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IRL:Special Week
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| Main | Gallery | IRL | Game | Party Dash |
| Special Week | ||
|---|---|---|
| スペシャルウィーク | ||
| Special Week under jockey Yutaka Take at the 1999 Tenno Sho (Autumn). | ||
| Silks |  |
|
| Romaji | Supesharu Wīku | |
| Foaled | May 02, 1995 | |
| Died | April 27, 2018 | |
| Sire | Sunday Silence | |
| Dam | Campaign Girl | |
| Sex | Stallion | |
| Color | Dark Bay | |
| Trainer | Toshiaki Shirai | |
| Race Record | 17: 10-4-2 | |
| Earnings | 1,092,623,000 JPY | |
| Major wins | ||
| Kisaragi Sho (1998) Yayoi Sho (1998) Japanese Derby (1998) American Jockey Club Cup (1999) Hanshin Daishoten (1999) Tenno Sho (Spring) (1999) Tenno Sho (Autumn) (1999) Japan Cup (1999) |
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Special Week was a Japanese racehorse that was active from 1997 to 1999. He was known by fans as the "Supreme Commander of Japan" (日本総大将 Nippon Soudaishou) after beating a strong international field in the 1999 Japan Cup and later on became a prolific and broodmare sire, with his bloodline still in many Japanese horses today.
Name Origin
Named after his father Sunday Silence. Sunday is a special day of the week.
Racing career
Before debut
Shortly after Special Week was born, his dam Campaign Girl suffered from a serious bout of colic and passed away just five days after his birth. At an early age, he would be raised by a Ban'ei[Note 1] mare and cared for and trained by a New Zealand woman named Tina Price at Hidaki Taiyo Bokujo.[2] During this time, Tina gave Special Week great care, and he became her favorite colt at the ranch. Tina convinced the manager of the ranch, Hiroshi Onoda, that Special Week had great potential, and quickly became one of the best hopes for the farm.[2] Tina continued to care for Special Week until being moved to a training farm in Hokkaido in May 1996.[2]
2 year old season (1997)
Special Week debuted on November 29th, at Hanshin Racecourse, winning his debut by 2 lengths. His jockey, Yutaka Take was impressed with his performance: "He ran the race just as I hoped while in training. He's a strong horse."[2] It set up a relationship with the Japanese jockey for next year's prep and Classic races.
3 year old season (1998)
4 year old season (1999)
Retirement
Shortly following his defeat in the Arima Kinen in his four year old season, Special Week retired from racing. Two retirement ceremonies were held for him on January 5th and 6th in 2000.
Breeding career
After his retirement, Special Week was moved to Shadai Stallion Station to begin his stallion career. While his first crop of foals yielded little success, his second crop produced Cesario, winner of the 2005 Japanese Oaks and American Oaks at Hollywood Park, becoming the first domestically bred Japanese horse to win an international G1 race. He wenton to produce several more G1 winners including:
- Buena Vista (2008 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies, 2009 Oka Sho, 2009 Japanese Oaks, 2010 Victoria Mile, 2010 Tenno Sho Autumn, 2011 Japan Cup)
- Gold Blitz (2012 Teio Sho)
- Roman Legend (2012 Tokyo Daishoten)
- Toho Jackal (2014 Kikuka Sho)
While he had success as a sire, he became an even more prolific damsire. His damsire progeny include:
- Epiphaneia (2013 Kikuka Sho, 2014 Japan Cup)
- Clarity Sky (2015 NHK Mile Cup)
- Leon D'Or (2015 Asahi Futurity Stakes)
- Deirdre (2017 Shuka Sho, 2019 Nassau Stakes)
- Saturnalia (2018 Hopeful Stakes, 2019 Satsuki Sho)
- Jun Light Bolt (2022 Champions' Cup)
- Tagano Beauty (2024 JBC Sprint)
On February 3rd 2017, Special Week retired from his stud career and was moved back to his birthplace, Hidaki Taiyo Bokujo and stayed there for the rest of his days. On April 27th 2018, the staff at the ranch found Special Week had fell in his stall, and was soon confirmed dead by the farm due to injuries he had sustained. He was 23 years old.
