Nishino Flower (Japanese: , Hepburn: Nishino Furawā, 19 April 1989 – 5 February 2020) was a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare who was active from 1991 to 1993. She competed in a total of 16 races, with an earnings total of ¥469,706,600 JPY ($2,964,290 USD).
Background Nishino Flower was foaled on April 19, 1989, at Nishiyama Farm in Mukawa, Hokkaido. She was a dark bay filly sired by Majestic Light, a son of Majestic Prince, a undefeated American stallion. Her maternal line was the same as that of Secretariat, with his Dam, Somethingroyal, being Nishino Flower's great-great-grandmdam.
Since 1966, Nishiyama Farm had mass‑produced and frequently raced japanese‑bred horses for several years. The farm achieved its greatest success in 1973, when it dethroned the leading breeder Shadai Farm—which had held the top ranking for ten consecutive years—and became Japan’s leading breeder that year. However, they never produced a Grade 1 winner under the Graded stakes system, despite a series of close calls—most notably Nishino Raiden's disqualification in the 1987 Tennō Shō (Spring).
By the late 1980s, over‑reliance on its own breeding stock had led to an increasingly narrow gene pool and declining results. To revitalize the farm’s bloodlines, Masayuki's son, Shigeyuki Nishiyama took the initiative to refresh the broodmare lines. He purchased an in‑foal broodmare at from the United States: Duplicit. She was carrying a foal by Majestic Light and was imported to Japan just before foaling.Yushun Magazine, March 1992 issue. p.15 Because of her frail build as a foal, Nishino Flower was initially refused by several trainers. She eventually entered the stable of Masahiro Matsuda at the Ritto Training Center.Yushun Magazine, March 1992 issue. p.16 Due to being born in Japan, she was allowed to participate in the classics and not considered a "" (Foreign-bred horse).
Racing career
3‑Year‑Old, Season (1991) As her debut approached, the training load intensified, but her frail legs could not withstand it; she developed Shin splints in both forelegs, making it impossible to continue on a full training regime.Yushun Magazine, December 2002 issue. p.47 Initially, she was scheduled to debut on the opening day of the first Sapporo Racecourse meeting, June 8, in a new‑mare race. However, due to the shin splints, she was delayed, debuting instead on the second day of the second Sapporo meeting, July 7. Because the shin splints had not yet fully healed, she was entered in a 1000‑meter dirt race, as the softer terrain placed less strain on her legs.Yushun Magazine, January 1991 Issue. p. 11 She was the fourth favorite. She broke well, took the lead, and set the pace, never allowing the challengers to get close, winning by four lengths. After her legs fully healed, it was decided that she would race on turf. Participation in the Hakodate Nisai Stakes (late September) was considered, but given the Hakodate Racecourse was known to often have a poorly maintained, uneven track, she continued racing at Sapporo.
On July 28, she contested the Sapporo Nisai Stakes (G3), her first graded stakes. Among the rivals were highly rated horses such as Hagino Grandor (a foal of Symboli Rudolf) and Adorable (a foal of Northern Taste, who had won at Niigata).Yushun Magazine, September 1991 issue. p.150 Nishino Flower was the fourth favorite.Yushun Magazine, May 1998. p.90 Breaking well from the innermost gate, she settled in third place, tracking the fast‑paced leader Iide Zao. From the final turn, Iide Zao tired and dropped back, and Nishino Flower took over the lead; on the straight, she advanced along the rail, finishing three‑and‑a‑half lengths lengths ahead of second place. Her performance was judged superior to that of Scarlet Bouquet (the previous year's winner, who had gone on to finish fourth in the Oka Shō and fifth in the Japanese Oaks), and talk began to circulate that she was a candidate for the Oka Sho.Yushun Magazin, September 1991. p.99 The victory also gave , in his 23rd year as a jockey, his first graded stakes win.Yushun Magazine. September 1991, p.143
After a break, she returned to the stable at Ritto, with her next goal set on Hanshin Sansai Himba Stakes (later renamed the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies). On November 2, at the Daily Hai Nisai Stakes—A G2 and preparatory race—she was ridden by Seiki Tahara. She broke well and raced prominently. After the single turn, as she approached the final corner, closed on the leader and moved up to second. She spurted on the straight, took the lead, and pulled clear with 200 metres remaining.Yushun Magazine, January 1992 issue. p.160 Thereafter, she ran alone, finishing three‑and‑a‑half lengths lengths ahead.
Hanshin Juvenile Fillies Next, on December 1, she contested the feature race, the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies (G1) That year, the programme for three‑year‑old stakes had been restructured, making this, technically, the race's first year. Previously, there had been two GI races for three‑year‑olds at the end of the year, with participation largely determined by the training center: Kantō‑based horses went to the Asahi Hai Sansai Stakes, at Nakayama; Kansai‑based horses went to the Hanshin Sansai Stakes, at Hanshin. After the reform, the distinction changed from east‑west to sex: colts and geldings were assigned to the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes, and fillies to the Hanshin race. The race was set at 1600 meters on turf at Hanshin, the same distance and course as the following year's classic opener, the Oka Sho.Fifteen fillies from both the east and west gathered. Nishino Flower was the favorite; the second favorite was Shinko Lovely, a Kanto‑based foreign‑bred (thus ineligible for the classics), who was undefeated in two starts.
