IRL:Cesario
| Main | IRL |
| Cesario | |
|---|---|
| シーザリオ | |
 |
|
| Cesario winning the 2005 American Oaks at Hollywood Park | |
| Romaji | Shizario |
| Foaled | March 31, 2002 |
| Died | February 27, 2021 |
| Sire | Special Week |
| Dam | Kirov Premiere |
| Sex | Mare |
| Color | Black |
| Trainer | Katsuhiko Sumii |
| Race Record | 6: 5-1-0 |
| Earnings | 228,296,000 JPY 450,000 USD |
| Major wins | |
| Japanese Oaks (2005) American Oaks (2005) |
|
"Mehlor Ainda is 8 lengths from the JAPANESE SUPERSTAR, Cesario!
...She's running them off their feet!"
― Vic Stauffer, track announcer for the 2005 American Oaks [1]
Cesario was a Japanese racehorse that was active from 2004 to 2005. She is known as the "Japan-American Oaks Filly" being the only filly to win both the Japanese Oaks and American Oaks, and becoming the first Japanese horse to win a graded stakes race in America in 46 years. She is also one of the most renowned broodmares in Japanese history, having produced three Grade 1 winning children.
Name Origin
A name based on the play Twelfth Night, written by William Shakespeare. The protagonist, Viola, gives herself the name "Cesario" when disguised as a man.
Racing career
in 2004 (2 years old)
Cesario would make her maiden debut on December 25th, in a 2-year-old debut 1600 meter race at Hanshin racecourse. She would win her maiden in convincing fashion winning by 1 1/2 lengths, with her next race planned for the new year.
in 2005 (3 years old)
Cesario would run again in the Kanchiku Sho on January 9th, where she would win by a neck over Admire Fuji, raising expectations for the filly. Her next race would be in March for the G3 Flower Cup, a popular prep race for the Oka Sho. She was an overwhelming favorite at 1.4 odds, and would win the race convincingly by 2 1/2 lengths.
Cesario would enter the Oka Sho as the slight favorite, with Fillies Revue winner Rhein Kraft and Elfin Stakes winner Air Messiah just behind her in odds. In the race, Cesario would chase from the back of the pack, to catch Rhein Kraft in the final stretch. Though she was the fastest horse in the final 3 furlongs, Cesario would fail to catch Rhein Kraft, losing by only a head.
While Rhein Kraft would go to challenge the NHK Mile Cup, Cesario's next race would be the Japanese Oaks. With the absence of Rhein Kraft, Cesario would be an overwhelming favorite in the race, with odds of 1.5. However during the race, Cesario would have a troubled trip and would be near the back of the field for most of the race. By the final stretch, Cesario would begin to chase down her opponents, and would end up catching Air Messiah by a head to win the Japanese Oaks.[2] This win would give Special Week's first G1 victory as a sire, and the first G1 victory for Cesario.
Cesario's trainer, Katsuhiko Sumii, wanted to run her internationally, after being an assistant trainer for Air Shakur in his expedition to Europe. He decided to make his first international expedition with Cesario, and registered for the G1 American Oaks at Hollywood Park. By this time in Japanese racing, very few horses had traveled to America, with only recent examples being Taiki Blizzard in 1996 and 1997, and Symboli Rudolf in 1986. The last Japanese horse to win the US was Hakuchikara in 1959. Sumii would prepare vigourously for the race and took great care in learning US racing and training standards.
Cesario would face a competitive international field in the American Oaks; local favorite Mehlor Ainda was an undefeated "super filly' trained by the legendary Robert Frankel, with European challengers in Italian 1000 Guineas winner Silver Cup and Italian Oaks runner up Hallowed Dream. In the race, Cesario would be keen upfront and ran well taking the lead by the 3rd corner. She would begin running away and lengthening her lead by a wide margin. Cesario would win the race by an impressive 4 length margin, and would set a new race record of 1 minute and 59.03 seconds. Vic Stauffer would make his iconic call in this race, calling Cesario the "Japanese superstar". This would be the first time a Japanese horse had won a G1 race in America, and a trailblazing moment for Japanese horses: Cesario's victory inspired many other Japanese horses to enter American races.
After Cesario returned to Japan, it was discovered that she developed suspensory desmitis, and would be sidelined for the rest of 2005. For winning the Japanese and American Oaks, Cesario was awarded the JRA Award for Best Three-Year-Old Filly and Best Horse by a Home-bred Sire.
