IRL:Tokai Teio

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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!

Tokai Teio
トウカイテイオー
Main
Tokai Teio at the 1993 Arima Kinen with jockey Seiki Tabara
Silks
Romaji	Toukai Teiō
Foaled	April 20, 1988
Died	August 30, 2013
Sire	Symboli Rudolf
Dam	Tokai Natural
Sex	Stallion
Color	Bay
Trainer	Shouichi Matsumoto
Race Record	12: 9-0-0
Earnings	625,633,500 JPY
Major wins
Satsuki Sho (1991) Japanese Derby (1991) Sankei Osaka Hai (1992) Japan Cup (1992) Arima Kinen (1993)

The Return of the Emperor

The Return of the Emperor

I am here.
With a loud proclamation,
the Emperor returned.

Although his big dream did not come true,
with a new splendor,
the Emperor returned.

By overcoming challenges,
he continues to give hope to people,
and his journey as a miracle,
begins here.

-JRA Portraits of the Bucephalus

Tokai Teio was a Japanese racehorse that was active from 1991 to 1993. One of the first sons of JRA Triple Crown winner Symboli Rudolf, he was known as the "Emperor", the same nickname given to his sire. He would later be known as the "Miracle Horse", after his comeback win at the 1993 Arima Kinen.

Name Origin

Tokai comes from the clan name, and Teio, from the Japanese word 帝王, meaning "monarch". This name was given due to Symboli Rudolf's nickname, emperor. His childhood name was "Hamano Teio" before being changed when he entered Ritto Training Center in October 1990.

Racing career

Pre-debut

Tokai Teio was born on April 20th, 1988 at Nagahama Ranch in Niikappu, Hokkaido. At first, he had a slender build and wasn't a very attractive horse, not being highly rated by farm. However, once his training began, he showed great flexibility, attracting interest. He would spend a year at the Nibutani Thoroughbred Breeding Center before being transferred to trainer Shouichi Matsumoto's stable.

2-year-old season (1990)

In 1990, he was transferred to Ritto in the hands of Shouichi Matsumoto. Matsumoto had high hopes for him, commenting that his weak physique at birth, had "surprisingly improved". Matsumoto felt that he could aim for the Classic races, planning a rotation around the Satsuki Sho and the Japanese Derby. On December of the same year, Tokai Teio made his debut at Chukyo Racecourse, with jockey Takayuki Yasuda. He was the favorite to win and met the expectations, finishing first by 4 lengths. He finished the year racing on the Cyclamen Stakes, a 2,000 meters race at Kyoto Racecourse. Even though he was 4th favorite, he managed to overtake the favorite, Iide Saturn, and won by 2 lengths.

Jockey Takayuki Yasuda and Tokai Teio after winning the Japanese Derby

3-year-old season (1991)

Tokai Teio started the year racing in the Wakagoma Stakes, being the favorite to win. He pulled away from Nice Nature and Iide Saturn, and achieved his third consecutive win. Yasuda after the race commented "I've definitely gained confidence that he can compete in the big fields", making Tokai Teio a strong contender for the Classic races. He then went onto the Wakaba Stakes in March. Once again the favorite, he won by 2 lengths, even though he had a slow start, marking his fourth consecutive win.

Tokai Teio was then scheduled to run in the Satsuki Sho. On the day of the race, he was placed in gate 18, on the outside, but his team didn't see this as a disadvantage. Tokai Teio took the lead at the start, running on the outside, staying in the middle for the first half of the race, and then took an early lead in the final straight, winning by 1 length, marking his first G1 victory and Yasuda's first Classic race win. On the ceremony after the race, Yasuda raised one finger in the air, mimicking Yukio Okabe, Symboli Rudolf's jockey, proclaiming that he "will win the Triple Crown".

Tokai Teio then ran in the Japanese Derby, aiming to win the Double Crown. With final odds of 1.6:1, he was the favorite to win, with overwhelming support from fans. As in the Satsuki Sho, he was placed in gate 20, but after starting the race, he stood on the outside and pulled away from the pack on the final straight, winning by 3 lengths to second place Leo Durban, becoming a Double Crown horse, and like his father Symboli Rudolf, achieved it without losing a single race. After the race, with the crowd chanting "Yasuda", he held up two fingers in the air, just like in the Satsuki Sho.

