IRL:Hishi Miracle

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Spoilers ahead! This page contains real life information that may spoil any story or events related to the character. Read at your own discretion!

Hishi Miracle
ヒシミラクル
Main
Hishi Miracle at the Tokyo Racecourse in 2004
Silks
Romaji	Hishi Mirakuru
Foaled	March 31, 1999
Sire	Soccer Boy
Dam	Shunsaku Yoshiko
Sex	Stallion
Color	Gray
Trainer	Masaru Sayama
Race Record	28: 6-3-4
Earnings	514,989,000 JPY
Major wins
Kikuka Sho (2002) Tenno Sho (Spring) (2003) Takarazuka Kinen (2003)

"Miracle", from the long spurt.

"Miracle", from the long spurt.

Accelerating before the third corner, defeating rivals with lasting speed. Hishi Miracle take "the strongest" seat with replays of his coronation.
Far earlier than the playbook, far longer than common sense, Hishi Miracle's long spurt turns miracle into reality.
Hero's Biography 56

Hishi Miracle is a Japanese racehorse that was active during 2001 to 2005. A late blooming racehorse who would go on to win The Kikuka Sho in 2002, Spring Tenno Sho and the Takarazuka Kinen in 2003 against heavy favorites.

Name Origin

Crown name "Hishi" is from the owner Masaichiro Abe.

Racing career

Debut and maiden race struggles (2001 - mid 2002)

Hishi Miracle made his debut on the August 11th, 2001 in a 1,200-meter turf race at Kokura Racecourse. His jockey, Koichi Tsunoda, said at the time, "He'd be better with a longer distance". With three more losses on 1200 meters, he was put on longer (1800 - 2000m) races, and finally won on his 10^th maiden race in the spring of his three year old season in 2002. He would start slowly climbing the race classes with top three placements, and his team would set sights on the Kikuka Sho after his win at the Nowaki Tokubetsu.

The Kikuka Sho (late 2002)

After the decision from the team, he ran in the Kikuka Sho trial race, the Kobe Shinbun Hai, as his first graded race. He placed 6th and failed to get priority entry for the Kikuka Sho, which is given to the top three placers. Without priority or prize money to enter the Kikuka Sho, trainer Sayama made the bold decision to pay the 2 million yen late fee for classic registration without informing the owner Abe. There were 8 horses competing for only 3 slots available, and the additional entry fee would not be refunded if he failed the lottery draw. Hishi Miracle won the draw and was given a slot at the Kikuka sho.

The favorite at the Kikuka Sho was the Satsuki Sho winner, No Reason, as the Japanese Derby winner Tanino Gimlet had already been retired from injury, and the 2^nd place at the derby Symboli Kris S was aiming for the Tenno Sho (Autumn). Hishi Miracle was the 10th favorite as his performance at the Kobe Shinbun Hai did not inspire confidence. At the race, Yutaka Take was dismounted from No Reason out of the gate and was disqualified, while Hishi Miracle stayed at the back of the pack. In a fast paced race, he utilized his spurt early and used the slope on the 3rd corner of the Kyoto Racecourse to overtake the entire pack and stand at the front, in a manner similar the Kikuka Sho wins of Mr. C.B. in 1983 and Gold Ship in 2012. Despite the end closer Fast Tateyama making it within a nose, Hishi Miracle crossed the finish line in 1^st, making it his first Grade 1 victory and first graded victory as well.

The Four Year Old season (2003)

The Tenno Sho (Spring)

After the Kikuka Sho, he lost three races in a row in the Arima Kinen, Hanshin Daishoten, and Sankei Osaka Hai. In the Tenno Sho (Spring), there were only two previous G1 winners, Hishi Miracle and the 2002 Takarazuka Kinen winner Dantsu Flame. Though the level of the race was said to be quite low, but Hishi Miracle was an underestimated 7th favorite behind graded winners Tsurumaru Boy, Daitaku Bertram, and Toho Shiden. Hishi Miracle raced and won with the same strategy as the Kikuka Sho, spurting early and overtaking the pack over the 3rd and 4th corners of the Kyoto Racecourse.

Trainer Sayama first aimed for the Yasuda Kinen to utilize Hishi Miracle's long spurt length on the longer straight of Tokyo Racecourse, but pivoted to the Takarazuka Kinen as to not cause too much fatigue to the horse with a tight schedule.

The Takarazuka Kinen

Since both of Hishi Miracle's G1 wins were over a long distance on Kyoto Racecource, he was the 6th favorite for the 2,200-meter Takarazuka Kinen behind the Tenno Sho (Autumn) and Arima Kinen winner, Symboli Kris S ; that year's double crown winner Neo Universe (the Kikuka Sho would happen a few months after); Agnes Digital, who had just won the Yasuda Kinen; the Arima Kinen 2^nd placer and Kinko Sho winner Tap Dance City, and Daitaku Bertram.

