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IRL:Gentildonna
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This page contains real life information that may spoil any story or events related to the character. Read at your own discretion! |
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| Gentildonna | ||
|---|---|---|
| ジェンティルドンナ | ||
| Gentildonna and Orfevre, battling in the 2012 Japan Cup | ||
| Silks |  |
|
| Romaji | Jentirudonna | |
| Foaled | February 20, 2009 | |
| Died | November 25, 2025 | |
| Sire | Deep Impact | |
| Dam | Donna Blini | |
| Damsire | Bertolini | |
| Sex | Mare | |
| Color | Bay | |
| Owner | Sunday Racing | |
| Trainer | Sei Ishizaka | |
| Race Record | 19: 10-4-1 | |
| Earnings | 1,726,030,400 JPY | |
| Major wins | ||
| Shinzan Kinen (2012) Oka Sho (2012) Japanese Oaks (2012) Rose Stakes (2012) Shuka Sho (2012) Japan Cup (2012, 2013) Dubai Sheema Classic (2014) Arima Kinen (2014) |
||
Gentildonna was a Japanese racehorse who was active from 2011 until 2014. She was one of Japan's greatest racing mares, earning 7 G1 wins throughout her career and becoming the fourth winner of the fillies' Triple Tiara. She was also rated as one of the best mares internationally in the 2010s, and ranked 9th all time on the highest earning racehorses list. Gentildonna was also the first horse to win the Japan Cup as a three year-old filly, and the first horse to win in two consecutive years.
Name Origin
Gentildonna is the Italian word for a noblewoman, or otherwise a woman of high status. For her elegance and strength on the track, Gentildonna's fans called her Kifujin - a pun that could be written in kanji as 貴婦人 ("noble lady") or 鬼婦人 ("demoness").
Background
Gentildonna's sire was the Japanese Triple Crown winner Deep Impact, and her dam was British G1 winner Donna Blini[2]. Her full older sister, Donau Blue (b. 2008)[3], is a two-time G3 winner.
Racing career
Two-year-old season (2011)
Gentildonna made her debut on November 19th, in a 1,600-meter turf race at Kyoto Racecourse. Although she was the favorite to win, she could not catch up and placed 2nd. In her next maiden race on December 10th, she won by three and a half lengths.
Three-year-old season (2012)
Gentildonna challenged her first graded race, the Shinzan Kinen (G3), in Kyoto on January 8th. Her connections chose this race because placing in the top three, and doing so against colts no less, would mean that she wouldn't have to run an open-class race to gain enough prize money to enter the Triple Tiara races.[4] Though she struggled slightly at the start, she gradually made her way to the final straight by overtaking the rest of the horses, and she won by a quarter of a length. This marked her first graded victory, and the first time in 13 years that a filly had won the Shinzan Kinen since Fusaichi Airedale in 1999.
Three weeks before the Tulip Sho (G3), Gentildonna developed a fever, and her training was delayed.[5] Fortunately, she recovered in time to enter, and came in as the second favorite behind Hanshin Juvenile Fillies winner Joie de Vivre. Although Gentildonna lost the race, placing fourth behind the long-shot Hana's Goal, her final three furlongs clocked in at 34.7 seconds - third-fastest in the race, but fast enough for her team to continue believing she could succeed.
Gentildonna now had priority entry to the Oka Sho (G1) on April 8th, the first leg of the Triple Tiara. She ran against Joie de Vivre once again, as well as the horse who would quickly become her rival: Verxina. Gentildonna ran within the pack while Verxina ran ahead, but Gentildonna was able to overtake the field on the final straight, defeating Verxina by half a length.
On May 20th, Gentildonna competed in the Japanese Oaks (G1). This time, she was only the third favorite, as there were concerns that she couldn't handle the 2400-meter distance. She once again ran from the back, with Verxina as her mark. While Verxina eventually broke out of the pack, Gentildonna rapidly accelerated behind her, and overtook her to win her second G1 victory. Gentildonna ran the fastest last three furlongs out of the field, at 34.2 seconds.
While there were plans to enter the successful filly in the French G1 race Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, her connections kept her on the conventional path; she would compete in the Rose Stakes (G2) on September 16th and the Shuka Sho (G1) on October 14th, giving her a chance at completing the Triple Tiara.[6] In the Rose Stakes, she ran ahead earlier than usual, but held off the horses chasing from behind and won the race, with Verxina once again placing a close 2nd.
