IRL:Air Groove

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Air Groove
エアグルーヴ
Main
Air Groove and jockey Yutaka Take, winning the 1997 Tenno Sho (Autumn)
Silks
Romaji	Ea Gurūvu
Foaled	April 06, 1993
Died	April 23, 2013
Sire	Tony Bin
Dam	Dyna Carle
Sex	Mare
Color	Bay
Trainer	Yuji Ito
Race Record	19: 9-5-3
Earnings	821,966,000 JPY
Major wins
Tulip Sho (1996) Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) (1996) Mermaid Stakes (1997) Sapporo Kinen (1997, 1998) Tenno Sho (Autumn) (1997) Sankei Osaka Hai (1998)

Mother and Daughter

Mother and Daughter

1996 Oaks.
Born after a fierce battle between 5 horses, came the Queen: Dyna Carle.
Her daughter once again dominates the race.
The shooting star on her forehead appears to be her destiny.
Oaks, won by both mother and daughter.
That horse's name is... Air Groove.
JRA The WINNER CM

Air Groove was a Japanese racehorse that was active from 1995 to 1998. She was known for competing in races against stallions, including a famous victory in the Tenno Sho (Autumn) in 1997, being the first mare to win the race in 17 years. She also won the 1997 JRA Horse of the Year, becoming the first mare to do so in 26 years.

Name Origin

"Air" is the crown name of her owner, Tsunebumi Yoshihara (and his father Sadatoshi Yoshihara), with it extending to Lucky Field Co. Ltd as a whole. "Groove" has the meanings of rhythm or invigoration. Her Hong Kong name is taken literally and translated as "氣槽" which means "air tank", not taking into account her crown name and given name, which, if taken into account, would have been "空中律動“ instead, like Air Shakur's HK name being "空中神宮”.

Racing career

Two-year-old season (1995)

Air Groove made her debut on July 8th, in a 1,200-meter turf race on Sapporo Racecourse. Though she was the overwhelming favorite, she lost and placed 2nd. Weeks later, she broke out of her maiden on July 30th, and won the race. Months later, in the open-class Icho Stakes, she found herself blocked in the final straight. However, she made her way through the pack and won the race. Her jockey, Yutaka Take, commented that what Air Groove did "was something a normal horse could not do".

On December 3rd, she then competed in the Hanshin Sansai Himba Stakes, which was her first G1 race and graded race overall. As Biwa Heidi escaped from the pack earlier, Air Groove could not reach her, and she placed 2nd.

Retirement, Breeding Career & Death

In 1999, Air Groove became a broodmare at Northern Farm. She had her first foal, Admire Groove, in 2000. Admire Groove went on to win the Queen Elizabeth II Cup in 2003 and 2004, and she became the second mare since Mejiro Dober to win the race twice. Years later, Air Groove gave birth to Rulership in 2007, and he went on to win the Hong Kong Queen Elizabeth II Cup in 2012.

On April 23rd, 2013, Air Groove passed away shortly after giving birth to her foal Chopin, due to internal bleeding. She was 20 years old.

Honors

• JRA Award for Horse of the Year (1997)
• JRA Award for Best Older Filly or Mare (1997)

Relationships

Relatives

• Northern Taste - Maternal Grandfather
• Tony Bin - Father
• Admire Groove - Daughter
  • Duramente - Grandson
• Rulership - Son

Race Records

Race data sourced from netkeiba.

