Bamboo Memory (, ; 14 May 1985 – 7 August 2014) was a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. He recorded eight wins from thirty-nine starts between 1987 and 1991, most notably the Yasuda Kinen (GI) in 1989 and the Sprinters Stakes (GI) in 1990. He was named Best Sprinter or Miler in both 1989 and 1990. He is best remembered for his photo-finish rivalry with Oguri Cap in the 1989 Mile Championship, and for setting a Japanese record in the 1990 Sprinters Stakes, which earned him the nickname "The First Lightning King".
Background Bamboo Memory was a chestnut stallion bred in Urakawa, Hokkaido, by Bamboo Farm. He was sired by Morning Frolic, and his dam was Madonna Bamboo, a mare by Moubariz. He was owned by Tatsuichi Takeda, the founder of Bamboo Farm, and trained by Kunihiko Take at the Ritto Training Center. He was known for his aggressive, front-running temperament and his tendency to pull hard during races and training.
Racing career 1987: two-year-old season Bamboo Memory debuted on 14 November 1987 in a 2-year-old newcomer race over 1200 metres on dirt at Kyoto Racecourse, placing fifth. He finished the race in 1 minute and 17 seconds which placed him 3.7 seconds behind the winner Slew O' Best. After a second-place finish, he won his third maiden race over 1200 metres on dirt at Hanshin Racecourse on 27 December, ridden by Yutaka Take. He did this in 1 minute and 14.7 seconds, 0.7 seconds faster than the second place finish Chiyono Lady.
1988: three-year-old season Due to weak hooves, Bamboo Memory was campaigned primarily on dirt tracks during his three-year-old season. He competed in allowance races, collecting podium places for three races before recording a victory in a 1-win class race on March 6 against Jo Esperance by 0.3 seconds. On November 6 he placed third in a 1400 meter dirt race before winning a 2-win class race of the same distance by 0.1 seconds just three weeks later. He ended the year with a fifth place finish in the Port Island Stakes at Hanshin and an unplaced finish in the Santa Claus Handicap at Hanshin.
1989: four-year-old season Bamboo Memory initially began his four-year-old campaign by continuing on dirt for three more races, getting a seventh place finish and then two fourth place finishes. In total, he had ran 15 dirt races before switching to turf in April for the Dotonbori Stakes at Hanshin which was 1600 meters on heavy turf. He achieved first place by 0.9 seconds against Hishino Supra despite being the 6th most popular. He followed up with a third-place finish in the Silk Road Stakes (Open).
On 14 May, he contested the Yasuda Kinen (GI) at Tokyo Racecourse. Because Yutaka Take had a riding commitment with another horse at the Keihan Hai that day, Bamboo Memory was instead ridden by Yukio Okabe, who would go on to start as the 10th favourite in that race. In that race, the horse produced a strong late surge to defeat Daigo Sur by 0.2 seconds, marking his first Grade 1 victory. He then finished fifth in the Takarazuka Kinen (GI) behind Inari One, and second in the Takamatsunomiya Cup (GII) behind Mejiro Ardan.
In the autumn, he won the Swan Stakes (GII) at Kyoto by 0.6 seconds. On 19 November, he ran in the Mile Championship (GI) at Kyoto. In a "legendary match race" against Oguri Cap, Bamboo Memory overtook Oguri Cap on the outside of the final corner. The two horses "battled stride-for-stride to the wire", with Oguri Cap winning by a nose in a photo finish. He ended his season with a 13th-place finish in the Japan Cup (GI) behind Horlicks. He was named Best Sprinter or Miler at the 1989 JRA Awards.
1990: five-year-old season After a brief rest, Bamboo Memory returned in the spring, finishing fifth in the Keio Hai Spring Cup (GII), sixth in the Yasuda Kinen, and sixth in the Takarazuka Kinen. In the summer, he finished second in the CBC Sho (GII) before winning the Takamatsunomiya Cup (GII) at Chukyo Racecourse.
In the autumn, he finished fifth in the Mainichi Ōkan (GII) and third in the Tennō Shō (Autumn) (GI) behind Yaeno Muteki. He then finished second for the second consecutive year in the Mile Championship, this time beaten by Passing Shot. On 16 December, he contested the Sprinters Stakes (GI) at Nakayama Racecourse, which had been elevated to Grade 1 status that year. Settling just behind the fast pace set by Daiwa Douglas and Daitaku Helios, he navigated through the field in the straight and won by 0.4 seconds in a Japanese record time of 1:07.8. He was named Best Sprinter or Miler at the 1990 JRA Awards.