Racing in his usual style from the back, Hishi Miracle pushed past Symboli Kris S and Tap Dance City on the straight, and hung onto first by a head from the surging Tsurumaru Boy.

Retirement

After the 2003 Kyoto Daishoten, Hishi Miracle was diagnosed with suspensory desmitis in his right front leg, and rested until October of 2004. After 5 defeats, the suspensory desimitis reemerged after the 2005 Tenno Sho (Spring), and he was retired on the May 20th, 2005.

Honors

• JRA Award for Best Horse By Home-bred Sire (2003)

Relationships

Relatives

• Soccer Boy - Father

Race Records

Race data sourced from netkeiba.

Date	Racecourse	Race	Grade	Distance	Gate	Odds	Fav.	Fin.	Time	Margin	Jockey	Winner (Runner-Up)	Other Umamusume
2001/08/11	Kokura	Two-Year-Old Newcomer	Maiden	T 1200m	11	58.4	9	7	1:13.0	1.1	K.Tsunoda	River Treasure
2001/08/25	Kokura	Two-Year-Old Newcomer	Maiden	T 1200m	11	54.3	10	11	1:12.3	2.0	K.Tsunoda	Meiner Prairie
2001/09/08	Hanshin	Two-Year-Old Maiden	Maiden	T 1200m	9	81.2	9	8	1:11.2	1.6	K.Tsunoda	Yamanin Ideal
2001/09/23	Hanshin	Two-Year-Old Maiden	Maiden	T 1200m	1	86.3	10	9	1:12.1	1.3	K.Tsunoda	Setono Akebono
2001/10/07	Kyoto	Two-Year-Old Maiden	Maiden	T 2000m	8	11.4	6	5	2:03.3	1.6	K.Tsunoda	Chitose Success
2001/10/21	Kyoto	Two-Year-Old Maiden	Maiden	T 1800m	4	45.0	10	2	1:48.8	0.5	K.Tsunoda	Fujiyama Wild
2001/11/04	Kyoto	Two-Year-Old Maiden	Maiden	T 1800m	9	5.2	2	3	1:49.7	0.3	K.Tsunoda	Namura Thanks
2002/04/20	Kyoto	Three-Year-Old Maiden	Maiden	T 1800m	17	18.2	7	4	1:48.5	0.8	Y.Yasuda	Hoshino Sasayaki
2002/05/04	Kyoto	Three-Year-Old Maiden	Maiden	T 1800m	3	5.1	2	6	1:48.5	0.6	Y.Yasuda	Saffron Blizzard
2002/05/26	Chukyo	Three-Year-Old Maiden	Maiden	T 2000m	15	11.7	5	1	2:00.5	-0.5	K.Tsunoda	(Meisho Nobinobi)
2002/06/08	Chukyo	Bupposo Tokubetsu	Pre-OP	T 2000m	15	3.8	1	2	2:01.7	0.0	K.Tsunoda	Act Naturally
2002/06/22	Hanshin	Mefu Tokubetsu	Pre-OP	T 2200m	13	6.7	3	1	2:12.6	-0.8	K.Tsunoda	(Prorsum)
2002/07/20	Niigata	Sado Tokubetsu	Pre-OP	T 2200m	5	2.2	1	3	2:13.2	0.4	K.Tsunoda	Precious Song
2002/08/04	Hakodate	Toyako Tokubetsu	Pre-OP	T 2000m	13	4.3	2	3	2:04.5	0.2	H.Shii	Pregio
2002/09/08	Hanshin	Nowaki Tokubetsu	Pre-OP	T 2000m	2	2.0	1	1	2:02.0	-0.1	K.Tsunoda	(Elway Star)
2002/09/22	Hanshin	Kobe Shimbun Hai	G2	T 2000m	8	16.1	7	6	2:00.4	1.3	K.Tsunoda	Symboli Kris S	Symboli Kris S, No Reason
2002/10/20	Kyoto	Kikuka Sho (Japanese St.Leger)	G1	T 3000m	2	36.6	10	1	3:05.9	0.0	K.Tsunoda	(Fast Tateyama)	No Reason
2002/12/22	Nakayama	Arima Kinen	G1	T 2500m	3	18.5	5	11	2:34.2	1.6	K.Tsunoda	Symboli Kris S	Symboli Kris S, Tap Dance City, Narita Top Road, Fine Motion, No Reason, Jungle Pocket, Air Shakur
2003/03/23	Hanshin	Hanshin Daishoten	G2	T 3000m	7	16.1	5	12	3:07.0	1.1	K.Tsunoda	Daitaku Bertram	No Reason
2003/04/06	Hanshin	Sankei Osaka Hai	G2	T 2000m	6	28.8	8	7	1:59.6	0.5	K.Tsunoda	Tagano My Bach
2003/05/04	Kyoto	Tenno Sho (Spring)	G1	T 3200m	11	16.1	7	1	3:17.0	-0.1	K.Tsunoda	(Sunrise Jaeger)	Dantsu Flame
2003/06/29	Hanshin	Takarazuka Kinen	G1	T 2200m	10	16.3	6	1	2:12.0	0.0	K.Tsunoda	(Tsurumaru Boy)	Tap Dance City, Neo Universe, Symboli Kris S, Dantsu Flame, Agnes Digital
2003/10/12	Kyoto	Kyoto Daishoten	G2	T 2400m	9	2.5	2	2	2:26.8	0.2	K.Tsunoda	Tap Dance City	Tap Dance City
2004/10/31	Tokyo	Tenno Sho (Autumn)	G1	T 2000m	14	19.8	10	16	2:02.7	3.8	K.Tsunoda	Zenno Rob Roy	Zenno Rob Roy, Admire Groove
2004/11/28	Tokyo	Japan Cup	G1	T 2400m	11	25.0	11	9	2:25.6	1.4	K.Tsunoda	Zenno Rob Roy	Zenno Rob Roy
2004/12/26	Nakayama	Arima Kinen	G1	T 2500m	11	13.1	6	14	2:31.3	1.8	K.Tsunoda	Zenno Rob Roy	Zenno Rob Roy, Tap Dance City
2005/02/19	Kyoto	Kyoto Kinen	G2	T 2200m	8	14.8	5	3	2:16.1	0.4	K.Tsunoda	Narita Century
2005/05/01	Kyoto	Tenno Sho (Spring)	G1	T 3200m	8	6.0	3	16	3:18.3	1.8	K.Tsunoda	Suzuka Mambo	Admire Groove

