Stay Foolish (Japanese: ステイフーリッシュ, Hepburn: Sutei Fūrisshu; 22 February 2015) is a retired Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse. He competed from 2017 to 2022, recording four wins in thirty-four starts, including the Kyoto Shimbun Hai (GII) in 2018, the Red Sea Turf Handicap (G3) and Dubai Gold Cup (G2) in 2022. His racing name is derived from Steve Jobs' 2005 Stanford University commencement speech, "Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish."

Background Stay Foolish is a bay horse bred in Chitose, Hokkaido, by Shadai Farm. He was sired by Stay Gold, a son of Sunday Silence, and his dam was Kauai Lane, a daughter of King Kamehameha. His dam Kauai Lane won five races during her racing career, including the Turquoise Stakes (Open). His dam's half-brother is Black Hawk, winner of the Yasuda Kinen and Sprinters Stakes. He was owned by Shadai Race Horse and sent into training with Yoshito Yahagi at the JRA's Ritto Training Center.

Racing career

2017: Two-year-old season Stay Foolish debuted on December 10, 2017, in a maiden race on the turf at Chukyo Racecourse, winning by 0.4 seconds. He finished third in the Hopeful Stakes (GI) at Nakayama Racecourse on December 28.

2018: Three-year-old season Stay Foolish finished tenth in the Kyodo Tsushin Hai (GIII) at Tokyo Racecourse in February. On May 5, he won the Kyoto Shimbun Hai (GII) at Kyoto Racecourse, ridden by Yusuke Fujioka, defeating Admire Alba by 0.3 seconds. He finished tenth in the Tōkyō Yūshun (Japanese Derby, GI) in May, fifth in the Kobe Shimbun Hai (GII) in September, and eleventh in the Kikuka Shō (GI) in October. He finished third in the Challenge Cup (GIII) at Hanshin Racecourse in December.

2019: Four-year-old season Stay Foolish ran in eight races in 2019 without a win. He finished second in the Nakayama Kimpai (GIII), Kyoto Kinen (GII), and Fukushima Kinen (GIII), and third in the Naruo Kinen (GIII) and Hakodate Kinen (GIII).

2020: Five-year-old season Stay Foolish ran in six races in 2020 without a win. He finished second in the American Jockey Club Cup (GII) and third in the Kyoto Kinen (GII), Meguro Kinen (GII), and All Comers (GII).

2021: Six-year-old season Stay Foolish finished second in the Kyoto Kinen (GII) in February. He was pulled up in the Sapporo Kinen (GII) in August after developing atrial fibrillation. He finished fifth in the Hong Kong Vase (G1) at Sha Tin Racecourse in December.

2022: Seven-year-old season and retirement On February 26, Stay Foolish contested the Red Sea Turf Handicap (G3) over 3000 meters at King Abdulaziz Racetrack in Saudi Arabia. Ridden by Christophe Lemaire, he took the lead from the start and won by 4.25 lengths over Sonnyboyliston, recording his first victory in three years and nine months. On March 26, he won the Dubai Gold Cup (G2) over 3200 meters at Meydan Racecourse, defeating the previously unbeaten Manobo.

Returning to Japan, he finished ninth in the Takarazuka Kinen (GI) in June. He finished second in the Grand Prix de Deauville (G2) at Deauville-La Touques Racecourse in August. He finished fourteenth in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1) at Longchamp Racecourse in October.

On October 27, 2022, he was diagnosed with left foreleg suspensory ligamentitis. His retirement was announced the same day. He was deregistered from JRA competition on October 28, 2022.

Statistics The following table details all 34 starts of Stay Foolish's racing career based on official netkeiba, JBIS, and JRA-VAN records.

