Meiner Emperor (Japanese: マイネルエンペラー, Hepburn: Mainā Enperā; foaled 13 March 2020) is a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse. He has competed since 2022, recording five wins in twenty-five starts, including the Nikkei Shō (GII) in 2025. He is the half-brother of Meiner Fanrong, winner of the 2021 Niigata Kinen, and the full brother of Uberleben, winner of the 2021 Yūshun Himba.
Background Meiner Emperor is a dark bay horse bred in Niikappu, Hokkaido by Big Red Farm. He was sired by Gold Ship, a son of Stay Gold, and his dam was Meine Theresia, a daughter of the American-bred stallion Roses in May. Meine Theresia also foaled Uberleben (also by Gold Ship), who won the 2021 Yūshun Himba (Japanese Oaks), and Meiner Fanrong (by Stay Gold), who won the 2021 Niigata Kinen. His racing name combines the "Meiner" prefix used by owner Thoroughbred Club Ruffian with "Emperor." He was sent into training with Hisashi Shimizu at the JRA's Ritto Training Center.
Racing career
2022: two-year-old season Meiner Emperor debuted on October 29, 2022, in a maiden race on the turf at Hanshin Racecourse, winning by 0.3 seconds. He finished fourth in the Erica Sho (Allowance) at Hanshin in December.
2023: three-year-old season Meiner Emperor finished second in a 1-win-class race at Chukyo Racecourse in January. He finished fifth in the Wakaba Stakes (Listed) at Hanshin in March and seventh in the Aoba Shō (GII) at Tokyo Racecourse in April, failing to qualify for the Classics.
Returning in the autumn, he won a 1-win-class race at Kyoto Racecourse on November 26 and the Owari Tokubetsu (Allowance) at Chukyo on December 17.
2024: four-year-old season Meiner Emperor ran in eight races in the 3-win class without a victory through November. On December 8, he won the Orion Stakes (3-win class) at Kyoto, ridden by Lanfranco Dettori, and was promoted to the open class.
2025: five-year-old season Meiner Emperor finished third in the Nikkei Shinshun Hai (GII) at Chukyo on January 19. On March 29, he contested the Nikkei Shō (GII) at Nakayama Racecourse. Ridden by Yuji Tannai, he took the lead past the third corner and won by a neck over Chuck Nate, recording his first graded stakes victory. He subsequently finished fifth in the Tennō Shō (Spring, GI) at Kyoto in May and ninth in the Arima Kinen (GI) at Nakayama in December.
2026: six-year-old season Meiner Emperor finished eleventh in the American Jockey Club Cup (GII) at Nakayama in January, fifth in the Hanshin Daishōten (GII) at Hanshin in March, and tenth in the Takarazuka Kinen (GI) at Hanshin in June. He returned back to racetrack at the Kyoto Daishoten in October with new jockey, Seinosuke Yoshimura. On a rainy and more softer racetrack, Meiner Emperor performed well and finished in second place three quarters of a length behind the winner, Ecoro Dinos.
Statistics The following table details all 26 starts of Meiner Emperor's racing career based on official netkeiba and JBIS records. Record current as of 4 October 2026.