There were high expectations for Tokai Teio after the Japanese Derby to win the Triple Crown, marking the first time that this was achieved by both father and son, with only the Kikuka Sho remaining. However, this came crumbling down 3 days later after the Derby, when his team announced that after an X-Ray at the clinic, it was discovered that he had a fracture in his left leg. It would take 6 months of recovery, and with the Kikuka Sho 5 months away, he was forced to rest for the rest of the year. Yasuda commented "I felt like I had been thrown from heaven to hell". This year's Kikuka Sho was ultimately won by Leo Durban, who placed 2nd to Tokai Teio in the Japanese Derby.

In the JRA Awards later in the year, he was awarded the Horse of the Year award, as well as Best Three-Year-Old Colt and Best Horse by Home-bred Sire.

4-year-old season (1992)

On April, he returned racing in the Sankei Osaka Hai, his first race in almost a year after the Japanese Derby. Yasuda was preparing for his trainer's exam at the time, so he was replaced by Yukio Okabe, Symboli Rudolf's jockey. Tokai Teio won the Sankei Osaka Hai without an issue, setting up for a confrontation with the defending champion of the Tenno Sho (Spring), Mejiro McQueen.

Coming into the Tenno Sho (Spring), it was marked as the "confrontation of the century", between Mejiro McQueen, a multiple G1 winner and the defending champion of the race, and the undefeated double crown winner Tokai Teio. Okabe commented before the race "It doesn't feel like [Tokai Teio is] exhausted, and seems like he could run to the ends of the earth". In response to this, Yutaka Take, Mejiro McQueen's jockey, replied "If that's the ends of the earth, then this one's going to soar to the heavens". On the day of the race, Tokai Teio was the favorite to win, with 1.5:1 odds, and Mejiro McQueen was second, with odds of 2.2:1. The third favorite, Ibukimaikagura, had odds of 18.2:1. At the start of the race, Teio chased McQueen. As McQueen started to spurt entering the third corner, Teio responded, and began closing the gap with McQueen. However, he lost pace in the final straight and was overtaken, finishing in fifth place, almost 10 lengths behind Mejiro McQueen, who won the race. This marked his first loss since his debut, with Matsumoto commenting "the only thing we can say about the reason for the loss is the distance barrier".

Ten days after the race, a new fracture was discovered in his right front leg, and he was forced to rest for the rest of the spring season. After recuperating, he returned to the stables in September, starting training again, but midway through this he developed a fever, which made him lose three days of training, which threw off preparations towards the Tenno Sho (Autumn). Matsumoto said "To be honest, we're in a desperate situation". Fortunately, unlike the Tenno Sho (Spring), the 2000 meters of the Tenno Sho (Autumn) were familiar to Tokai Teio, and he was the favorite to win. The duo of Mejiro Palmer and Daitaku Helios set a very fast pace, throwing Tokai Teio off and making him chase after these two, but was unable to keep up and finished in 7th place.

He then went to race on the Japan Cup, with this year's lineup being considered as "the strongest in the history of racing", with two British Derby winners, including British Double Crown winner User Friendly, and the Australian Horse of the Year Let's Elope. Among the racers, Tokai Teio was the top Japanese horse, but only was the 5th favorite with odds of 10.0, the worst in his career so far. However, in the race, he was chasing from 4th-5th place and, after a battle in the final straight with Naturalism, he pulled ahead and won the race by a neck. This was the third victory of a Japanese horse in seven years, after Katsuragi Ace won in 1984 and his father Symboli Rudolf in 1985. This was also Okabe's first victory in the Japan Cup since Symboli Rudolf, and became the first jockey to win the Japan Cup twice.

