IRL:Sweep Tosho

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Sweep Tosho
スイープトウショウ
Main
Sweep Tosho winning the 2005 Takarazuka Kinen narrowly over Heart's Cry.
Silks
Romaji	Suīpu Toushou
Foaled	May 09, 2001
Died	December 05, 2020
Sire	End Sweep
Dam	Tabatha Tosho
Sex	Mare
Color	Bay
Trainer	Akio Tsurudome
Race Record	24: 8-4-2
Earnings	744,824,000 JPY
Major wins
Fantasy Stakes (2003) Tulip Sho (2004) Shuka Sho (2004) Takarazuka Kinen (2005) Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2005) Kyoto Daishoten (2005)

The Selfish Sweepy

The Selfish Sweepy

“(You don't want her to be your girlfriend, do you?)
No, I don't. I was often asked about it when she was active. She is troublesome. Probably she would have swayed me, so I couldn't hold it. (ommision)
It was hard to make her get into the gate.
But once she started running, she really got tame and easy to be ridden.
She had good strides. I felt very exhilarated when I run with her.
― Unruly Horse Encyclopedia, by Kenichi Ikezoe, main jockey

Sweep Tosho was a Japanese racehorse that was active from 2003 to 2007. In 2005, she became the first mare to win the Takarazuka Kinen in 39 years since Eight Crown last did in 1966. She was the one of the first mares to succeed in major G1 races against stallions after an era of stallion dominance.

Name Origin

Tosho is the crown name of Tosho Sangyo Co., Ltd., and Sweep references her sire's name, End Sweep.

Racing career

Two-year old season (2003)

Sweep Tosho made her debut on October 18th, 2003, in a 1,400 meter turf race on Kyoto Racecourse. She won the race by surging through and chasing the horses from behind, winning by three lengths. After this, she won the 1,400 meter Fantasy Stakes (G3) on November 9th in a similar fashion on the same racecourse, beating the favorite Royal Selangor by a quarter of a length.

After this, on December 7th, she participated in her first G1 race, the 1,600 meter Hanshin Juvenile Fillies. Though she was the favorite in the race, she placed 5th and lose to Yamanin Sucre. She tried to chase in the final corner, but she found her path blocked.

Three-year old season (2004)

On January 18th, 2004, Sweep Tosho returned to Kyoto and won the open race Kobai Stakes, making it her third win and her last race with her jockey Koichi Tsunoda. As Sweep Tosho was transferred from Watanabe Stable to Tsurudome Stable, her new permanent jockey was Kenichi Ikezoe. Sweep Tosho entered the 1,600 meter Tulip Sho (G3) on March 6th at Hanshin Racecourse, where she stalled and refused to enter the starting gate. However, she won this race, which qualified her for the Oka Sho, a G1 classic race for three-year-old fillies. On April 11th, she entered the Oka Sho, once again stalling and delaying the race due to not entering the gate. Though she chased from behind, she placed 5th, losing to Dance in the Mood. She then competed in the Japanese Oaks, where she would be defeated and place 2nd place to Daiwa el Cielo. After this, she took a rest over the summer at Tosho Farm, and return to place 3rd in the Rose Stakes (G2) on September 19th, granting her entry into the Shuka Sho.

On October 17th, she competed in the Shuka Sho, the final leg of the Triple Tiara. Once again, she delayed the race and refused to enter the starting gate, to the point where she needed to be blindfolded so that she'd enter. Once the race began, Sweep Tosho would race from the back, only for her to surge past the other horses and win the race, making this her first G1 victory. This also marked the first G1 victory for Tosho Sangyo Co., Ltd. in thirteen years since Sister Tosho's win in the Oka Sho on April 7th, 1991.

On November 14th, she raced in the Queen Elizabeth II Cup (G1), but she lost to Admire Groove, placing 5th in the race. After this, she rested until May of next year.

Four-year old season (2005)

Though originally planned to compete in the 3,200 meter Tenno Sho (Spring), she would enter the 1,600 meter Yasuda Kinen instead due to differences in distance aptitude. Before this, she placed 5th in the Miyakooji Stakes. She participated in the Yasuda Kinen on June 5th and placed 2nd behind Asakusa Den'en.

A few weeks later, on June 26th, she competed in the Takarazuka Kinen. As the 11th most popular, Sweep Tosho went up against opponents such as Zenno Rob Roy, Still in Love, and Tap Dance City. This time, she entered the gate with no issue, beginning the race from the back. As the escaping horses slowed down and lost stamina, Sweep Tosho began to advance at the third corner and won the race, making this not only her second G1 victory but the first Takarazuka Kinen victory in 39 years by a mare since Eight Crown in 1966.

After resting for a few months, Sweep Tosho entered the Mainichi Okan on October 9th, but lost and placed 6th. On October 30th, she placed 2nd to Heavenly Romance in the Tenno Sho (Autumn).

