to take the lead, but was in a close race with Buena Vista, who was catching up from behind, and finished in second by a nose.

After having a good rest before the autumn starts, Red Desire ran in the Rose Stakes in September. She came as a favourite and started well mainly positioned at the back. She made a push in third corner but it was too late as Broad Street already capitalized her early escape and took the win. With three straight second-place finishes, her luck changed in her next race which is the Shuka Sho. During the race, she took the lead around the fourth corner and held off the fiercely pursuing Buena Vista by a nose to win. Buena Vista herself was demoted to third due to interference.

Red Desire withdrew from Queen Elizabeth II Cup due to injury and joined the Japan Cup in November. Even as a three year old, she managed to keep up with the pace and made a final rush to finish third behind Vodka and Oken Bruce Lee.

4 years old (2010) The first race she joined in this year was Al Maktoum Challenge in Dubai. Ridden by Olivier Peslier, she chased from behind and then made a strong move from the outside to catch a Brazilian racehorse, Glória de Campeão, who was trying to break away in the straight and won by a neck. This win qualified her as a participant on the Dubai World Cup. In the upcoming Dubai World Cup, she was paired with Christophe Soumillon, but was unable to show the same powerful legs as in her previous race and finished 11th, which won by the one who she beat before (Glória de Campeão).

After returning to Japan, She raced in the Victoria Mile which set up another showdown with her rival, Buena Vista. Started the race well, running on the outside of the middle pack and making a move in the straight, but was overtaken by Buena Vista in the final stretch. She was unable to extend her lead and finished fourth. Red Desire was voted for the Takarazuka Kinen but was forced to rest after a nosebleed during one workout in June.

In fall, She travelled to the United States and joined the Flower Bowl Stakes as a preparatory race for competing in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf. The Flower Bowl Stakes was held on soft turf due to raining and strong winds, which prevented Red Desire from preparing to her full potential. Despite the extremely slow pace, she ran in third or fourth place on the inside throughout the race. She took the lead from the inside in the final straight, but was overtaken by Ave and finished third. In the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf on November 5, she held on in a good position, saving her energy, and made an early spurt at the fourth corner, but she struggled to extend her lead in the straight in which Shared Account and Midday surpassed her and she finished fourth. She returned to Japan and raced in the Arima Kinen in which she finished in 14th place.

5 years old (2011) She started the year with the Sapporo Kinen. Red Desire positioned well on third place and started her spurt later on but failed to improve which she ended up with third place. Red Desire was registered for the Tenno Sho (Autumn) but fail to qualify and switched her focus on the Queen Elizabeth II Cup. Unfortunately, due to repeatedly suffering from nosebleeds during workouts, her owner decided to retire her from racing and entered her for breeding career.

Racing statistics Red Desire raced in 14 races in which she won 4 races (including 1 Group 1 win), finished second in 3 races, and third place in 3 races. This data available is based on JBIS search, netkeiba.com, equibase.com, and racingpost.com. The races are considered all weather.

DateRacecourseRaceGradeDistance(condition)EntryHNOdds(Favored)FinishTimeMarginsJockeyWinner(Runner-up)2009 – three-year-old seasonJan 4Kyoto3YO Debut1,800 m (Firm)13133.4 (1)1st1:48.90.0Hirofumi Shii(Satono Emblem)Feb 7KyotoElfin StakesOP1,600 m (Firm)1222.2 (1)1st1:36.00.0Hirofumi Shii(Wide Sapphire)Apr 12HanshinOka Sho11,600 m (Firm)181814.4 (2)2nd1:34.10.1Hirofumi ShiiBuena VistaMay 24TokyoYushun Himba12,400 m (Firm)1736.0 (2)2nd2:26.10.0Hirofumi ShiiBuena VistaSep 20HanshinRose Stakes21,800 m (Firm)18111.4 (1)2nd1:44.70.0Hirofumi ShiiBroad StreetOct 18KyotoShuka Sho12,000 m (Firm)1853.2 (2)1st1:58.2–0.2Hirofumi Shii(Broad Street)Nov 29TokyoJapan Cup12,400 m (Firm)1869.6 (6)3rd2:22.60.2Hirofumi ShiiVodka2010 – four-year-old seasonMar 4MeydanAl Maktoum Challenge22,000 m (Good)14138/1 (6)1st2:02.6–0.3Olivier Peslier(Glória de Campeão)Mar 27MeydanDubai World Cup12,000 m (Firm)1436/1 (4)11th2:04.50.7Christophe SoumillonGlória de CampeãoMay 16TokyoVictoria Mile11,600 m (Firm)18175.7 (2)4th1:32.50.1Hirofumi ShiiBuena VistaOct 3BelmontFlower Bowl Stakes11 1⁄4 miles (Good)821.9 (1)3rd2:08.70.2Kent DesormeauxAveNov 5ChurchillBreeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf11 3⁄8 miles (Firm)11105.1 (3)4th2:18.00.3Kent DesormeauxShared AccountDec 26NakayamaArima Kinen12,500 m (Firm)151547.2 (11)14th2:34.01.4Hirofumi ShiiVictoire Pisa2011 – five-year-old seasonAug 21SapporoSapporo Kinen22,000 m (Firm)1386.2 (2)3rd2:00.50.1Hirofumi ShiiTosen Jordan

Legend:

Breeding career Red Desire was not considered a successful broodmare. She only managed to foal four progenies, none of which managed to win a graded race. During the final foaling, Red Desire developed peritonitis and died soon after.

In popular culture An anthropomorphized version of Red Desire appears in the Japanese multimedia franchise Umamusume: Pretty Derby, voiced by Hitomi Sekine. She is depicted as an avid reader of isekai novels to the point of believing herself to be a reincarnated saintess whose goal is to overcome the trials of the current world to reach the next one. She admires Manhattan Cafe and Vodka, the former her senior and whose coffee she enjoys drinking together with, and the latter she idolizes with photos and posters of her as personal possessions, though it is not entirely one-sided as Vodka has a friendly relationship with her.

Pedigree

Red Desire is inbred 4 x 4 to Northern Dancer and 4 x 5 to Hail to Reason (Regal Gleam's sire)

References