Pedigree

Horse pedigree of Hishi Miracle (JPN)

Sire Soccer Boy (JPN)	Dictus (FR)	Sanctus (FR)	Fine Top (FR)
			Sanelta (FR)
		Doronic (FR)	Worden (FR)
			Dulzetta (FR)
	Dyna Sash (JPN)	Northern Taste (CAN)	Northern Dancer (CAN)
			Lady Victoria (CAN)
		Royal Sash (GB)	Princely Gift (GB)
			Sash of Honour (GB)
Dam Shunsaku Yoshiko (JPN)	Shady Heights (GB)	Shirley Heights (GB)	Mill Reef (USA)
			Hardiemma (GB)
		Vaguely (GB)	Bold Lad (IRE)
			Vaguely Mine (GB)
	Shunsaku Lady (JPN)	Lanark (GB)	Grey Sovereign (GB)
			Vermilion O'Toole (IRE)
		Moon Phoenix (JPN)	Fidalgo (GB)
			Michiasa (JPN), (Family: 16-c)

Trivia

• Hishi Miracle's only graded wins are G1 races. They are also the same three won by the gray horse Biwa Hayahide, 9 years prior.
• Hishi Miracle is the 2nd horse ever to win a classics race using the "Oguri Cap rule", after T.M. Opera O.
• While most horses that wear hoods to dampen noise and repel dust or sand in order to calm the horse, that was not the case for Hishi Miracle. It is assumed that the hood was a piece of fashion for recognizability.

”Miracle Ojisan”

When the odds were first released in the 2003 Takarazuka Kinen, Hishi Miracle stood at the first favourite at 1.7 odds. It was found out that a man (who would later be known as miracle ojisan) had just been paid out 12.22 million yen from winning Agnes Digital's Yasuda Kinen, and bet the full amount on a Hishi Miracle win at the Takarazuka Kinen (in which Agnes Digital was also running in). When the odds settled at 16.3, the payoff of the 12.22 million yen bet was 199 million yen, which was higher than Hishi Miracle's prize money for winning the Takarazuka Kinen at 132 million yen. Jockey Tsunoda also congratulated this person in the winning interview, and this was referenced in the umamusume's career story.

Pool adverseness

After the first suspensory desmitis diagnosis following the 2003 Kyoto Daishoten, he was sent to the JRA Equine Research Institute Racehorse Rehabilitation Center, within which he would be trained in the pool in order to reduce stress in the legs. He was extremely bad at swimming, and was practically stationary. Even horses bad at swimming would move after using the whip, but this did not work with Hishi Miracle. The staff had to ring an empty can behind his head and beat the water next to him, but he was still very slow in the water. In a course that normal horse would complete in 34, 35 seconds, a horse good at swimming could complete in 20 seconds, and Hishi Miracle clocked in at 48 seconds.