Kabutoyama (Japanese: カブトヤマ, Hepburn: Kabutoyama; 5 March 1930 – 13 August 1951) was a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. He competed from 1933 to 1934, recording twelve wins in twenty-nine starts. He won the second running of the Tōkyō Yūshun Dai Kyoso (Japanese Derby) in 1933. He was sired by Shian Mor, a British-bred son of Buchan who had finished third in the Epsom Derby before being imported to Japan as a stallion at Koiwai Farm. His dam was Astral, a winner of the 1927 Tokyo Teishitsu Goshoten (Imperial Prize). His full brothers include Governor (Tōkyō Yūshun Dai Kyoso winner) and Rocky More (Teishitsu Goshoten winner).

Background Kabutoyama was a bay horse bred at Koiwai Farm in Shizukuishi, Iwate Prefecture. He was purchased for ¥20,150 at a yearling sale by Dohei Maekawa, the president of Isetan department store, and sent into training with Fusamatsu Okubo at the Meguro Racecourse. Okubo served as both trainer and jockey, riding Kabutoyama in all twenty-nine of his races.

Racing career

1933: three-year-old season Kabutoyama debuted on March 25, 1933, at Nakayama Racecourse, winning a newcomer race on heavy ground by a neck. He finished third in a subsequent race before contesting the second Tōkyō Yūshun Dai Kyoso on April 30 at the Meguro Racecourse. Ridden by Okubo, he was positioned in a favourable position before accelerating in the straight to defeat Merry Utopia by four lengths.

He went on to win three more races in 1933, including the Shin Ko Oba (New/Old Colt) at Hanshin Racecourse and the Nosho (Agricultural Prize) at Hanshin, setting a course record in the latter.

1934: four-year-old season Kabutoyama won eight races in 1934, including the Fukushima Teishitsu Goshoten (Imperial Prize) at Fukushima Racecourse in June, the Meguro Kinen (Meguro Memorial) at Tokyo in November, and the Nakayama 5-Year-Old Tokubetsu at Nakayama in December. His retirement race was the Nakayama 5-Year-Old Tokubetsu on December 7, 1934, which he won by a large margin on heavy ground.

Statistics The following table details all 29 starts of Kabutoyama's racing career based on netkeiba and JBIS records. Times marked N/A were not recorded in available sources.

Date Distance Race Course Weight[kg] Field Finish Time Jockey Winner(2nd Place) Ref1933 – three-year-old season Turf 2000 m Shin Ko Nakayama 55 7 2:11.2 Fusamatsu Okubo (Asian Mor) Turf 2200 m Yusho Nakayama 55 7 N/A Fusamatsu Okubo Amor Turf 2400 m Tōkyō Yūshun Dai Kyoso Tokyo (Meguro) 55 19 2:34.2 Fusamatsu Okubo (Merry Utopia) Turf 2000 m Ko Ko Tokubetsu Handicap Hanshin 62 11 N/A Fusamatsu Okubo Etsu Fought Turf 2000 m Shin Ko Oba Hanshin 59 11 2:08.4 Fusamatsu Okubo (Asayasu) Turf 3200 m Nosho Hanshin 56 4 R3:27.3 Fusamatsu Okubo (Trustful) Turf 2000 m Ko Ko Tokubetsu Handicap Nakayama 59 12 4th N/A Fusamatsu Okubo Hakusetsu Turf 2000 m Ko Ba Nakayama 63 5 N/A Fusamatsu Okubo Isahaya Turf 2400 m Nakayama 4-Y-O Tokubetsu Nakayama 63 10 4th N/A Fusamatsu Okubo Red Sand Turf 1800 m Shin Ko Ko Oba Tokyo 63 15 Unplaced N/A Fusamatsu Okubo Rock Light1934 – four-year-old season Turf 2000 m Tokubetsu Handicap Nakayama 69 7 2:06.3 Fusamatsu Okubo (Taiho) Turf 2800 m Nakayama Spring Tokubetsu Nakayama 63 3 N/A Fusamatsu Okubo Wakamichi Turf 2600 m Yusho Nakayama 63 6 N/A Fusamatsu Okubo Taiho Turf 2000 m Tokyo Teishitsu Goshoten Tokyo 67 5 N/A Fusamatsu Okubo Miracle Utopia Turf 2400 m 5-Y-O Tokubetsu Tokyo 66 4 N/A Fusamatsu Okubo Wakamichi Turf 1800 m Shin Ko Ba Handicap Tokyo 69 10 1:54.4 Fusamatsu Okubo (Rock Light) Turf 2600 m Yusho Tokyo 65 5 5th N/A Fusamatsu Okubo Amor Turf 2000 m Handicap Yokohama 62 7 N/A Fusamatsu Okubo Taiho Turf 2000 m Yokohama Teishitsu Goshoten Yokohama 68 3 N/A Fusamatsu Okubo Taiho Turf 2200 m Handicap Yokohama 67 5 2:22.2 Fusamatsu Okubo (Red Sand) Turf 2600 m Yusho Yokohama 66 4 N/A Fusamatsu Okubo Denko Turf 1800 m Fukushima Teishitsu Goshoten Fukushima 58 9 1:54.2 Fusamatsu Okubo (Yae Hikari) Turf 2200 m Handicap Yokohama 68 11 N/A Fusamatsu Okubo Rairiki Turf 3200 m Yokohama Tokubetsu Yokohama 68 8 N/A Fusamatsu Okubo Hatsupy Land Turf 2000 m Tokubetsu Handicap Tokyo 69 7 2:07.2 Fusamatsu Okubo (Flame Mor) Turf 3400 m Meguro Kinen Tokyo 69 5 3:44.1 Fusamatsu Okubo (Rairiki) Turf 2400 m 5-Y-O Tokubetsu Tokyo 72 4 2:34.2 Fusamatsu Okubo (Hatsupy Land) Turf 2000 m Tokubetsu Handicap Nakayama 68 5 N/A Fusamatsu Okubo Hatsupy Land Turf 3200 m Nakayama 5-Y-O Tokubetsu Nakayama 62 4 3:37.2 Fusamatsu Okubo (Hatsupy Land)

Stud career Following his retirement, Kabutoyama became a stallion at Tohoku Bokujo (Northeast Farm) in Shichinohe, Aomori Prefecture. His first foals were born in 1936 and began racing in 1938. His most successful offspring was Mats Midori, who won the 1947 Tōkyō Yūshun (Japanese Derby), achieving the first father-son Derby victory in Japanese racing history. To commemorate this achievement, the Kabutoyama Kinen was established in 1947 as a graded stakes race for Japanese-bred horses; it was discontinued in 2003 after its original purpose of promoting domestic-bred stallions had been achieved, and was replaced by the Fukushima Himba Stakes. Kabutoyama died of old age on August 13, 1951, at the age of 21, and was buried at the Tohoku Bokujo Shichinohe branch.

Pedigree

Kabutoyama's sire Shian Mor finished third in the Epsom Derby before being imported to Japan. His grandsire Buchan won the Eclipse Stakes, Champion Stakes, and Doncaster Cup. His dam Astral won the 1927 Tokyo Teishitsu Goshoten (Imperial Prize). His full brothers Governor and Rocky More both won major races in Japan.

See also Thoroughbred racing in Japan Tōkyō Yūshun Koiwai Farm

References