Date	Racecourse	Race	Grade	Distance	Gate	Odds	Fav.	Fin.	Time	Margin	Jockey	Winner (Runner-Up)	Other Umamusume
1995/07/08	Sapporo	Three-Year-Old Newcomer	Maiden	T 1200m	4	1.6	1	2	1:12.1	0.0	Y.Take	Meiner Ransom
1995/07/30	Sapporo	Three-Year-Old Newcomer	Maiden	T 1200m	3	1.1	1	1	1:12.0	-0.8	Y.Take	(Daiwa Texas)
1995/10/29	Tokyo	Icho Stakes	OP	T 1600m	1	2.2	1	1	1:35.8	-0.2	Y.Take	(Mountain Stone)
1995/12/03	Hanshin	Hanshin Sansai Himba Stakes	G1	T 1600m	9	6.0	3	2	1:35.4	0.1	M.Kinane	Biwa Heidi
1996/03/02	Hanshin	Tulip Sho	G3	T 1600m	5	2.7	2	1	1:34.2	-0.8	O.Peslier	(Biwa Heidi)
1996/05/26	Tokyo	Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks)	G1	T 2400m	15	2.5	1	1	2:29.1	-0.2	Y.Take	(Fight Gulliver)
1996/10/20	Kyoto	Shuka Sho	G1	T 2000m	17	1.7	1	10	1:59.8	1.7	Y.Take	Fabulous la Fouine
1997/06/22	Hanshin	Mermaid Stakes	G3	T 2000m	13	1.9	1	1	2:02.6	-0.1	Y.Take	(Sing Like Talk)
1997/08/17	Sapporo	Sapporo Kinen	G2	T 2000m	7	1.8	1	1	2:00.2	-0.4	Y.Take	(Erimo Chic)
1997/10/26	Tokyo	Tenno Sho (Autumn)	G1	T 2000m	12	4.0	2	1	1:59.0	0.0	Y.Take	(Bubble Gum Fellow)	Bubble Gum Fellow, Silence Suzuka
1997/11/23	Tokyo	Japan Cup	G1	T 2400m	9	4.0	2	2	2:25.8	0.0	Y.Take	Pilsudski	Bubble Gum Fellow
1997/12/21	Nakayama	Arima Kinen	G1	T 2500m	12	3.8	2	3	2:34.9	0.1	O.Peslier	Silk Justice	Marvelous Sunday, Mejiro Dober
1998/04/05	Hanshin	Sankei Osaka Hai	G2	T 2000m	2	1.2	1	1	2:01.3	-0.1	Y.Take	(Mejiro Dober)	Mejiro Dober
1998/06/21	Hanshin	Naruo Kinen	G2	T 2000m	9	1.3	1	2	2:04.1	0.5	Y.Take	Sunrise Flag	Matikanefukukitaru
1998/07/12	Hanshin	Takarazuka Kinen	G1	T 2200m	5	4.7	3	3	2:12.1	0.2	Y.Take	Silence Suzuka	Silence Suzuka, Mejiro Dober, Mejiro Bright, Stay Gold
1998/08/23	Sapporo	Sapporo Kinen	G2	T 2000m	4	1.3	1	1	1:59.5	-0.5	Y.Take	(Silent Hunter)
1998/11/15	Kyoto	Queen Elizabeth II Cup	G1	T 2200m	3	1.4	1	3	2:13.1	0.3	N.Yokoyama	Mejiro Dober	Mejiro Dober
1998/11/29	Tokyo	Japan Cup	G1	T 2400m	1	4.6	2	2	2:26.3	0.4	N.Yokoyama	El Condor Pasa	El Condor Pasa, Special Week, Stay Gold
1998/12/27	Nakayama	Arima Kinen	G1	T 2500m	3	3.8	2	5	2:32.9	0.8	Y.Take	Grass Wonder	Grass Wonder, Mejiro Bright, Seiun Sky, King Halo, Mejiro Dober, Matikanefukukitaru, Stay Gold

Pedigree

Horse pedigree of Air Groove (JPN)

Sire Tony Bin (IRE)	Kampala (GB)	Kalamoun (GB)	Zeddaan (GB)
			Khairunissa (GB)
		State Pension (GB)	Only for Life (GB)
			Lorelei (GB)
	Severn Bridge (GB)	Hornbeam (GB)	Hyperion (GB)
			Thicket (GB)
		Priddy Fair (GB)	Preciptic (GB)
			Campanette (GB)
Dam Dyna Carle (JPN)	Northern Taste (CAN)	Northern Dancer (CAN)	Nearctic (CAN)
			Natalma (USA)
		Lady Victoria (CAN)	Victoria Park (CAN)
			Lady Angela (GB)
	Shadai Feather (JPN)	Guersant (FR)	Bubbles (FR)
			Montagnana (FR)
		Peroxide (GB)	Never Say Die (USA)
			Feather Ball (GB), (Family: 8-f)