Fusaichi Pandora (Japanese: フサイチパンドラ, Hepburn: Fusaichi Pandora; 27 February 2003 – 28 October 2017) was a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare. She competed from 2005 to 2007, recording four wins in twenty-one starts, including the Queen Elizabeth II Cup in 2006 and the Sapporo Kinen in 2007. As a broodmare, she foaled the Japanese Triple Tiara winner Almond Eye.

Background Fusaichi Pandora is a chestnut mare bred in Abira, Hokkaido, by Northern Farm. She was sired by Sunday Silence, and her dam is Lotta Lace, a daughter of Nureyev. She was purchased for ¥91.35 million by Fusao Sekiguchi at the 2003 Select Sale and sent into training with Toshiaki Shirai at the JRA's Ritto Training Center.

Racing career

2005: Two-year-old season Fusaichi Pandora debuted on 12 November in a maiden race on the turf at Kyoto Racecourse, winning by a margin of 1.0 seconds. She subsequently finished third in the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies (GI) and a 5-million-yen allowance race at Hanshin Racecourse.

2006: Three-year-old season She began her 2006 campaign by finishing sixth in the Elfin Stakes (Open) and won the Kinsenka Sho (Allowance) in February. She finished second in the Flower Cup (GIII) and fourteenth in the Oka Sho (GI). On May 21, she contested the Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks, GI) at Tokyo Racecourse, finishing second to Kawakami Princess.

In the autumn, she finished third in the Rose Stakes (GII) and the Shuka Sho (GI). On November 12, she entered the Queen Elizabeth II Cup (GI) at Kyoto. She finished second, but was awarded the victory after the first-place finisher, Kawakami Princess, was demoted to twelfth place due to interference in the final straight. This marked the second time in JRA history that a GI race was decided by disqualification. She concluded her season by finishing fifth in the Japan Cup (GI).

2007: Four-year-old season Fusaichi Pandora finished second in the Empress Hai (JpnII) on the dirt at Kawasaki Racecourse in February. She struggled in her subsequent turf starts, finishing unplaced in the Nikkei Sho (GII), Myllers Cup (GII), and Victoria Mile (GI).

On September 2, she contested the Sapporo Kinen (JpnII) at Sapporo Racecourse. Ridden by Shinji Fujita, she took the early lead and won the 2000-meter race, securing her first graded stakes victory on the track. She later finished second in the Queen Elizabeth II Cup behind Daiwa Scarlet and ninth in the Japan Cup.

She was scheduled to make her final start in the Arima Kinen (GI) at Nakayama Racecourse on December 23, but was scratched on the morning of the race due to lameness in her left hind leg. She was officially retired on December 26, 2007.