On November 13th, she competed in the Queen Elizabeth II Cup again, where she had a rematch with last year's winner Admire Groove. Sweep Tosho ran from behind before surging later on and passing Admire Groove, winning the race by three lengths. This made the race her third and final G1 victory. She later won the JRA Award for Best Older Filly Or Mare of that year.

Five-year old season (2006)

While she was originally going to aim for the newly-established mare-only G1 Victoria Mile held in May, Sweep Tosho suffered a fracture during training on April 4th, 2006. She healed for three months, and resumed her training in July. She won the Kyoto Daishoten (G2) on October 8th. After, she lost the Tenno Sho (Autumn) and placed 5th to Daiwa Major on October 29th, and on November 12th, she came second in the Queen Elizabeth II Cup to Fusaichi Pandora. While she originally placed 3rd, but after Kawakami Princess's disqualification due to obstruction, Sweep Tosho moved up to second place.

On December 24th, she competed in the Arima Kinen, only to place tenth and lose to Deep Impact, the Classic Triple Crown winner from last year. Sweep Tosho once again stalled and delayed the race for several minutes.

Six-year old season (2007)

Sweep Tosho returned on April 14th, 2007 at Hanshin Racecourse, where she placed second in the Yomiuri Milers Cup (G2). She then placed 9th in the Victoria Mile on May 13th. While she was originally set to compete in the Takarazuka Kinen again, on the morning of June 17th, a week before the race, Sweep Tosho rampaged at her stable before training and bruised her right hind leg. Due to this, she missed out and aimed for the Kyoto Daishoten next on October 7th, only to drop out of the race due to difficulty. She returned to the Swan Stakes on October 27th and placed fourth. In her final race, she ran in the Queen Elizabeth II Cup for the fourth time, but she lost to Daiwa Scarlet and placed third. On November 23rd, 2007, she was deregistered from the Japan Racing Association.

Retirement and Death

After retirement, Sweep Tosho became a broodmare at her birthplace - Tosho Farm. Her first child, born in 2009, was Jewel Tosho, sired by Agnes Tachyon.

In October 2015, Tosho Farm closed down due to poor business decisions. As a result, Sweep Tosho was transferred to Northern Farm to continue her broodmare duties in 2016.

On December 5th, 2020. Sweep Tosho died from colic caused by a gastrointestinal perforation at the age of 19. She was pregnant with Suave Richard's foal while it happened. The foal did not survive.

Honors

• JRA Award for Best Older Filly Or Mare (2005)

Relationships

Relatives

• Dancing Brave - Maternal Grandfather

• Saint Lite - 5x Maternal Grandfather

Race Records

Race data sourced from netkeiba.