Date Distance (Condition) Race Class Course Odds(Favourite) Field Finish Time Jockey Winning(Losing)Margin Winner(2nd Place) Ref2017 – two-year-old season Turf 2000 m (Firm) 2-Y-O Newcomer Maiden Chukyo 5.2 (3rd) 9 2:03.7 Yuta Nakatani –0.4 (Ice Bubble) Turf 2000 m (Firm) Hopeful Stakes GI Nakayama 22.9 (8th) 17 2:01.6 Yuta Nakatani 0.2 Time Flyer2018 – three-year-old season Turf 1800 m (Firm) Kyodo Tsushin Hai GIII Tokyo 5.7 (2nd) 12 10th 1:48.5 Yuta Nakatani 1.1 Oken Moon Turf 2200 m (Firm) Kyoto Shimbun Hai GII Kyoto 12.8 (7th) 17 2:11.0 Yusuke Fujioka –0.3 (Admire Alba) Turf 2400 m (Firm) Tōkyō Yūshun GI Tokyo 39.8 (10th) 18 10th 2:24.2 Norihiro Yokoyama 0.6 Wagnerian Turf 2400 m (Firm) Kobe Shimbun Hai GII Hanshin 11.9 (4th) 10 5th 2:26.4 Yuga Kawada 0.8 Wagnerian Turf 3000 m (Firm) Kikuka Shō GI Kyoto 70.2 (11th) 18 11th 3:07.5 Yusuke Fujioka 1.4 Fierement Turf 2000 m (Firm) Challenge Cup GIII Hanshin 18.2 (5th) 12 1:59.0 Yusuke Fujioka 0.7 Air Windsor2019 – four-year-old season Turf 2000 m (Firm) Nakayama Kimpai GIII Nakayama 11.0 (7th) 16 1:59.3 Yusuke Fujioka 0.1 Win Bright Turf 2200 m (Firm) Kyoto Kinen GII Kyoto 3.4 (1st) 12 2:14.8 Yusuke Fujioka 0.0 Danburite Turf 2000 m (Firm) Ōsaka Hai GI Hanshin 94.8 (12th) 14 13th 2:02.4 Kota Fujioka 1.4 Al Ain Turf 2000 m (Firm) Naruo Kinen GIII Hanshin 4.8 (4th) 9 1:59.8 Yusuke Fujioka 0.2 Mer de Glace Turf 2000 m (Firm) Hakodate Kinen GIII Hakodate 6.4 (3rd) 16 1:59.9 Yuta Nakatani 0.3 My Style Turf 2000 m (Firm) Sapporo Kinen GII Sapporo 32.9 (8th) 14 9th 2:01.0 Yuta Nakatani 0.9 Blast Onepiece Turf 2000 m (Firm) Fukushima Kinen GIII Fukushima 12.9 (6th) 16 1:59.7 Yuta Nakatani 0.2 Crescendo Love Turf 2000 m (Firm) Challenge Cup GIII Hanshin 7.3 (4th) 12 10th 1:59.7 Yuta Nakatani 0.6 Lord My Way2020 – five-year-old season Turf 2200 m (Good) American Jockey Club Cup GII Nakayama 8.0 (5th) 12 2:15.2 Christophe Lemaire 0.2 Blast Onepiece Turf 2200 m (Soft) Kyoto Kinen GII Kyoto 4.3 (3rd) 9 2:17.1 Yasunari Iwata 0.7 Chrono Genesis Turf 2000 m (Firm) Ōsaka Hai GI Hanshin 49.1 (8th) 12 9th 1:59.4 Yasunari Iwata 1.0 Lucky Lilac Turf 2500 m (Firm) Meguro Kinen GII Tokyo 13.8 (7th) 18 2:29.8 Ryusei Sakai 0.2 King of Coji Turf 2200 m (Good) All Comers GII Nakayama 4.9 (3rd) 9 2:15.7 Hironobu Tanabe 0.2 Centelleo Turf 2400 m (Good) Kyoto Daishoten GII Kyoto 7.3 (4th) 17 5th 2:26.0 Yusuke Fujioka 0.4 Glory Vase2021 – six-year-old season Turf 2200 m (Heavy) American Jockey Club Cup GII Nakayama 9.5 (4th) 17 4th 2:18.3 Shu Ishibashi 0.4 Aristoteles Turf 2200 m (Firm) Kyoto Kinen GII Hanshin 7.0 (3rd) 11 2:10.6 Ryuji Wada 0.2 Loves Only You Turf 2000 m (Firm) Sapporo Kinen GII Sapporo 14.7 (6th) 13 DNF – Ryusei Sakai – Sodashi Turf 2200 m (Firm) All Comers GII Nakayama 20.3 (7th) 16 5th 2:12.3 Kazuo Yokoyama 0.4 Win Marilyn Turf 2400 m (Firm) Kyoto Daishoten GII Hanshin 8.4 (5th) 14 7th 2:25.1 Yoshihiko Kawasu 0.6 Makahiki Turf 2000 m (Firm) Fukushima Kinen GIII Fukushima 6.7 (3rd) 16 4th 1:59.9 Ryusei Sakai 0.7 Panthalassa Turf 2400 m (Firm) Hong Kong Vase G1 Sha Tin 13.0 (4th) 8 5th 2:28.45 Vincent C Y Ho 1.38 Glory Vase2022 – seven-year-old season Turf 3000 m (Firm) Red Sea Turf Handicap G3 KAA 15.0 (8th) 14 3:06.08 Christophe Lemaire –0.73 (Sonnyboyliston) Turf 3200 m (Firm) Dubai Gold Cup G2 Meydan 5.0 (2nd) 13 3:19.64 Christophe Lemaire –0.5 (Manobo) Turf 2200 m (Firm) Takarazuka Kinen GI Hanshin 78.1 (10th) 17 9th 2:11.1 Ryusei Sakai 1.4 Titleholder Turf 2500 m (Firm) Grand Prix de Deauville G2 Deauville 3.6 (2nd) 5 2:36.41 Cristian Demuro 0.18 Botanik Turf 2400 m (Soft) Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe G1 Longchamp 65.0 (18th) 20 14th 2:39.16 Christophe Lemaire 3.45 Alpinista

Post-racing career Following his retirement, Stay Foolish became a riding horse at Shadai Farm in Chitose, Hokkaido.

Pedigree

Stay Foolish is inbred 4 × 5 to Hail to Reason. His dam Kauai Lane won five races including the Turquoise Stakes (Open). His dam's half-brother Black Hawk won the Yasuda Kinen (GI) and Sprinters Stakes (GI).

See also Thoroughbred racing in Japan Kyoto Shimbun Hai Dubai Gold Cup

References