1991: six-year-old season Bamboo Memory began his six-year-old season with a fourth-place finish in the Keio Hai Spring Cup. On 12 May, he started as the heavy favourite in the Yasuda Kinen but finished third behind Daiichi Ruby and Daitaku Helios. He then finished 10th in the Takarazuka Kinen and ninth in the CBC Sho. After unplaced runs in the Mainichi Ōkan and the Swan Stakes, he finished eighth in the Mile Championship behind Daitaku Helios. He was retired from racing following this performance, and a retirement ceremony was held at Hanshin Racecourse on 8 December 1991.
Race record The following table details all 39 starts of Bamboo Memory's racing career based on official JBIS and netkeiba records. Record current as of his final start on 17 November 1991. Date Distance (Condition) Race Class Course Odds(Favourite) Field Finish Time Jockey Winning(Losing)Margin Winner(2nd Place) Ref1987 – two-year-old season Dirt 1200 m (Good) 2-Y-O Newcomer Maiden Kyoto 7.1 (3rd) 10 5th 1:17.3 Yutaka Take 3.7 Slew O'Best Dirt 1400 m (Heavy) 2-Y-O Newcomer Maiden Kyoto 4.0 (2nd) 13 1:26.7 Yutaka Take 0.1 Marubutsu Moses Dirt 1200 m (Good) 2-Y-O Maiden Maiden Hanshin 2.3 (1st) 12 1:14.7 Yutaka Take –0.5 (Chiyono Lady)1988 – three-year-old season Dirt 1400 m (Yielding) 3-Y-O 1-win 1-win Kyoto 7.9 (4th) 10 1:26.3 Yutaka Take 0.4 Naru Ace Dirt 1200 m (Good) Shiroume Sho 1-win Kyoto 5.4 (3rd) 10 1:13.9 Yutaka Take 0.3 Eiko Caesar Dirt 1200 m (Good) 3-Y-O 1-win 1-win Kyoto 4.8 (2nd) 10 1:15.2 Yutaka Take 0.0 Otemba Gal Dirt 1800 m (Good) 3-Y-O 2-win 2-win Hanshin 2.7 (1st) 12 1:14.0 Yutaka Take –0.3 (Jo Esperance) Dirt 1400 m (Yielding) Tennozan Tokubetsu 2-win Kyoto 12.0 (4th) 14 1:24.9 Hiroshi Kawachi 0.4 Dyna Agatha Dirt 1400 m (Good) Momoyama Tokubetsu 2-win Kyoto 5.0 (3rd) 12 1:24.5 Masahiro Matsunaga –0.1 (Dancing Sam) Dirt 1200 m (Good) Port Island Stakes 3-win Hanshin 2.8 (1st) 9 5th 1:12.9 Masahiro Matsunaga 0.0 Wonder Dresser Dirt 1800 m (Good) Santa Claus Handicap 3-win Hanshin 11.4 (7th) 16 14th 1:54.2 Masahiro Matsunaga 2.3 Dokanjo1989 – four-year-old season Dirt 1400 m (Heavy) Kadomatsu Stakes 3-win Kyoto 5.9 (2nd) 16 7th 1:23.4 Masahiro Matsunaga 0.4 Wonder Teio Dirt 1400 m (Heavy) Rashomon Stakes 3-win Kyoto 7.4 (5th) 13 4th 1:23.6 Masahiro Matsunaga 0.4 Dancing Sam Dirt 1800 m (Yielding) Kashihara Stakes 3-win Kyoto 16.5 (4th) 12 4th 1:51.0 Yutaka Take 0.6 Taka Raiden Dirt 1800 m (Heavy) Naruto Stakes 3-win Hanshin 10.2 (4th) 15 12th 1:52.4 Yutaka Take 1.4 Nostalgia Turf 1600 m (Heavy) Dotonbori Stakes 3-win Hanshin 10.5 (6th) 10 1:36.5 Yutaka Take –0.9 (Hishino Supra) Turf 1600 m (Good) Silk Road Stakes Open Kyoto 6.0 (3rd) 14 1:35.8 Masahiro Matsunaga 0.1 Shiyono Roman Turf 1600 m (Yielding) Yasuda Kinen GI Tokyo 18.7 (10th) 17 1:34.3 Yukio Okabe –0.2 (Daigo Sur) Turf 2200 m (Good) Takarazuka Kinen GI Hanshin 22.5 (8th) 16 5th 2:15.4 Masahiro Matsunaga 1.4 Inari