Miho Shinzan (Japanese: ミホシンザン, Hepburn: Miho Shinzan; 16 April 1982 – 4 December 2014) was a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. He competed from 1985 to 1987, recording nine wins in sixteen starts, including the Satsuki Shō (GI) and Kikuka Shō (GI) in 1985, and the Tennō Shō (Spring, GI) in 1987. He won two legs of the Japanese Classic Triple Crown but missed the Tōkyō Yūshun (Japanese Derby) due to injury, earning him the nickname "the phantom triple crown horse." He was the most successful racehorse sired by Shinzan, the 1964 Japanese Triple Crown winner, and was described as "Shinzan's greatest masterpiece."

Background Miho Shinzan was a bay horse bred in Urakawa, Hokkaido, by Nisshin Bokujo. He was sired by Shinzan, the 1964 Japanese Triple Crown winner and a leading Japanese-bred stallion, and his dam was Napoli Jo O, a daughter of the French-bred stallion Moutiers. His racing name combines the "Miho" prefix used by owner Kanji Tsutsumi, whose company was based near the Miho Training Center, with the name of his sire Shinzan. He was owned by Kanji Tsutsumi and sent into training with Tomojiro Tanaka at the JRA's Miho Training Center. His regular jockey was Masato Shibata, who had first been inspired to become a jockey after watching Shinzan win the 1964 Tōkyō Yūshun.

Racing career

1985: three-year-old season (four-year-old by Japanese reckoning) Miho Shinzan debuted on January 6, 1985, in a maiden race on the turf at Nakayama Racecourse, winning by nine lengths. He won the Suisen Sho (Allowance) at Nakayama in February and the Spring Stakes (GII) at Nakayama in March, defeating Scrum Dyna by 1.75 lengths.

On April 14, he won the Satsuki Shō (GI) at Nakayama by five lengths, becoming the twelfth horse to win the race undefeated. Three days later, he was diagnosed with a fracture of the left third carpal bone, forcing him to miss the Tōkyō Yūshun (Japanese Derby) and ending his bid for the Triple Crown.

He returned in September, finishing fifth in the St. Lite Kinen (GIII) at Nakayama. He won the Kyoto Shimbun Hai (GII) at Kyoto Racecourse in October and the Kikuka Shō (GI) at Kyoto in November, defeating Suda Hawk by 1.25 lengths to complete the Classic double. He finished second in the Arima Kinen (GI) at Nakayama in December, beaten four lengths by Symboli Rudolf.

1986: four-year-old season Miho Shinzan finished sixth in the Nikkei Shō (GII) at Nakayama in March, after which a recurrence of his previous fracture was discovered, forcing him to miss the spring season. He returned in October, finishing third in the Mainichi Ōkan (GII), Tennō Shō (Autumn, GI), Japan Cup (GI), and Arima Kinen (GI) in four consecutive starts.

1987: five-year-old season and retirement Miho Shinzan won the American Jockey Club Cup (GII) at Nakayama in January, his first victory in fourteen months. He won the Nikkei Shō (GII) at Nakayama in April by five lengths. On April 29, he won the Tennō Shō (Spring, GI) at Kyoto, defeating Nishino Raiden by a nose in a photo finish, recording his third Grade 1 victory.

He was retired from racing in October 1987 after developing tendonitis in his right foreleg during training.

Statistics The following table details all 16 starts of Miho Shinzan's racing career based on official netkeiba and JBIS records.

Date Distance (Condition) Race Class Course Odds(Favourite) Field Finish Time Jockey Winning(Losing)Margin Winner(2nd Place) Ref1985 – three-year-old season Turf 1600 m (Firm) 4-Y-O Newcomer Maiden Nakayama 2.9 (1st) 16 1:36.1 Masato Shibata –1.5 (Makino Hata) Turf 2000 m (Good) Suisen Sho Allowance Nakayama 2.0 (1st) 11 2:02.6 Masato Shibata –0.4 (Monte Japan) Turf 1800 m (Good) Spring Stakes GII Nakayama 2.1 (1st) 11 1:49.5 Masato Shibata –0.3 (Scrum Dyna) Turf 2000 m (Good) Satsuki Shō GI Nakayama 3.9 (1st) 22 2:02.1 Masato Shibata –0.8 (Scrum Dyna) Turf 2200 m (Heavy) St. Lite Kinen GIII Nakayama 1.8 (1st) 10 5th 2:21.0 Masato Shibata 1.5 Tiger Boy Turf 2200 m (Firm) Kyoto Shimbun Hai GII Kyoto 1.9 (1st) 13 2:14.5 Masato Shibata –0.3 (Speed Hero) Turf 3000 m (Good) Kikuka Shō GI Kyoto 2.3 (1st) 18 3:08.1 Masato Shibata –0.2 (Suda Hawk) Turf 2500 m (Firm) Arima Kinen GI Nakayama 5.9 (2nd) 10 2:33.8 Masato Shibata 0.7 Symboli Rudolf1986 – four-year-old season Turf 2500 m (Soft) Nikkei Shō GII Nakayama 1.4 (1st) 12 6th 2:36.5 Masato Shibata 1.3 Chestnut Valley Turf 1800 m (Firm) Mainichi Ōkan GII Tokyo 2.6 (1st) 8 1:46.6 Masato Shibata 0.6 Sakura Yutaka O Turf 2000 m (Firm) Tennō Shō (Autumn) GI Tokyo 2.1 (1st) 16 1:59.0 Masato Shibata 0.7 Sakura Yutaka O Turf 2400 m (Firm) Japan Cup GI Tokyo 7.5 (4th) 14 2:25.2 Masato Shibata 0.2 Jupiter Island Turf 2500 m (Good) Arima Kinen GI Nakayama 2.3 (1st) 12 2:34.2 Masato Shibata 0.2 Dyna Gulliver1987 – five-year-old season Turf 2200 m (Firm) American Jockey Club Cup GII Nakayama 1.5 (1st) 6 2:15.4 Masato Shibata –0.2 (Suzu Parade) Turf 2500 m (Firm) Nikkei Shō GII Nakayama 2.2 (1st) 7 2:33.8 Masato Shibata –0.8 (Jusaburo) Turf 3200 m (Firm) Tennō Shō (Spring) GI Kyoto 1.3 (1st) 10 3:20.4 Masato Shibata –0.2 (Asahi Emperor)

Stud career Following his retirement, Miho Shinzan entered stud at Tanigawa Bokujo in Urakawa, Hokkaido, in 1988. His most successful offspring was My Shinzan, winner of the 1993 NHK Hai (GII) and 1995 Asahi Challenge Cup (GIII). He also sired Grand Shinzan, winner of the 2001 Aichi Hai (GIII). He was retired from stud duty in 2002 and spent his remaining years as a pensioner at Tanigawa Bokujo. He died of heart failure on December 4, 2014, at the age of 32.

Pedigree

Miho Shinzan is inbred 5 × 5 to Gainsborough (sire side) and 5 × 5 to Nearco (dam side). His sire Shinzan won the 1964 Japanese Triple Crown and was a leading Japanese-bred stallion.

See also Thoroughbred racing in Japan Shinzan Satsuki Shō Kikuka Shō

References