Win Marilyn (, ; foaled 23 May 2017) is a retired Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse. She competed from 2019 to 2023, recording six wins from twenty-two starts, including the Hong Kong Vase (GI) in 2022, the Flora Stakes (GII) in 2020, the Nikkei Sho (GII) in 2021, and the Sankei Sho All Comers (GII) in 2021. She also finished second in the Yushun Himba (GI) in 2020 and second in the Queen Elizabeth II Cup (GI) in 2022. Her name combines the owner's prefix "Win" with "Marilyn", a female name.

Background Win Marilyn is a chestnut mare bred in Niikappu, Hokkaido, by Cosmo View Farm. She was sired by Screen Hero, a son of Grass Wonder, and her dam was Cosmo Cielo (), a mare by Fusaichi Pegasus. She is owned by Win Co. Ltd. and was trained by Takahisa Tezuka at the JRA's Miho Training Center. Her half-brother Win Malerei () won the 2014 Radio Nikkei Sho.

Racing career 2019: two-year-old season Win Marilyn debuted on 21 December 2019 in a 2-year-old newcomer race over 2000 metres on turf at Nakayama Racecourse. Ridden by Takeshi Yokoyama, she tracked the pace and took the lead in the straight, winning by 0.6 seconds from Belinda Un.

2020: three-year-old season She started her three-year-old campaign on 26 January in the Wakatake Sho (1-win class) at Nakayama, finishing fifth. On 31 March, she won the Mimosa Sho (1-win class) at Nakayama, holding off Win Kiitos by 0.3 seconds.

On 26 April, she stepped up to graded stakes level in the Flora Stakes (GII) at Tokyo Racecourse. Ridden by Takeshi Yokoyama, she broke from the front and held off the late challenge of Ho O Peaceful to win by a neck, securing her first graded stakes victory and priority entry to the Yushun Himba.

On 24 May, she contested the Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks, GI) at Tokyo. As Takeshi was serving a suspension at the time, she was instead ridden by Takeshi's father, Norihiro Yokoyama. During the race, she settled in second place behind the front-running Smile Kana. In the straight, she took the shortest path on the inside rail but was caught in the final strides by Daring Tact, finishing second by half a length.

After a summer break, she ran in the Shūka Shō (GI) on 18 October at Kyoto Racecourse, finishing 15th. On 15 November, she faced older horses for the first time in the Queen Elizabeth II Cup (GI) at Hanshin Racecourse, finishing fourth behind Lucky Lilac.

2021: four-year-old season Win Marilyn started the season on 24 January in the American Jockey Club Cup (GII) at Nakayama, finishing sixth. On 27 March, she ran in the Nikkei Sho (GII) at Nakayama. She broke well, settled near the pace, and took the lead early in the straight, holding on to win her second graded stakes race.

On 2 May, she contested the Tenno Sho (Spring) (GI) at Hanshin over 3200 metres. Despite a slow start, she rallied on the outside to finish fifth behind World Premiere.

After a break, she returned in the Sankei Sho All Comers (GII) on 26 September at Nakayama. Breaking from the inside draw, she saved ground on the rail, switched outside in the straight, and held off Win Kiitos to win by 0.3 seconds. On 14 November, she ran in the Queen Elizabeth II Cup again but finished 16th.

2022: five-year-old season She started the year in the Ōsaka Hai (GI) on 3 April at Hanshin, finishing last (16th) behind Potager. On 26 June, she ran in the Takarazuka Kinen (GI) at Hanshin, finishing seventh behind Titleholder. On 21 August, she ran in the Sapporo Kinen (GII) at Sapporo Racecourse. Ridden by Masami Matsuoka, she tracked the pace and finished third behind Jack d'Or and Panthalassa.

On 13 November, she contested the Queen Elizabeth II Cup for the third time. Ridden by Damian Lane, she settled just off the pace on the outside. Taking the lead 200 metres from the finish on a heavy track, she was ultimately caught by Geraldina, finishing in a dead heat for second with Lilac.

She was then invited to the Hong Kong Vase (GI) at Sha Tin Racecourse on 11 December. Skipping the Japan Cup, she traveled to Hong Kong. Ridden by Damian Lane, she was sent off as the third favorite. Departing from her usual front-running tactics, Lane dropped her to the rear of the 10-horse field. In the straight, she swung wide and produced a strong late burst, overtaking Botanik in the final strides to win by 1.5 lengths. This marked her first Grade 1 victory and her first win overseas.

2023: six-year-old season On 25 March, she contested the Dubai Sheema Classic (GI) at Meydan Racecourse. Settling in mid-pack, she failed to accelerate in the straight and finished sixth behind Equinox.

After a five-month break, she returned in the Sapporo Kinen on 20 August, finishing ninth. On 24 September, she ran in the Sankei Sho All Comers, finishing ninth.

She then traveled to the United States for the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (GI) at Santa Anita Park on 4 November. Ridden by Cristian Demuro, she raced near the rear and threaded through traffic in the straight, finishing fourth behind Inspiral.