Statistics The following table details all 21 starts and 1 scheduled entry of Fusaichi Pandora'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 Ref2005 – two-year-old season Turf 1800 m (Good) 2-Y-O Newcomer Maiden Kyoto 2.1 (1st) 18 1:48.1 –1.0 (Tokai Wonder) Koichi Tsunoda Turf 1600 m (Firm) Hanshin Juvenile Fillies GI Hanshin 4.0 (2nd) 18 1:37.6 0.3 T M Precure Koichi Tsunoda Turf 1600 m (Firm) 2-Y-O Allowance Allowance Hanshin 1.3 (1st) 15 1:36.1 0.4 Shells Ray Koichi Tsunoda2006 – three-year-old season Turf 1600 m (Firm) Elfin Stakes Open Kyoto 1.7 (1st) 13 6th 1:36.1 1.3 San Victoire Koichi Tsunoda Turf 1600 m (Firm) Kinsenka Sho Allowance Nakayama 1.8 (1st) 16 1:35.1 –0.5 (Yuno Blacky) Koichi Tsunoda Turf 1800 m (Firm) Flower Cup GIII Nakayama 2.0 (1st) 16 1:49.1 0.2 Kiss to Heaven Koichi Tsunoda Turf 1600 m (Firm) Oka Shō GI Hanshin 6.6 (2nd) 18 14th 1:36.4 1.8 Kiss to Heaven Koichi Tsunoda Turf 2400 m (Firm) Yushun Himba GI Tokyo 12.6 (5th) 18 2:26.3 0.1 Kawakami Princess Yuichi Fukunaga Turf 2000 m (Firm) Rose Stakes GII Chukyo 3.0 (2nd) 17 1:59.0 0.8 Admire Kiss Yuichi Fukunaga Turf 2000 m (Firm) Shūka Shō GI Kyoto 11.7 (4th) 18 1:58.5 0.3 Kawakami Princess Yuichi Fukunaga Turf 2200 m (Firm) Queen Elizabeth II Cup GI Kyoto 26.2 (7th) 15 2:11.6 0.0 (Sweep Tosho) Yuichi Fukunaga Turf 2400 m (Firm) Japan Cup GI Tokyo 52.6 (8th) 11 5th 2:25.9 0.8 Deep Impact Yuichi Fukunaga2007 – four-year-old season Dirt 2100 m (Standard) Empress Hai JpnII Kawasaki 2.1 (1st) 13 2:16.7 0.3 Tosen Jo O Yuichi Fukunaga Turf 2500 m (Firm) Nikkei Sho GII Nakayama 8.1 (4th) 14 9th 2:33.0 1.2 Nevre Bouchon Yuichi Fukunaga Turf 1600 m (Firm) Myllers Cup GII Hanshin 30.8 (12th) 15 9th 1:33.4 1.2 Kongo Rikio Yuichi Fukunaga Turf 1600 m (Firm) Victoria Mile GI Tokyo 22.2 (6th) 18 12th 1:33.5 1.0 Koiuta Yuichi Fukunaga Turf 1800 m (Firm) Queen Stakes GIII Sapporo 6.5 (3rd) 11 5th 1:47.1 0.4 Asahi Rising Yuichi Fukunaga Turf 2000 m (Firm) Sapporo Kinen GII Sapporo 9.8 (5th) 16 2:00.1 0.0 (Agnes Ark) Shinji Fujita Dirt 1700 m (Good) Elm Stakes GIII Sapporo 5.5 (4th) 13 11th 1:45.1 1.8 Meisho Tokon Yusuke Fujioka Turf 2200 m (Firm) Queen Elizabeth II Cup GI Kyoto 8.3 (3rd) 14 2:12.0 0.1 Daiwa Scarlet Christophe Lemaire Turf 2400 m (Firm) Japan Cup GI Tokyo 74.8 (12th) 18 9th 2:25.7 1.0 Admire Moon Shinji Fujita Turf 2500 m (Firm) Arima Kinen GI Nakayama – 16 Scratched – – Matsurida Gogh Shinji Fujita

Broodmare career Following her retirement, Fusaichi Pandora returned to Northern Farm to become a broodmare. She produced nine foals before her death on October 28, 2017, at the age of 14. Her most notable progeny is Almond Eye, who won the Japanese Fillies' Triple Crown in 2018, set a record of nine Grade 1-win, awarded two times Japanese Horse of the Year and being inducted into the JRA Hall of Fame in 2023.

c = colt, f = filly No.NameFoaledSexColorSireOwnerRacesWinsRemarks1stSpervia2009cDark baySymboli Kris SKazuhiro Sasaki232Retired, riding horse died Dec 13, 20202ndPyxis2010fBlackCarrot Farm81Retired, broodmare3rdSun Elpis2011ChestnutKing KamehamehaMasahiro Mita1214thPandora's Hope2012Dark bayYasushi Kubota1125thDanon Ale2013cBayHarbingerDanox41Retired, riding horse6thPandering2014fChestnutKing KamehamehaDid not run, broodmare7thAlmond Eye2015BayLord KanaloaSilk Racing1511Retired, broodmare8thYuna Kaito2016ChestnutJohannesburg1729thSatono Esperanza2017cBayRulershipSatomi Horse Company51Retired died Dec 8, 2020

In popular culture Fusaichi Pandora is depicted as an anthropomorphic character in the multimedia franchise Umamusume: Pretty Derby, developed by Cygames. In the game, she is voiced by Moe Kahara. She is a spoiled Junior Division Umamusume who was constantly showered with praise and pampered by her family, and regularly refers to herself as a genius as a result. In a reversal of their real-life relationship, Almond Eye is her senior and close friend whom she pampers often herself.

Pedigree

Fusaichi Pandora is inbred 4 × 5 to Almahmoud.

See also Thoroughbred racing in Japan Queen Elizabeth II Cup

References