Honors
- JRA Special Award (1999)
Relationships
Relatives
- Sunday Silence - Father
- Maruzensky - Maternal Grandfather
- Buena Vista - Daughter
- Cesario - Daughter
- Epiphaneia - Grandson
Race Records
| Date | Racecourse | Race | Grade | Distance | Gate | Odds | Fav. | Fin. | Time | Margin | Jockey | Winner (Runner-Up) | Other Umamusume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997/11/29 | Hanshin | Three-Year-Old Newcomer | Maiden | T 1600m | 14 | 1.4 | 1 | 1 | 1:36.9 | -0.3 | Y.Take | (Legacy Hunter) | |
| 1998/01/06 | Kyoto | Shiraume Sho | Pre-OP | T 1600m | 3 | 1.3 | 1 | 2 | 1:36.0 | 0.0 | Y.Take | Asahi Creek | |
| 1998/02/08 | Kyoto | Kisaragi Sho | G3 | T 1800m | 1 | 1.7 | 1 | 1 | 1:51.3 | -0.6 | Y.Take | (Bold Emperor) | |
| 1998/03/08 | Nakayama | Yayoi Sho | G2 | T 2000m | 13 | 2.8 | 2 | 1 | 2:01.8 | -0.1 | Y.Take | (Seiun Sky) | Seiun Sky, King Halo |
| 1998/04/19 | Nakayama | Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) | G1 | T 2000m | 18 | 1.8 | 1 | 3 | 2:01.6 | 0.3 | Y.Take | Seiun Sky | Seiun Sky, King Halo |
| 1998/06/07 | Tokyo | Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) | G1 | T 2400m | 5 | 2.0 | 1 | 1 | 2:25.8 | -0.9 | Y.Take | (Bold Emperor) | Seiun Sky, King Halo |
| 1998/10/18 | Kyoto | Kyoto Shimbun Hai | G2 | T 2200m | 10 | 1.2 | 1 | 1 | 2:15.0 | -0.1 | Y.Take | (King Halo) | King Halo |
| 1998/11/08 | Kyoto | Kikuka Sho (Japanese St.Leger) | G1 | T 3000m | 17 | 1.5 | 1 | 2 | 3:03.8 | 0.6 | Y.Take | Seiun Sky | Seiun Sky, King Halo |
| 1998/11/29 | Tokyo | Japan Cup | G1 | T 2400m | 9 | 3.3 | 1 | 3 | 2:26.4 | 0.5 | Y.Okabe | El Condor Pasa | El Condor Pasa, Air Groove, Stay Gold |
| 1999/01/24 | Nakayama | American Jockey Club Cup | G2 | T 2200m | 4 | 2.0 | 1 | 1 | 2:16.8 | -0.5 | O.Peslier | (Silent Hunter) | |
| 1999/03/21 | Hanshin | Hanshin Daishoten | G2 | T 3000m | 5 | 2.1 | 2 | 1 | 3:13.4 | -0.1 | Y.Take | (Mejiro Bright) | Mejiro Bright |
| 1999/05/02 | Kyoto | Tenno Sho (Spring) | G1 | T 3200m | 3 | 2.3 | 1 | 1 | 3:15.3 | -0.1 | Y.Take | (Mejiro Bright) | Mejiro Bright, Seiun Sky, Matikanefukukitaru, Stay Gold |
| 1999/07/11 | Hanshin | Takarazuka Kinen | G1 | T 2200m | 9 | 1.5 | 1 | 2 | 2:12.6 | 0.5 | Y.Take | Grass Wonder | Grass Wonder, Matikanefukukitaru, King Halo, Stay Gold |
| 1999/10/10 | Kyoto | Kyoto Daishoten | G2 | T 2400m | 7 | 1.8 | 1 | 7 | 2:25.1 | 0.8 | Y.Take | Tsurumaru Tsuyoshi | Tsurumaru Tsuyoshi, Mejiro Bright, T.M. Opera O, Stay Gold |
| 1999/10/31 | Tokyo | Tenno Sho (Autumn) | G1 | T 2000m | 9 | 6.8 | 4 | 1 | 1:58.0 | -0.1 | Y.Take | (Stay Gold) | Seiun Sky, King Halo, Tsurumaru Tsuyoshi, Mejiro Bright, Stay Gold |
| 1999/11/28 | Tokyo | Japan Cup | G1 | T 2400m | 13 | 3.4 | 2 | 1 | 2:25.5 | -0.2 | Y.Take | (Indigenous) | Stay Gold |
| 1999/12/26 | Nakayama | Arima Kinen | G1 | T 2500m | 3 | 3.0 | 2 | 2 | 2:37.2 | 0.0 | Y.Take | Grass Wonder | Grass Wonder, T.M. Opera O, Tsurumaru Tsuyoshi, Mejiro Bright, Narita Top Road, Stay Gold |
Pedigree
| Sire Sunday Silence (USA) |
Halo (USA) | Hail to Reason (USA) | Turn-to (IRE) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nothirdchance (USA) | |||
| Cosmah (USA) | Cosmic Bomb (USA) | ||
| Almahmoud (USA) | |||
| Wishing Well (USA) | Understanding (USA) | Promised Land (USA) | |
| Pretty Ways (USA) | |||
| Mountain Flower (USA) | Montparnasse (ARG) | ||
| Edelweiss (USA) | |||
| Dam Campaign Girl (JPN) |
Maruzensky (JPN) | Nijinsky (CAN) | Northern Dancer (CAN) |
| Flaming Page (CAN) | |||
| Shill (USA) | Buckpasser (USA) | ||
| Quill (USA) | |||
| Lady Shiraoki (JPN) | Saint Crespin (GB) | Aureole (GB) | |
| Neocracy (GB) | |||