Date Distance (Condition) Race Class Course Odds(Favourite) Field Finish Time Jockey Winning(Losing)Margin Winner(2nd Place) Ref2022 – two-year-old season Turf 2000 m (Firm) 2-Y-O Newcomer Maiden Hanshin 4.7 (2nd) 11 2:01.9 Ryuji Wada –0.3 (Penetrate Go) Turf 2000 m (Firm) Erica Sho Allowance Hanshin 6.4 (4th) 13 4th 2:01.1 Fuma Izumiya 0.4 Remuage2023 – three-year-old season Turf 2200 m (Soft) 3-Y-O 1-Win Class Allowance Chukyo 5.1 (4th) 6 2:17.0 Ryuji Wada 0.3 Shonan Bashit Turf 2000 m (Good) Wakaba Stakes Listed Hanshin 8.4 (3rd) 9 5th 2:03.0 Ryuji Wada 0.3 Shonan Bashit Turf 2400 m (Firm) Aoba Shō GII Tokyo 66.9 (10th) 15 7th 2:25.0 Ryuji Wada 1.1 Skilfing Turf 2400 m (Firm) 3-Y-O 1-Win Class Allowance Kyoto 3.2 (2nd) 10 2:25.2 Mirai Iwata 0.4 Keiai Sandera Turf 2200 m (Firm) 3-Y-O 1-Win Class Allowance Kyoto 4.0 (2nd) 11 4th 2:12.5 Hayato Yoshida 0.4 June Aoniyoshi Turf 2000 m (Firm) 3-Y-O 1-Win Class Allowance Kyoto 2.9 (1st) 14 2:00.9 Takeshi Yokoyama -0.1 (Britannia) Turf 2200 m (Firm) Owari Tokubetsu Allowance Chukyo 3.7 (3rd) 9 2:15.1 Masami Matsuoka 0.0 (Meisho Gekirin)2024 – four-year-old season Turf 2000 m (Firm) Kotobuki Stakes 3-Win Class Kyoto 9.0 (5th) 12 8th 2:01.1 Kohei Matsuyama 0.8 David Barows Turf 2200 m (Firm) Yasaka Stakes 3-Win Class Kyoto 18.2 (8th) 12 4th 2:13.1 Ryusei Sakai 0.4 Sasutsurugi Turf 1800 m (Good) Goryokaku Stakes 3-Win Class Hakodate 7.8 (3rd) 14 1:49.7 Takeshi Yokoyama 0.3 Kiminonawa Maria Turf 2000 m (Firm) STV Sho 3-Win Class Sapporo 4.6 (2nd) 14 6th 2:01.1 Takeshi Yokoyama 0.5 Verehrung Turf 2000 m (Firm) WASJ Round 2 3-Win Class Sapporo 4.9 (2nd) 14 7th 2:00.7 Yutaka Take 0.6 Schwarz Kugel Turf 2000 m (Firm) Takayama Stakes 3-Win Class Chukyo 7.7 (4th) 13 2:00.1 Andrasch Starke 0.2 Makoto Velikij Turf 2000 m (Firm) Kaiji Stakes 3-Win Class Tokyo 15.4 (5th) 8 2:00.8 Masami Matsuoka 0.3 Tosen Ryo Turf 2400 m (Firm) Hiei Stakes 3-Win Class Kyoto 22.5 (7th) 17 2:24.6 Akihide Tsumura 0.1 Veloce Era Turf 2200 m (Firm) Orion Stakes 3-Win Class Kyoto 4.0 (2nd) 12 2:13.8 Lanfranco Dettori 0.0 (Shake Your Heart)2025 – five-year-old season Turf 2200 m (Firm) Nikkei Shinshun Hai GII Chukyo 15.0 (7th) 16 2:10.4 Hideaki Miyuki 0.6 Lord Del Rey Turf 2500 m (Firm) Nikkei Shō GII Nakayama 7.4 (2nd) 15 2:36.1 Yuji Tannai 0.0 (Chuck Nate) Turf 3200 m (Firm) Tennō Shō (Spring) GI Kyoto 19.7 (8th) 15 5th 3:15.0 Yuji Tannai 1.0 Redentor Turf 2500 m (Firm) Arima Kinen GI Nakayama 111.5 (11th) 16 9th 2:32.3 Yuji Tannai 0.8 Museum Mile2026 – six-year-old season Turf 2200 m (Firm) American Jockey Club Cup GII Nakayama 9.1 (5th) 16 11th 2:12.1 Keita Tosaki 1.3 Shohei Turf 3000 m (Firm) Hanshin Daishōten GII Hanshin 7.2 (4th) 10 5th 3:03.0 Yuji Tannai 1.0 Admire Terra Turf 2200 m (Good) Takarazuka Kinen GI Hanshin 121.0 (13th) 18 10th 2:13.8 Yuga Kawada 1.7 Meisho Tabaru Turf 2400 m (Good) Kyoto Daishoten GII Kyoto 21.8 (8th) 18 2:24.1 Seinosuke Yoshimura 0.1 Ecoro Dinos
Pedigree
Meiner Emperor is inbred 4 × 5 to Halo and 5 × 5 to Hail to Reason. His half-brother Meiner Fanrong (by Stay Gold) won the 2021 Niigata Kinen (GIII). His full sister Uberleben (by Gold Ship) won the 2021 Yūshun Himba (GI). His dam Meiner Nouvelle won the 2003 Flower Cup (GIII).
See also Thoroughbred racing in Japan Nikkei Shō
References