Sugenuma (, ; 7 April 1935 – after August 1945) was a Japanese Thoroughbred-type racehorse. He competed from 1938 to 1939, recording twelve wins from twenty-three starts, including the Tōkyō Yūshun (Japanese Derby) in 1938 and the Teishitsu Goshoten (Spring) in 1939. He was disqualified from the Meguro Kinen (Autumn) in November 1939 after a stimulant was detected in a post-race drug test, and was retired to stud. He was decommissioned in August 1945 and his subsequent fate is unknown.

Background Sugenuma was a dark bay colt bred at Chigira Farm in Katashina Village, Gunma Prefecture. He was sired by Priory Park, a British-bred stallion imported to Japan in 1929, and his dam was Kokuhō (), a mare who won the Teishitsu Goshoten under the racing names Carnation () and Kokuhō. His damsire was Gallon, a British import. Kokuhō's dam, Hōei (), was an Australian-bred mare of uncertain pedigree imported in 1913; because no formal pedigree registration system existed at the time, Sugenuma was classified as a "Thoroughbred-type" () rather than a full Thoroughbred.

He was owned by Kenji Chigira and trained by Hiroshi Nakamura at Tokyo Racecourse.

Racing career

1938: three-year-old season Sugenuma debuted on 2 April 1938 in a newcomer race at Nakayama Racecourse, finishing third. He finished third again in his second start two days later. He then won three consecutive races at Nakayama, Yokohama, and Tokyo.

On 29 May, he won the 7th Tōkyō Yūshun (Japanese Derby) at Tokyo Racecourse over 2400 metres on good ground, defeating the favourite Taeyama by a neck in a race-record time of 2:33.2. This was the first running of the race under the name "Tokyo Yushun Kyōsō," having been renamed from "Tokyo Yushun Daikyōsō" () that year.

He finished unplaced in five consecutive races after the Derby, including second in the Yokohama Nōrinshō Shōten at Yokohama in October.

1939: four-year-old season Sugenuma finished second in a handicap at Nakayama on 1 April. He then won six consecutive races, including the Yokohama Special (Spring) over 3450 metres, the Teishitsu Goshoten (Spring) at Naruo Racecourse over 3200 metres on dirt, and the Tokyo Five-Year-Old Special. On 17 October, he won the Yokohama Nōrinshō Shōten over 2800 metres, defeating Tetsumon and Kumohata.

He finished fourth in a handicap at Tokyo on 3 November. On 12 November, he contested the Meguro Kinen (Autumn) over 3400 metres at Tokyo. He finished first but was disqualified after a stimulant was detected in a post-race drug test. The victory was awarded to Hōnen.

Stud career Sugenuma was retired to stud in 1939 under the name Carnesie Bee () at Chigira Farm in Gunma Prefecture. In 1943, he was transferred to the Hidaka Livestock Breeding Farm in Hokkaido and re-registered under his original name. He was decommissioned in August 1945. His stud career produced no notable offspring.

Legacy Kenji Chigira's son Yasushi Chigira won the 1963 Tōkyō Yūshun with Meizui, and his grandson Daisaku Chigira won the 1983 Tōkyō Yūshun with Mr. C.B. This is the only instance of three generations of the same family winning the Japanese Derby as owners.

Some sources list Sugenuma's owner as Kenji's father, Morizō Chigira, who died on 29 May 1938 at the age of 92.

Trainer-jockey Hiroshi Nakamura stated: "That horse was large in frame but moody. He worked well in training, but in races he was at the mercy of the wind on the day."

Statistics The following table details all 23 starts of Sugenuma's racing career. Times and margins were not officially recorded for all races in this era; unrecorded entries are shown as –.