Gentildonna competed in the Shuka Sho as the overwhelming favorite, running within the pack while the front-runners set the pace. In the stretch, as Verxina took the lead, Gentildonna caught up to her at rapid speed, and the race ended in a photo finish. After long deliberation, it was determined that Gentildonna had won the race by just seven centimeters. With this, she became the fourth filly in history to win the Japanese Triple Tiara, only two years after Apapane in 2010. As her sire, Deep Impact, had won the Triple Crown in 2005, it was also the first time that a sire and filly shared Triple Crown/Tiara victories.
On November 25th, Gentildonna then competed in the Japan Cup (G1). As the only three-year-old filly in the race, she was the third favorite to win, behind the 2011 Triple Crown winner Orfevre and Hong Kong G1 winner Rulership. Gentildonna ran in her usual style, as Beat Black ran away from the pack. At the fourth corner, Gentildonna briefly lost momentum because Beat Black was slowing down in front of her. However, she regained her position and began to accelerate side by side with Orfevre, and overtook him. With this fourth G1 victory, Gentildonna became the first Japanese filly to win the Japan Cup. She also became the third horse to share a Japan Cup victory with one of her parents. The prior two pairs were Tokai Teio and Symboli Rudolf, and Buena Vista and Special Week.
There was controversy over Gentildonna's Japan Cup win because, as Beat Black slowed down, Gentildonna briefly collided with Orfevre, which could have been considered an obstruction. She was not demoted or disqualified, but her jockey, Yasunari Iwata, was suspended for two days.[7]
After the Japan Cup, Gentildonna's team announced that she would be competing overseas in her four-year-old season.[7] At the end of the year, she received the JRA Award for Best Three-Year-Old Filly, and was also awarded Japanese Horse of the Year for her string of victories.
Four-year-old season (2013)
At the start of 2013, Gentildonna's team announced that she would be competing in a series of G1s: the Dubai Sheema Classic on March 30th, the Takarazuka Kinen on June 23rd, and the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in the autumn.[8] Gentildonna ran the Dubai Sheema Classic as the overwhelming favorite, but placed second by a quarter of a length behind the Irish multiple G1 winner St Nicholas Abbey.
After months of rest, Gentildonna returned to compete in the Takarazuka Kinen on June 23rd. As the favorite once again, she faced off against a field of G1 winners that included Gold Ship and Fenomeno. While Gentildonna broke out of the pack and took the lead, Gold Ship, who had been marking her from behind, began to overtake her; she finished third. Since Gentildonna had suffered her first domestic loss since the Tulip Sho, her team decided to withdraw her from the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
Instead, on October 27th, she entered the Tenno Sho (Autumn), where an unusually high pace was set by the front-runner Tokei Halo. Though Gentildonna quickly broke out of the pack, Just a Way, who was marking her from behind, overtook her in an instant, leaving her in 2nd place. After discussion within her team of connections, it was decided that Ryan Moore would be Gentildonna's jockey for the Japan Cup on November 24th, while Yasunari Iwata rode Verxina instead. Gentildonna ran in the middle of the pack, gradually took the lead amidst a slow pace, and won by a small margin. She gained her fifth G1 win and became the first horse in history to ever win the Japan Cup twice; Almond Eye would follow this accomplishment several years later.
For her efforts throughout the year, Gentildonna received the JRA Award for Best Older Filly or Mare.
Five-year-old season (2014)
Before Gentildonna challenged the Dubai Sheema Classic for a second time, she entered the Kyoto Kinen (G2) on February 16th. Despite running in a good position, she did not utilize her strong spurt in the final straight, and she placed 6th. Despite the loss, Gentildonna was sent off to compete in the Dubai Sheema Classic on March 29th. At the final straight, Gentildonna initially lost momentum, but found a path on the outside to run through, and won by a length and a half.
Having claimed her sixth G1 and her first foreign victory, Gentildonna returned to Japan to compete in the Takarazuka Kinen on June 29th, where she would have a rematch with Gold Ship. Though she started in a good position, she again failed to surge forward and placed 9th, the lowest in her career. She spent the summer resting, after which her connections announced that she would compete in the Tenno Sho (Autumn) and the Japan Cup. She would also retire after the Japan Cup.
On November 2nd, Gentildonna placed second behind the long-shot Spielberg in the Autumn Tenno Sho. Just a few weeks later, on November 30th, she ran what was intended to be her retirement race, where she was unable to catch up to the late-surging Epiphaneia and placed 4th.
Immediately after her Japan Cup defeat, Gentildonna's team announced that her retirement race would instead be the Arima Kinen on December 28th,[9] and planned to hold her retirement ceremony at Nakayama Racecourse after the race was over.[10] She got off to a good start, began to rapidly accelerate down the final straight, and ended her career with a win. Gentildonna was now tied with Vodka for the most G1 victories by a mare at the time, at seven; she followed Daiwa Scarlet as the fifth mare to win the Arima Kinen, and she had attained G1 victories in all four major central racecourses.