| Miss Ashiyagawa (JPN) | Hindostan (GB) | ||
| Shiraoki (JPN), (Family: 3-l) |
Trivia
- Special Week was known to be friendly towards humans, but indifferent towards other horses, preferring to be alone rather than mingling with others. Though he seemed to get along with other horses, should he wanted to socialize. This indifference stemmed from the mistreatment by his foster mother, a wet-nursing draft horse, who would neglect or even chase him away while he was a foal.
- Because of his foster mother's mistreatment. Special Week had to directly be taken care of by the farm's staff, one of them was Tina Price - a New Zealander groom who took care of Special Week's mother before her death, and later on took care of Special Week. This contributed to his friendliness towards humans and indifference to other horses.
- Since Special Week easily understood everything what Tina teaches, she liked him and took care of him more than any other foals. The representative of Hidaka Taiyo Farm - Onoda warned her many times, but she never changed her attitude. In May 1997, Special Week was moved to Northern Farm Airport Branch, the process was not a happy one as Special Week had to be forcibly taken away from a crying Tina, who would not let him go.[3]
- There were claims that he disliked reddish-chestnut horses. With one of the most notable episodes being an event in July 19th, 2014, where Special Week and Grass Wonder met each other again nearly 15 years after their retirement. Special Week became agitated upon seeing Grass Wonder.[4] However, back during their racing careers, the contrary was seen as Special Week and Grass Wonder was seen to get along[5], during their times in the training center and especially after the Japanese Derby, as Special Week was able to walk with Grass Wonder without aggression. The claim that Special Week disliked reddish-chestnut horses could be an exaggeration stemmed from the reunion event.
- Special Week has little interest in mating, and most of the time would be rough to the mares he bred with, including biting them hard in the neck area. This caused staff members to put protection pads around the necks of mares Special Week was mating with. Because of his lack of interest in mating, a second mating session is sometimes required.[7] The staff members would cheer for Special Week whenever he wasn't willing to mate.[8]
- Apparently, Special Week also tended to fake his mating sessions to get it over with.
- Special Week and Silence Suzuka never raced against nor met with each other in real life, despite the portrayal in the anime.
- This may come from the fact that both horses were ridden by the same jockey, Yutaka Take, and share the same father, Sunday Silence. These reasons also may influence why they are roommates.
Notes
- ↑ ばんえい競走 (ban'ei kyoso), a type of horse racing that requires a draft horse to pull heavy sleds up sand ramps, urged-on by jockeys that are balancing on the sleds. Unlike normal horse racing, the horses are either purebred or crosses of Percheron, Breton or Belgian breeds instead of thoroughbreds.
References
- ↑ JRA - Hero Biography - wikipedia
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Kimura Shunta, Special Week: Proof of the Strongest Horse, The Masada, 2000
- ↑ https://books.netkeiba.com/?pid=book_detail&bid=46&cid=2
- ↑ https://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm24041036
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utJQjqwwRcE&t=1379s
- ↑ https://uma-furusato.com/column/60886.html
- ↑ https://tkgmaki.seesaa.net/article/200905article_8.html
- ↑ https://roots-factory.com/blog/tokuhain/21770.html