Retirement
Cesario would recover from her injuries in the beginning of 2006, and was planned to enter the G1 Victoria Mile. Unfortunately while training, Cesario would once again develop suspensory desmitis. Her injuries were chronic, and owners decided to retire Cesario on April 5th, 2006.
Breeding career
While Cesario was great as a racehorse, her career as a broodmare would be considered legendary. In 2009, Cesario was bred to Symboli Kris S, resulting in Epiphaneia, a 4 G1 winning horse, including the 2013 Kikuka Sho and 2014 Japan Cup. Epiphaneia would become a champion sire, eventually siring Triple Tiara winner Daring Tact.
Cesario would be bred to Symboli Kris S again, foaling Rosalind, who while winless as a racehorse, would be the broodmare of multiple graded winner Authority. Cesario's sixth kid would be Leontes, who would win the G1 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes, and would go to become a sire of multiple graded winners. Her 9th kid, Saturnalia, would win the G1 Satsuki Sho and Hopeful Stakes, and would also become a sire, with his first crop debuting in 2024. Cesario would become the third broodmare in Japanese history to produce 3 G1 winning kids, following Dancing Key and Halwa Sweet. All 3 of her G1 winning kids would become sires, becoming the first broodmare to do so in Japanese history. [3]
On February 27th, 2021, Cesario would pass away due to a hemorrhagic shock caused by arterial rupture in the uterus during pregnancy, she was 18 years old. She is buried at Northern Farm located in Abira, Hokkaido.
Relationships
Relatives
- Special Week - Sire
- Daring Tact - Grandchild, through Epiphaneia
- Maruzensky - Special Week's dam sire
Raced With
Race Records
| Date | Track | Race | Grade | Distance (Condition) |
Entry | HN | Odds (Favored) |
Finish | Time | Margins | Jockey | Winner (Runner-up) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 – two-year-old season | ||||||||||||
| Dec 25, 2004 | Hanshin | 2yo Newcomer | 1,600m (Firm) | 16 | 10 | 4.2 (2) | 1st | 1:36.7 | -0.2 | Y. Fukunaga | (Dantsu Queen Bee) | |
| 2005 – three-year-old season | ||||||||||||
| Jan 9, 2005 | Nakayama | Kanchiku Sho | ALW | 2,000m (Firm) | 16 | 11 | 10.3 (4) | 1st | 2:01.6 | -0.0 | Y. Fukunaga | (Admire Fuji) |
| Mar 19, 2005 | Nakayama | Flower Cup | G3 | 1,800m (Firm) | 14 | 2 | 1.4 (1) | 1st | 1:49.0 | -0.4 | Y. Fukunaga | (Slew Rate) |
| Apr 10, 2005 | Hanshin | Oka Sho | G1 | 1,600m (Firm) | 18 | 7 | 3.9 (1) | 2nd | 1:33.5 | 0.0 | M. Yoshida | Rhein Kraft |
| May 22, 2005 | Tokyo | Japan Oaks | G1 | 2,400m (Firm) | 18 | 4 | 1.5 (1) | 1st | 2:28.8 | -0.0 | Y. Fukunaga | (Air Messiah) |
| Jul 3, 2005 | Hollywood Park | American Oaks | G1 | 2,000m (Firm) | 12 | 13 | 5.4 (2) | 1st | 1:59.03 | -- | Y. Fukunaga | (Melhor Ainda) |
Legend:
Turf
Pedigree
| Sire Special Week |
Sunday Silence (USA) | Halo | Hail To Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cosmah | |||
| Wishing Well | Understanding | ||
| Mountain Flower | |||
| Campaign Girl | Maruzensky | Nijin Sky (CAN) | |
| Shill (USA) | |||
| Lady Shiraoki | Saint Crespin (GB) | ||
| Miss Ashiyagawa | |||
| Dam Kirov Premiere (GB) |
Sadler's Wells (USA) | Northern Dancer (CAN) | Nearctic |
| Natalma (USA) | |||
| Fairy Bridge | Bold Reason | ||
| Special | |||
| Querida (IRE) | Habitat (USA) | Sir Gaylord | |
| Little Hut | |||
| Principia (FR) | Le Fabuleux | ||
| Pia (GB), (Family: F16-a) |