Heading into the Arima Kinen, Tokai Teio received over 170,000 votes to appear, and was selected as the number one voted horse to run in the race. However, a few days before the race, Okabe was suspended from riding, and the team needed to find a replacement. Matsumoto called jockey Seiki Tabara to ask him to ride Tokai Teio on the Arima Kinen, and he agreed. Tokai Teio was reported to be in "great form", and was the favorite to win with odds of 2.4:1. However, he stayed at the back of the pack throughout the race, finishing in 11th place, the worst result of his career. They cited a slip at the gate that caused him to injure his muscles as a reason for his loss. It was later discovered that he had taken a laxative to get rid of parasites just before the race.

5-year-old season (1993)

On January 3rd, Tokai Teio was officially diagnosed with a bruised left buttocks muscle and rested at Yamashita Farm. His connections sought discussions about retiring Tokai Teio to become a breeding stallion, but after a disagreement over his stud fees, it was ultimately decided that he was to continue racing. The team was preparing to return for the Takarazuka Kinen, but 10 days before the race, he was diagnosed with an avulsion fracture in his left toe, and rested again before returning to Ritto Training Center in October.

Miracle at the Arima Kinen

It was decided that he made a return at the end of the year, at the Arima Kinen, his first race in a year. However, Okabe was already selected to ride the year's Kikuka Sho winner Biwa Hayahide. Masanori Uchimura, Tokai Teio's owner, asked star jockey Yutaka Take to take the ride. Take replied that he would, but gave up on the idea when Vega, whom he was the main jockey for, was scheduled to participate. In the end, it was decided that Seiki Tabara, who had also ridden the horse the previous year, would ride Tokai Teio.

8 horses in the field of 14 in the Arima Kinen were G1 winners. Tokai Teio was the fourth favorite, behind Biwa Hayahide, Legacy World and Winning Ticket, but Tabara got his hopes up on the warm up race. Commentator Okawa Keijiro noted "Today's Tokai Teio looked different. It felt like he was overjoyed for finally being able to return and run on the turf". In the race, Tokai Teio sat behind the front running Mejiro Palmer, saving ground near the rail before launching a run at the final turn on the outside following Winning Ticket and Biwa Hayahide. In the final straight, Tokai Teio rapidly gained on the leading Biwa Hayahide, with Masayuki Sakai, the commentator for Fuji TV exclaiming:

"Tokai Teio is coming as well! 200 meters to go! Biwa Hayahide in the lead, but here comes Tokai Teio! Here comes Tokai Teio! Biwa Hayahide and Tokai Teio! It's the determination of the Derby winner!

Tokai Teio! Tokai Teio! Tokai Teio! A Miraculous Resurrection!"

Tokai Teio had overcome the year long hiatus winning the Arima Kinen, and the stands at Nakayama Racecourse erupted with emotion. Seiki Tabara in the post race interview was filled with tears, "Tokai Teio worked really hard and overturned common sense in horse racing. Please praise him." To this day, Tokai Teio still holds the record for the longest period for a G1 winner to come back and win another G1 (364 days). Tokai Teio was given the JRA Special Award for winning the Arima Kinen, and Symboli Rudolf-Tokai Teio became the first father-son duo to win the Arima Kinen.

Retirement and Death

Tokai Teio in 1994 was being trained to run for the Tenno Sho (Spring), but was forced to cancel this goal after he missed his first race in the Sankei Osaka Hai due to muscle pain in his right hindquarters. Tokai Teio aimed for the Takarazuka Kinen, but on April 14th, he once again broke his left forearm. Trainer Matsumoto planned to make Teio's retirement race the Tenno Sho (Autumn), but due to his poor condition he retired on August 29th, 1994.

Stallion career

Tokai Teio became a breeding stallion at Shadai Stallion Station, having the stall that Triple Crown winner Mr. C.B. had before he moved to Rex Stud. He was neighbors with Mejiro McQueen, once rivals on the racetrack. In 1998, his first foals would debut to middling success. His crops were known to mature too slowly, and many had strong temperaments that made them difficult to handle. Teio would not have his first G1 winner until 2002, when Tokai Point won the Mile Championship.

In the years following as a sire, Tokai Teio made several appearances at racecourses around the country, being exhibited in November of 2009 at Tokyo Racecourse, and in July of 2011 at Hakodate Racecourse. Shadai Stallion Station had public paddocks to view Teio in his pastures, but due to his old age was privately kept away from the public, making his final public appearance in 2011.