Gentildonna's retirement ceremony was held as planned after the race. She was dressed in the jacket from her Dubai Sheema Classic victory, as well as a bright pink menko (cap) because her team wanted fans to see her full face for once and see her cute side.[11][12]
After her retirement, she was given her second consecutive JRA Award for Best Older Filly or Mare, and her second declaration as Japanese Horse of the Year. Two years later, in 2016, she was inducted into the JRA Hall of Fame.
Retirement, Breeding Career & Death
After her successful career, Gentildonna retired to become a broodmare. The only notable racer among her foals was Geraldina, who won the Queen Elizabeth II Cup in 2022.
Due to health concerns, Gentildonna was retired from broodmare duties in July 2025, allowing her to live a peaceful life as a meritorious horse. Sadly, her health continued to decline, and on November 25th, 2025, the Sunday Thoroughbred Club announced that Gentildonna had passed away at the relatively young age of 16.[13] Her cause of death has not been disclosed to the public, though the day before her passing, she was observed to be unable to stand up on her own.
In the few days between Gentildonna's death and the 2025 Japan Cup on November 29th, a shrine was set up at Tokyo Racecourse to pay tribute to the life of the two-time Japan Cup winner.
Honors
- 4th Japanese Triple Tiara Champion (2012)
- JRA Horse of the Year (2012, 2014)
- JRA Award for Best Three-Year-Old Filly (2012)
- JRA Award for Best Older Filly or Mare (2013, 2014)
- JRA Hall of Fame Inductee (2016)
Race Records
| Date | Racecourse | Race | Grade | Distance | Gate | Odds | Fav. | Fin. | Time | Margin | Jockey | Winner (Runner-Up) | Other Umamusume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011/11/19 | Kyoto | Two-Year-Old Newcomer | Maiden | T 1600m | 9 | 2.1 | 1 | 2 | 1:41.0 | 0.4 | M.Demuro | A Shin Full Mark | |
| 2011/12/10 | Hanshin | Two-Year-Old Maiden | Maiden | T 1600m | 16 | 1.6 | 1 | 1 | 1:36.7 | -0.6 | I.Mendizabal | (Yamanin Cavalier) | |
| 2012/01/08 | Kyoto | Shinzan Kinen | G3 | T 1600m | 7 | 4.0 | 2 | 1 | 1:34.3 | -0.2 | C.Lemaire | (Meiner Attract) | |
| 2012/03/03 | Hanshin | Tulip Sho | G3 | T 1600m | 1 | 4.4 | 2 | 4 | 1:36.1 | 0.6 | Y.Iwata | Hana's Goal | |
| 2012/04/08 | Hanshin | Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) | G1 | T 1600m | 10 | 4.9 | 2 | 1 | 1:34.6 | -0.1 | Y.Iwata | (Verxina) | Verxina |
| 2012/05/20 | Tokyo | Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) | G1 | T 2400m | 14 | 5.6 | 3 | 1 | 2:23.6 | -0.8 | Y.Kawada | (Verxina) | Verxina |
| 2012/09/16 | Hanshin | Rose Stakes | G2 | T 1800m | 6 | 1.5 | 1 | 1 | 1:46.8 | -0.2 | Y.Iwata | (Verxina) | Verxina |
| 2012/10/14 | Kyoto | Shuka Sho | G1 | T 2000m | 14 | 1.3 | 1 | 1 | 2:00.4 | 0.0 | Y.Iwata | (Verxina) | Verxina |
| 2012/11/25 | Tokyo | Japan Cup | G1 | T 2400m | 15 | 6.6 | 3 | 1 | 2:23.1 | 0.0 | Y.Iwata | (Orfevre) | Orfevre, Rulership, Fenomeno, Tosen Jordan, Eishin Flash, Rose Kingdom |
| 2013/03/30 | UAE | Dubai Sheema Classic | G1 | T 2410m | 8 | 2.1 | 1 | 2 | 2:27.7 | 0.5 | Y.Iwata | St. Nicholas Abbey | |
| 2013/06/23 | Hanshin | Takarazuka Kinen | G1 | T 2200m | 11 | 2.4 | 1 | 3 | 2:13.8 | 0.6 | Y.Iwata | Gold Ship | Gold Ship, Fenomeno |
| 2013/10/27 | Tokyo | Tenno Sho (Autumn) | G1 | T 2000m | 9 | 2.0 | 1 | 2 | 1:58.2 | 0.7 | Y.Iwata | Just a Way | Eishin Flash, Tosen Jordan |