Date Distance (Condition) Race Class Course Odds(Favourite) Field Finish Time Jockey Winning(Losing)Margin Winner(2nd Place) Ref1938 – three-year-old season Turf 2000 m (Good) Newcomer Maiden Nakayama – (1st) 5 3rd – Hiroshi Nakamura – Dashing Turf 2000 m (Yielding) Newcomer Maiden Nakayama – (2nd) 3 3rd – Hiroshi Nakamura – Taeyama Turf 2000 m (Good) Newcomer Maiden Nakayama – (1st) 4 2:10.0 Hiroshi Nakamura –2.5 (Waldo) Turf 2000 m (Good) Allowance Allowance Yokohama – (1st) 11 2:10.0 Hiroshi Nakamura –0.4 (Nasuno Ford) Turf 2000 m (Good) Allowance Allowance Tokyo – (1st) 12 2:09.3 Hiroshi Nakamura –1.0 (Optimist) Turf 2400 m (Good) Tōkyō Yūshun Classic Tokyo – (2nd) 14 Hiroshi Nakamura –0.2 (Taeyama) Turf 2200 m (Good) Open Handicap Open Yokohama – (1st) 12 11th – Hiroshi Nakamura – Taeyama Turf 2000 m (Good) Open Open Yokohama – (1st) 4 3rd – Hiroshi Nakamura – Fine More Turf 2800 m (Soft) Yokohama Nōrinshō Shōten Stakes Yokohama – (4th) 7 – Hiroshi Nakamura 0.2 Hisatomo Turf 2300 m (Yielding) Open Open Tokyo – (1st) 8 – Hiroshi Nakamura 0.4 Tōyō Turf 2200 m (Good) Open Handicap Open Nakayama – (1st) 7 5th – Hiroshi Nakamura – Fair More1939 – four-year-old season Turf 2200 m (Good) Open Handicap Open Nakayama – (1st) 9 – Shōshirō Itō 0.1 Taeyama Turf 2400 m (Soft) Open Open Nakayama – (1st) 2 2:49.2 Shōshirō Itō –5.0 (Nanrei) Turf 2600 m (Good) Open Winners Open Nakayama – (1st) 3 2:48.2 Shōshirō Itō –5.0 (Taeyama) Turf 2200 m (Heavy) Open Handicap Open Yokohama – (1st) 5 2:30.0 Shōshirō Itō –5.0 (Tatsukabuto) Turf 3450 m (Good) Yokohama Special (Spring) Stakes Yokohama – (1st) 2 3:46.1 Shōshirō Itō –4.0 (Hen'un) Dirt 3200 m (Yielding) Teishitsu Goshoten (Spring) Imperial Prize Naruo – (1st) 5 3:31.0 Shōshirō Itō –3.0 (Taeyama) Turf 2600 m (Soft) Tokyo Five-Year-Old Special Stakes Tokyo – (1st) 5 2:52.4 Shōshirō Itō –5.0 (Hamatomi) Turf 2600 m (Good) Open Winners Open Tokyo – (1st) 7 – Shōshirō Itō 1.0 Optimist Turf 2200 m (Good) Open Handicap Open Yokohama – (1st) 8 2:24.3 Shōshirō Itō –0.2 (Henun) Turf 2800 m (Heavy) Yokohama Nōrinshō Shōten Stakes Yokohama – (1st) 5 3:17.0 Shōshirō Itō –5.0 (Tetsumon) Turf 2300 m (Good) Open Handicap Open Tokyo – (1st) 8 4th – Shōshirō Itō – Kumohata Turf 3400 m (Yielding) Meguro Kinen (Autumn) Stakes Tokyo – (2nd) 8 DSQ – Shōshirō Itō – Hen'un

Pedigree

Sugenuma is inbred 4 × 5 to St. Simon and 5 × 4 to Isonomy. His sire Priory Park was imported from Britain in 1929. His dam Kokuhō won the Teishitsu Goshoten under the racing names Carnation and Kokuhō. His dam's dam Hōei was imported from Australia in 1913. Her pedigree was never officially registered, and Sugenuma was classified as a "Thoroughbred-type" ().

See also Thoroughbred racing in Japan Tōkyō Yūshun Mr. C.B.

References