Tokai Teio died on August 30th, 2013 due to a heart failure, at the age of 25, following the breeding season. His gravestone was later erected at Shadai Stallion Station.

Awards & Honors

• JRA Horse of the Year (1991)
• JRA Best 3-Year-Old Colt (1991)
• JRA Best Horse by Home-bred Sire (1991)
• JRA Special Award (1993)
• JRA Hall of Fame (1995)

Relationships

Relatives

• Symboli Rudolf - 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
1990/12/01	Chukyo	Three-Year-Old Newcomer	Maiden	T 1800m	2	2.6	1	1	1:52.9	-0.7	T.Yasuda	(Color Guard)
1990/12/23	Kyoto	Cyclamen Stakes	OP	T 2000m	6	5.4	3	1	2:03.8	-0.3	T.Yasuda	(Iide Satan)
1991/01/19	Kyoto	Wakagoma Stakes	OP	T 2000m	8	1.3	1	1	2:01.4	-0.4	T.Yasuda	(Iide Satan)	Nice Nature
1991/03/17	Nakayama	Wakaba Stakes	OP	T 2000m	4	1.2	1	1	2:03.6	-0.3	T.Yasuda	(Asakichi)
1991/04/14	Nakayama	Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas)	G1	T 2000m	18	2.1	1	1	2:01.8	-0.2	T.Yasuda	(Shako Grade)
1991/05/26	Tokyo	Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby)	G1	T 2400m	20	1.6	1	1	2:25.9	-0.5	T.Yasuda	(Leo Durban)
1992/04/05	Hanshin	Sankei Osaka Hai	G2	T 2000m	2	1.3	1	1	2:06.3	-0.3	Y.Okabe	(Golden Hour)	Ikuno Dictus
1992/04/26	Kyoto	Tenno Sho (Spring)	G1	T 3200m	14	1.5	1	5	3:21.7	1.7	Y.Okabe	Mejiro McQueen	Mejiro McQueen, Mejiro Palmer
1992/11/01	Tokyo	Tenno Sho (Autumn)	G1	T 2000m	15	2.4	1	7	1:59.1	0.5	Y.Okabe	Let's Go Tarquin	Nice Nature, Daitaku Helios, Ikuno Dictus, Mejiro Palmer
1992/11/29	Tokyo	Japan Cup	G1	T 2400m	14	10.0	5	1	2:24.6	-0.1	Y.Okabe	(Naturalism)	Ikuno Dictus
1992/12/27	Nakayama	Arima Kinen	G1	T 2500m	5	2.4	1	11	2:34.8	1.3	S.Tabara	Mejiro Palmer	Mejiro Palmer, Nice Nature, Ikuno Dictus, Rice Shower, Daitaku Helios
1993/12/26	Nakayama	Arima Kinen	G1	T 2500m	4	9.4	4	1	2:30.9	-0.1	S.Tabara	(Biwa Hayahide)	Biwa Hayahide, Nice Nature, Matikanetannhauser, Mejiro Palmer, Rice Shower, Winning Ticket

Pedigree

Horse pedigree of Tokai Teio (JPN)

Sire Symboli Rudolf (JPN)	Partholon (IRE)	Milesian (GB)	My Babu (FR)
			Oatflake (GB)
		Paleo (FR)	Pharis (FR)
			Calonice (FR)
	Sweet Luna (JPN)	Speed Symboli (JPN)	Royal Challenger (IRE)
			Sweet Inn (JPN)
		Dance Time (IRE)	Palestine (GB)
			Samaritaine (FR)
Dam Tokai Natural (JPN)	Nice Dancer (CAN)	Northern Dancer (CAN)	Nearctic (CAN)
			Natalma (USA)
		Nice Princess (USA)	Le Beau Prince (FR)
			Happy Night (FR)
	Tokai Midori (JPN)	Faberge (FR)	Princely Gift (GB)
			Spring Offensive (GB)
		Tokai Queen (JPN)	Atlantis (IRE)
			Top Ryu (JPN), (Family: 19-b)