| 2013/11/24 | Tokyo | Japan Cup | G1 | T 2400m | 7 | 2.1 | 1 | 1 | 2:26.1 | 0.0 | R.Moore | (Denim and Ruby) | Tosen Jordan, Verxina, Eishin Flash, Gold Ship |
| 2014/02/16 | Kyoto | Kyoto Kinen | G2 | T 2200m | 3 | 1.6 | 1 | 6 | 2:16.5 | 0.5 | Y.Fukunaga | Desperado | |
| 2014/03/29 | UAE | Dubai Sheema Classic | G1 | T 2410m | 12 | 4.0 | 2 | 1 | 2:27.25 | 0.3 | R.Moore | (Cirrus des Aigles) | |
| 2014/06/29 | Hanshin | Takarazuka Kinen | G1 | T 2200m | 6 | 4.1 | 3 | 9 | 2:15.1 | 1.2 | Y.Kawada | Gold Ship | Gold Ship, Verxina, Win Variation, Tosen Jordan |
| 2014/11/02 | Tokyo | Tenno Sho (Autumn) | G1 | T 2000m | 1 | 4.7 | 2 | 2 | 1:59.8 | 0.1 | K.Tosaki | Spielberg | Epiphaneia, Fenomeno, Tosen Jordan |
| 2014/11/30 | Tokyo | Japan Cup | G1 | T 2400m | 3 | 3.6 | 1 | 4 | 2:24.0 | 0.9 | R.Moore | Epiphaneia | Epiphaneia, Fenomeno, Tosen Jordan |
| 2014/12/28 | Nakayama | Arima Kinen | G1 | T 2500m | 4 | 8.7 | 4 | 1 | 2:35.3 | -0.1 | K.Tosaki | (To the World) | Gold Ship, Epiphaneia, Fenomeno, Win Variation, Verxina |
Pedigree
| Sire Deep Impact (JPN) |
Sunday Silence (USA) | Halo (USA) | Hail to Reason (USA) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cosmah (USA) | |||
| Wishing Well (USA) | Understanding (USA) | ||
| Mountain Flower (USA) | |||
| Wind in Her Hair (IRE) | Alzao (USA) | Lyphard (USA) | |
| Lady Rebecca (GB) | |||
| Burghclere (GB) | Busted (GB) | ||
| Highclere (GB) | |||
| Dam Donna Blini (GB) |
Bertolini (GB) | Danzig (USA) | Northern Dancer (CAN) |
| Pas de Nom (USA) | |||
| Aquilegia (USA) | Alydar (USA) | ||
| Courtly Dee (USA) | |||
| Cal Norma's Lady (IRE) | Lyphard's Special (USA) | Lyphard (USA) | |
| My Bupers (USA) | |||
| June Darling (IRE) | Junius (USA) | ||
| Beau Darling (GB), (Family: 16-f) |
Trivia
- Gentildonna had an overwhelming amount of female fans, and around 90% of fan letters sent to her were from women.[14]
- Gentildonna's stablehand described her as smart, but with a tsundere personality.[15]
- Gentildonna was extremely popular with the locals of Dubai due to her strong body.[16]
- Gentildonna was known to be very protective of her foals, to the point of chasing other foals away from hers.
Notes
References
- ↑ JRA official
- ↑ https://www.jbis.jp/horse/0000906036/
- ↑ https://en.netkeiba.com/db/horse/2008103250/
- ↑ https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/ジェンティルドンナ#cite_note-ezura294-16
- ↑ https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/ジェンティルドンナ#cite_note-yushun20210942-17
- ↑ https://sports.yahoo.co.jp/column/detail/201303260001-spnavi
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 https://sports.yahoo.co.jp/column/detail/201211250005-spnavi
- ↑ https://www.sponichi.co.jp/gamble/news/2013/01/07/kiji/K20130107004924790.html
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20141203014532/http://www.sankei.com/sports/news/141130/spo1411300041-n1.html
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20141228202446/http://www.nikkansports.com/race/news/f-rc-tp0-20141218-1410663.html
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiarAuaX-DM
- ↑ https://tospo-keiba.jp/starhorse/65689
- ↑ https://www.sundaytc.co.jp/information/new/top#new5528
- ↑ https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/ジェンティルドンナ#cite_note-yushn2021830-31-108
- ↑ https://www.nikkansports.com/keiba/column/g1historia/news/202211220000181.html?mode=all
- ↑ https://news.sp.netkeiba.com/?pid=column_view&cid=29631&rf=column_view_next