Starting from gate 4, Nishino Flower broke well and took the lead. As they approached the corner, pressure from the outside caused her to lose her path, leaving Sato with no choice but to slow down and race from the back, which was disadvantageous for Nishino Flower, who was accustomed to running at the front of the pack. Sato managed to calm the horse down and keep Nishino Flower running without any trouble; as a result, they secured a good position, settling into third place.Yushun Magazine, February 1992 Issue. p.150 Eventually, as Foundry Evert began to run out of energy in the final corner, they moved into second place, chasing Uto Jane, who had taken the lead. In the home stretch, Uto Jane ran alone for a while. Nishino Flower made her move past the halfway point of the stretch, passing Uto Jane to take the lead. Behind Nishino Flower were Sanei Thank You, Disco Hall, and Shinko Lovely, who made a late charge to close in on her. For Nishino Flower, who had previously won by margins of three lengths or more, this was her first close race, finishing three-quarters of a length ahead of second date.
4-Year-Old, Season (1992)
Tulip Sho Nishino Flower’s prep race for the Oka Sho, the first classic of the season started on 15 March, in the Tulip Sho (Open Race), a "designated Oka Sho qualifier." Among her rivals were Adorable and Oguri White, the latter being a sister of Oguri Cap.Yushun Magazine, May 1998 Issue. p.91 Regardless, Nishino Flower was once again the favorite.
From the start she raced prominently as usual, settling in third place. Soon, however, she was squeezed from the outside and forced to drop back. she tried to regain lost ground, but she was repeatedly blocked by horses in front of her and lost valuable momentum; on the straight she allowed Adorable, who had already slipped through to the lead, to run alone. Nishino Flower finally found a clear path with 300 meters remaining, but by then Adorable had built up a safe distance. She fell short by three and a half lengths. Placing second, along her high earnings in the previous year, guaranteed her entry rights to the Oka Sho.
Oka Sho On April 12, she entered the Oka Sho (GI). Her defeat in the preliminary race had lead many to lose faith in her ability, with reports describing the field as a "wide-open race";Yushun Magazine, May 1992 Issue. p.6 although Nishino Flower was the favorite, she was not the clear-cut, undisputed favorite, and her win odds were 2.3 to 1.Yushun Magazine, June 1998 Issue. p.89 The next favorites were Sanei Thank You, Disco Hall, El Casa River, Dantsu Centaur, and Adorable.
Her training team was to train her back to peak condition by 10 days before the race, and have her rest for at least 3. Her new jockey, Hirosi Kawachi, decided to subject her to consecutive intense workouts three days before the race as well.
Nishino Flower took the lead early on initially racing in third place. However, she yielded to several horses pushing from the outside, and settled into 5th or 6th place. Midway through the final turn, as the pace increased, she advanced to a position where she could catch up to the pace-setter, Vienna Concert. As they entered the corner, Nishino Flower pulled away and managed to reach the front of the pack yet again, with Adorable half a length behind. Exiting the corner, she surged ahead, pulling away from Adorable and the rest of the field to run alone, and quickly built a comfortable lead. Although she began to tire out in the final stretch and struggled to extend her lead, she maintained her position, finishing first place by three and a half lengths.
This was Kawachi's fourth Oka Sho win, while it marked the first Classic victory for Matsuda and Nishiyama.Yushun Magazine, June 1992 Issue. p.129 She became the fourth filly in history to win the Oka Sho as the top-ranked 3-year-old filly, following in 1975, in 1976, and Mejiro Ramonu in 1986.Yushun Magazine, May 1992 Issue. p.10
3 Consecutive Defeats On May 24, still worn down and her appetite diminished following the Oka Sho, the filly was entered in the Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) (GI)—the second leg of the fillies' classics—more to maintain her physique than to press for a win. The preparation was extremely tight: carrying a career‑low 420 kg in the Oka Sho, she had only managed to regain 8 kg for the Oaks.Yushun Magazine, May 1992 Issue. p.11 Despite being the favourite, ahead of the trial winners and Taiko Sarge, as well as the Oka Sho rivals Adorable and , she weakened on the straight and finished a distant seventh.Yushun Magazine, December 1992 Issue. p.145
After a summer break at Nishiyama Farm in Hokkaido, Nishino Flower's next goal was set to be the final leg of the Fillies' Triple Crown at the time, the autumn Queen Elizabeth II Cup (before it was replaced by the Shūka Shō in 1996).Yushun Magazine, February 1993 Issue. p.147
She resumed to racing in the Rose Stakes (G2) on October 25, going off as the favourite. Racing second throughout, she was first passed by El Casa River, then outfought for the 3rd placing, finishing fourth behind Sanei Thank You and Fantasy Suzuka.
On November 15, she contested the Queen Elizabeth Cup (G1) as the sixth favourite. She had a good start, but despite keeping a good pace, found no room to maneuver on the back-half of the race, and was left behind. The 17th‑ranked Takeno Velvet swooped from the rear to defeat her by approximately three‑and‑a‑half lengths; she was also beaten by a nose by Mejiro Kammuri, taking third.
Kawachi later recalled, "She had a limit when it came to distance,"Horse Racing for a lifetime: Kawachi & Kagaya (2003 Tankobon). p.86 and Matsuda concurred: "She was a classic miler."100 Unforgettable Racehorses (忘れられない名馬100). p.141
Sprinters Stakes (1992)