One Turf 2000 m (Yielding) Takamatsunomiya Hai GII Chukyo 8.2 (4th) 14 1:59.3 Masahiro Matsunaga 0.4 Mejiro Ardan Turf 1400 m (Good) Swan Stakes GII Kyoto 3.5 (1st) 16 1:21.7 Masahiro Matsunaga –0.6 (Eagle Chateau) Turf 1600 m (Good) Mile Championship GI Kyoto 4.0 (2nd) 17 1:34.6 Yutaka Take 0.0 Oguri Cap Turf 2400 m (Good) Japan Cup GI Tokyo 48.6 (13th) 15 13th 2:24.2 Masahiro Matsunaga 2.0 Horlicks1990 – five-year-old season Turf 2000 m (Good) Kyoto Kimpai GIII Kyoto – 14 SCR – Yutaka Take – Osaichi George Turf 1400 m (Heavy) Keio Hai Spring Cup GII Tokyo 1.8 (1st) 18 5th 1:24.6 Yutaka Take 1.3 Shin Wind Turf 1600 m (Good) Yasuda Kinen GI Tokyo 9.0 (3rd) 16 6th 1:33.4 Hiroshi Kawachi 1.0 Oguri Cap Turf 2200 m (Good) Takarazuka Kinen GI Hanshin 49.1 (8th) 10 6th 2:15.5 Masahiro Matsunaga 1.5 Osaichi George Turf 1200 m (Good) CBC Sho GII Chukyo 2.1 (1st) 16 1:08.4 Yutaka Take 0.1 Passing Shot Turf 2000 m (Good) Takamatsunomiya Hai GII Chukyo 2.1 (1st) 14 1:59.4 Yutaka Take –0.3 (Shin Wind) Turf 1800 m (Good) Mainichi Ōkan GII Tokyo 2.8 (2nd) 10 5th 1:47.2 Hiroshi Kawachi 0.5 Lucky Guerlain Turf 2000 m (Good) Tennō Shō (Autumn) GI Tokyo 8.9 (4th) 18 1:58.4 Yutaka Take 0.2 Yaeno Muteki Turf 1600 m (Good) Mile Championship GI Kyoto 1.6 (1st) 18 1:33.8 Yutaka Take 0.2 Passing Shot Turf 1200 m (Good) Sprinters Stakes GI Nakayama 3.8 (1st) 16 Yutaka Take –0.4 (Louis Teito)1991 – six-year-old season Turf 1400 m (Good) Keio Hai Spring Cup GII Tokyo 3.1 (1st) 18 4th 1:22.1 Yutaka Take 0.6 Daiichi Ruby Turf 1600 m (Good) Yasuda Kinen GI Tokyo 1.8 (1st) 16 1:34.1 Yutaka Take 0.3 Daiichi Ruby Turf 2200 m (Good) Takarazuka Kinen GI Kyoto 17.1 (4th) 10 10th 2:15.7 Shigehiko Kishi 2.1 Mejiro Ryan Turf 1200 m (Heavy) CBC Sho GII Chukyo 1.6 (1st) 11 9th 1:12.1 Yutaka Take 1.3 Fame of Lass Turf 1800 m (Yielding) Mainichi Ōkan GII Tokyo 10.3 (8th) 13 6th 1:46.9 Masahiro Matsunaga 0.8 Prekrasnie Turf 1400 m (Good) Swan Stakes GII Kyoto 6.2 (3rd) 16 8th 1:21.3 Yutaka Take 0.7 K.S. Miracle Turf 1600 m (Good) Mile Championship GI Kyoto 10.6 (3rd) 15 8th 1:35.7 Seiki Tabara 0.9 Daitaku Helios indicated that it was a record time finish
Stud career Bamboo Memory entered stud at Bamboo Farm in 1992. He was not a commercial success, siring only 38 registered foals over 13 seasons, though he did produce a few regional graded stakes winners such as Yoshino Memory and Bonanza Memory. He was retired from stud duty in 2005 and was pensioned at Bamboo Farm.
After retirement Bamboo Memory lived out his remaining years at Bamboo Farm. He died of old age on 7 August 2014 at the age of 29.
In popular culture An anthropomorphized version of Bamboo Memory appears as a playable character in the mobile game Umamusume: Pretty Derby, voiced by Kotomi Aihara.
Pedigree
Bamboo Memory is inbred 5 × 4 to Nearco. His half-brother Bamboo Genesis won the March Stakes.
See also Thoroughbred racing in Japan
References