Her final race was the Arima Kinen (GI) on 24 December at Nakayama. Ridden by Luke Morris, she settled in mid-pack and finished seventh behind Do Deuce. She was retired from racing on 27 December 2023 and returned to Cosmo View Farm to become a broodmare.

Race record The following table details all 22 starts of Win Marilyn's racing career based on official JBIS, netkeiba, HKJC, and Equibase records. Date Distance (Condition) Race Class Course Odds(Favourite) Field Finish Time Jockey Winning(Losing)Margin Winner(2nd Place) Ref2019 – two-year-old season Turf 2000 m (Good) 2-Y-O Newcomer Maiden Nakayama 12.2 (6th) 16 2:04.0 Takeshi Yokoyama –0.6 (Belinda Un)2020 – three-year-old season Turf 1800 m (Yielding) Wakatake Sho 1-win Nakayama 5.6 (3rd) 11 5th 1:51.0 Masami Matsuoka 0.6 Seasons Gift Turf 2000 m (Yielding) Mimosa Sho 1-win Nakayama 6.4 (4th) 11 2:02.5 Takeshi Yokoyama –0.3 (Win Kiitos) Turf 2000 m (Good) Flora Stakes GII Tokyo 11.4 (4th) 17 1:58.7 Takeshi Yokoyama –0.0 (Ho O Peaceful) Turf 2400 m (Good) Yushun Himba GI Tokyo 28.5 (7th) 18 2:24.5 Norihiro Yokoyama 0.1 Daring Tact Turf 2000 m (Yielding) Shūka Shō GI Kyoto 17.2 (5th) 18 15th 2:03.1 Takeshi Yokoyama 2.5 Daring Tact Turf 2200 m (Good) Queen Elizabeth II Cup GI Hanshin 40.8 (9th) 18 4th 2:10.7 Takeshi Yokoyama 0.4 Lucky Lilac2021 – four-year-old season Turf 2200 m (Heavy) American Jockey Club Cup GII Nakayama 10.5 (5th) 17 6th 2:18.3 Takeshi Yokoyama 0.4 Aristoteles Turf 2500 m (Good) Nikkei Sho GII Nakayama 8.5 (4th) 15 2:33.3 Takeshi Yokoyama –0.1 (Curren Bouquetd'or) Turf 3200 m (Good) Tenno Sho (Spring) GI Hanshin 22.7 (8th) 17 5th 3:15.6 Takeshi Yokoyama 0.9 World Premiere Turf 2200 m (Good) Sankei Sho All Comers GII Nakayama 4.7 (2nd) 16 2:11.9 Takeshi Yokoyama –0.3 (Win Kiitos) Turf 2200 m (Good) Queen Elizabeth II Cup GI Hanshin 5.5 (3rd) 17 16th 2:14.7 Takeshi Yokoyama 2.6 Akai Ito2022 – five-year-old season Turf 2000 m (Good) Ōsaka Hai GI Hanshin 60.2 (9th) 16 16th 2:00.7 Masami Matsuoka 2.3 Potager Turf 2200 m (Good) Takarazuka Kinen GI Hanshin 73.0 (9th) 17 7th 2:10.8 Masami Matsuoka 1.1 Titleholder Turf 2000 m (Good) Sapporo Kinen GII Sapporo 13.6 (5th) 16 2:01.4 Masami Matsuoka 0.2 Jack d'Or Turf 2200 m (Heavy) Queen Elizabeth II Cup GI Hanshin 10.1 (5th) 18 2:13.3 Damian Lane 0.3 Geraldina Turf 2400 m (Good) Hong Kong Vase GI Sha Tin 6.5 (3rd) 10 2:27.53 Damian Lane –0.23 (Botanik)2023 – six-year-old season Turf 2410 m (Good) Dubai Sheema Classic GI Meydan 19.8 (6th) 10 6th 2:27.14 Damian Lane 1.49 Equinox Turf 2000 m (Yielding) Sapporo Kinen GII Sapporo 11.9 (6th) 15 9th 2:04.0 Masami Matsuoka 2.5 Prognosis Turf 2200 m (Good) Sankei Sho All Comers GII Nakayama 44.0 (9th) 15 9th 2:12.8 Masami Matsuoka 0.8 Rousham Park Turf 2000 m (Good) Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf GI Santa Anita Park 39.9 (11th) 12 4th 1:59.29 Cristian Demuro 0.23 Inspiral Turf 2500 m (Good) Arima Kinen GI Nakayama 171.9 (14th) 16 7th 2:31.6 Luke Morris 0.7 Do Deuce

Pedigree

Win Marilyn is inbred 4 × 4 to Danzig, 5 × 5 × 5 to Northern Dancer, 4 × 5 to Halo, and 5 × 5 to Hail to Reason. Her sire Screen Hero won the 2008 Japan Cup. Her half-brother Win Malerei won the 2014 Radio Nikkei Sho. Her half-sister Meine Himmel is the dam of Koganeno Sora, who won the 2024 Queen S and the 2026 Fukushima Himba Stakes, and the granddam of Corazon Beat, who won the 2023 Keio Hai Nisai Stakes.

See also Thoroughbred racing in Japan Hong Kong Vase

References