Date	Racecourse	Race	Grade	Distance	Gate	Odds	Fav.	Fin.	Time	Margin	Jockey	Winner (Runner-Up)	Other Umamusume
2003/10/18	Kyoto	Two-Year-Old Newcomer	Maiden	T 1400m	7	1.8	1	1	1:22.9	-0.5	K.Tsunoda	(Agnes Raspberry)
2003/11/09	Kyoto	KBS Fantasy Stakes	G3	T 1400m	1	3.5	2	1	1:22.6	-0.2	K.Tsunoda	(Royal Selangor)
2003/12/07	Hanshin	Hanshin Juvenile Fillies	G1	T 1600m	4	2.1	1	5	1:36.1	0.2	K.Tsunoda	Yamanin Sucre
2004/01/18	Kyoto	Kobai Stakes	OP	T 1400m	6	1.3	1	1	1:21.9	-0.1	K.Tsunoda	(Daiwa el Cielo)
2004/03/06	Hanshin	Tulip Sho	G3	T 1600m	13	1.8	1	1	1:35.5	-0.1	K.Ikezoe	(Azuma Sanders)
2004/04/11	Hanshin	Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas)	G1	T 1600m	4	3.8	2	5	1:34.5	0.9	K.Ikezoe	Dance in the Mood
2004/05/23	Tokyo	Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks)	G1	T 2400m	1	13.8	4	2	2:27.3	0.1	K.Ikezoe	Daiwa el Cielo
2004/09/19	Hanshin	Rose Stakes	G2	T 2000m	4	2.7	2	3	1:59.1	0.1	K.Ikezoe	Les Clefs d'Or
2004/10/17	Kyoto	Shuka Sho	G1	T 2000m	11	5.0	2	1	1:58.4	-0.1	K.Ikezoe	(Yamanin Sucre)
2004/11/14	Kyoto	Queen Elizabeth II Cup	G1	T 2200m	7	3.3	1	5	2:13.9	0.3	K.Ikezoe	Admire Groove	Admire Groove, Still in Love
2005/05/08	Kyoto	Miyakooji Stakes	OP	T 1600m	7	2.7	1	5	1:34.6	0.3	K.Ikezoe	Keiai Guard
2005/06/05	Tokyo	Yasuda Kinen	G1	T 1600m	11	17.6	10	2	1:32.3	0.0	K.Ikezoe	Asakusa Den'en
2005/06/26	Hanshin	Takarazuka Kinen	G1	T 2200m	11	38.5	11	1	2:11.5	0.0	K.Ikezoe	(Heart's Cry)	Zenno Rob Roy, Tap Dance City, Admire Groove, Still in Love
2005/10/09	Tokyo	Mainichi Okan	G2	T 1800m	13	5.5	2	6	1:47.1	0.6	K.Ikezoe	Sunrise Pegasus
2005/10/30	Tokyo	Tenno Sho (Autumn)	G1	T 2000m	14	9.0	4	5	2:00.4	0.3	K.Ikezoe	Heavenly Romance	Zenno Rob Roy, Tap Dance City, Admire Groove
2005/11/13	Kyoto	Queen Elizabeth II Cup	G1	T 2200m	8	2.8	2	1	2:12.5	-0.1	K.Ikezoe	(Osumi Haruka)	Admire Groove, Air Messiah
2006/10/08	Kyoto	Kyoto Daishoten	G2	T 2400m	9	5.1	2	1	2:31.5	-0.1	K.Ikezoe	(Fast Tateyama)
2006/10/29	Tokyo	Tenno Sho (Autumn)	G1	T 2000m	7	3.9	1	5	1:59.2	0.4	K.Ikezoe	Daiwa Major
2006/11/12	Kyoto	Queen Elizabeth II Cup	G1	T 2200m	8	2.9	2	2	2:11.6	0.0	K.Ikezoe	Fusaichi Pandora	Fusaichi Pandora, Kawakami Princess
2006/12/24	Nakayama	Arima Kinen	G1	T 2500m	6	29.6	5	10	2:32.9	1.0	K.Ikezoe	Deep Impact
2007/04/14	Hanshin	Yomiuri Milers Cup	G2	T 1600m	6	6.1	2	2	1:32.4	0.2	K.Ikezoe	Kongo Rikishio	Fusaichi Pandora
2007/05/13	Tokyo	Victoria Mile	G1	T 1600m	7	4.0	2	9	1:33.2	0.7	K.Ikezoe	Koiuta	Daring Heart, Kawakami Princess, Fusaichi Pandora
2007/10/27	Kyoto	Swan Stakes	G2	T 1400m	2	9.4	4	4	1:21.1	0.4	K.Ikezoe	Super Hornet	Aston Machan
2007/11/11	Kyoto	Queen Elizabeth II Cup	G1	T 2200m	4	6.6	2	3	2:12.2	0.3	K.Ikezoe	Daiwa Scarlet	Vodka, Daiwa Scarlet, Fusaichi Pandora, Daring Heart

Pedigree

Horse pedigree of Sweep Tosho (JPN)

Sire End Sweep (USA)	Forty Niner (USA)	Mr. Prospector (USA)	Raise a Native (USA)
			Gold Digger (USA)
		File (USA)	Tom Rolfe (USA)
			Continue (USA)
	Broom Dance (USA)	Dance Spell (USA)	Northern Dancer (CAN)
			Obeah (USA)
		Witching Hour (USA)	Thinking Cap (USA)
			Enchanted Eve (USA)
Dam Tabatha Tosho (JPN)	Dancing Brave (USA)	Lyphard (USA)	Northern Dancer (CAN)
			Goofed (USA)
		Navajo Princess (USA)	Drone (USA)
			Olmec (USA)
	Samantha Tosho (JPN)	Tosho Boy (JPN)	Tesco Boy (GB)
			Social Butterfly (USA)
		Marble Tosho (JPN)	Dandy Lute (FR)
			China Tosho (JPN), (Family: 5-j)

Trivia

• Her jockey, Kenichi Ikezoe, was once asked if he would want Sweep Tosho to be his girlfriend in an interview. He expressed reluctance on the idea, as he thought she was troublesome.
• In 2015, Sweep Tosho gave birth to a foal sired by Orfevre. However, the foal never received a name and remained "Sweep Tosho 2015" on the records. Nobody knew what happened to the foal, whether or not it is still alive or has passed away was never documented. As the foal was born during the year when Tosho Farm was closed down, some have speculated the foal might have gone missing from it.
• The 2005 Tenno Sho (Autumn) she ran in not only marked the first time in history that the Emperor went to watch the Tenno Sho, it marked the first time since 1899 that the Emperor went to watch a race. The 125th Emperor Akihito and 125th Empress Michiko were there to observe the race. An event like this is named Tenran Keiba (天覽競馬, lit. "Imperial Visit to the Races"). The next time the Emperor went to watch a Tenno Sho was 7 years later in 2012, and the last in Showa.
  • Sweep Tosho was seen refusing to move an inch until Ikezoe dismounted her and had to tag along the leading staff, making the Emperor's eventful visit awkward for Ikezoe.
• Sweep Tosho preferred to eat carrots as a snack.