IRL:Vodka
| Main | IRL |
| Vodka | |
|---|---|
| ウオッカ | |
.jpg) |
|
| Vodka winning the 2007 Japan Derby | |
| Romaji | Uokka |
| Foaled | April 04, 2004 |
| Died | April 01, 2019 |
| Sire | Tanino Gimlet |
| Dam | Tanino Sister |
| Sex | Mare |
| Color | Bay |
| Trainer | Katsuhiko Sumii |
| Race Record | 26: 10-5-3 |
| Earnings | 1,333,565,800 JPY |
| Major wins | |
| Hanshin Juvenile Fillies (2006) Japan Derby (2007) Yasuda Kinen (2008, 2009) Fall Tennoshou (2008) Victoria Mile (2009) Japan Cup (2009) |
|
To Far Away
You always looked at far away.
You aimed for somewhere nobody cannot reach.
As if you had believed something you can get only there.
Was there satisfaction or peace
At the place you reach?
― JRA Portraits of the Bucephalus[1]
Vodka (ウオッカ, 4 April 2004 – 1 April 2019) was a Japanese racehorse that was active from 2006-2010. She is a decorated racemare and considered one of the greatest Japanese racehorses of all time, having won 7 Group 1 races including the 2007 Japan Derby, becoming the first filly to win the race in 64 years. She earned the honors of JRA Horse Of the Year in 2008 and 2009, and was inducted into the JRA Hall of Fame in 2011.
Name Origin
A liquor name; the same as her father Tanino Gimlet. Vodka is "stronger" than gimlet, and her owner chose not to include his crown name (Tanino) so as not to "thin" her strength. [2]
Racing career
In 2006 (2 years old)
After winning her debut and coming 2nd in the Kigiku Sho, Vodka won the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies (G1), beating Aston Machan by a neck. At the end of the year, she was awarded the 2006 JRA Award for Best 2-year-old Filly.
In 2007 (3 years old)
Vodka began her 3 year old campaign winning the Elfin Stakes, followed by another win in the G3 Tulip Sho, where she would have her first race against her long time rival, Daiwa Scarlet. Her next start would be in the 2007 Oka Sho, where she would lose to Daiwa Scarlet by 1 1/2 lengths.
The owner Yuzo Tanimizu, decided to enter Vodka into the Japan Derby as her next race, wanting her to achieve the same victory as her sire, Tanino Gimlet. Furthermore, trainer Katsuhiko Sumii believed that Vodka had the strength to race against older horses. She would become the first filly to race in the Derby since Biwa Heidi in 1996. She went off as the 3rd popular horse, behind favorite Fusaichi Ho O and Satsuki Sho winner, Victory.
In a shocking and historic result, Vodka would end up winning the Japan Derby by 3 lengths, becoming the first filly to achieve victory in the race since Kurifuji in 1943.
Vodka would go on to have 4 consecutive losses for the rest of 2007, having been defeated in the Takarazuka Kinen, Shuka Sho, Japan Cup and Arima Kinen. She would also scratch from the Queen Elizabeth II Cup due to lameness. Though Vodka won the Japan Derby, she lost to Daiwa Scarlet for JRA Champion 3-year-old Filly, having lost to the filly in 3 of the 4 races they ran in that year. However, Vodka was awarded the JRA Special Award for her Japan Derby victory.
In 2008 (4 years old)
Vodka's losing streak would continue into the beginning of 2008, placing 6th in the G2 Kyoto Kinen. She would then travel internationally, to run in the Dubai Duty Free at Nad Al Sheba Racecourse. Though she would close in late in race, she ended up placing 4th.
After returning to Japan, Vodka would enter the Victoria Mile, going in as a heavy favorite in the race. However, she would fail to win the race being upset by Asian Wind, placing 2nd. This defeat would mark a full year since Vodka's Japan Derby victory. Vodka would run again 3 weeks later in the Yasuda Kinen, becoming the only Derby winner to enter the race since Sakura Chiyono O in 1989. Vodka would end up winning the race with ease, beating runner up Armada by 3 1/2 lengths. It was her first victory in over a year, and her 3rd G1 victory. She would also be only the 3rd filly ever to win the Yasuda Kinen, following Daiichi Ruby in 1991 and North Flight in 1994.
Vodka would enter in the Mainichi Okan as her first race in the fall season. Though she was a heavy favorite, she ended up losing to fellow rival Super Hornet by a head. Vodka would race again in November, entering a star-studded Fall Tennosho. The field included 2008 Japan Derby winner Deep Sky, 2008 Takarazuka Kinen winner Dream Journey and her longtime rival and 3 G1 winner Daiwa Scarlet.
The race would end up being a thriller and regarded as one of the greatest races in JRA history, as Vodka and Daiwa Scarlet would cross the finish line noses apart. It took 13 minutes for stewards to determine Vodka as the winner, beating Daiwa Scarlet by only 2 centimeters. Vodka would end the year running in the Japan Cup, and though leading in the final meters of the race, was caught by eventual winner Screen Hero, finishing the race in 3rd.
Vodka would be awarded the 2008 JRA Horse of the Year and Best Female Horse 4 Years and Older. This would only be the 2nd time that a filly was awarded the JRA Horse of Year award, following Air Groove in 1997.
In 2009 (5 years old)
Vodka would begin 2009 traveling to Dubai with the intent to race in the Dubai Duty Free. She would run in the G2 Jebel Hatta, a prep race at Meydan Racecourse, but would finish a disappointing 5th. She would still go to run in the Dubai Duty Free but would not be able to improve upon her last race finishing 7th.
Vodka would return to Japan focusing on a domestic campaign in the Spring, with her first race to be the Victoria Mile. She was heavy favorite going into the race, having an overwhelming odds of 1.7. Vodka would not disappoint those odds, and won by a dominating 7 length margins. This was her 5th G1 victory, tying the record for most G1 victories by a filly at the time with Mejiro Dober, and set the record for most prize money won by a filly, surpassing Air Groove and Hokuta Vega.
Vodka's next race would be the Yasuda Kinen, where she would look to set the record for most G1 wins by a filly, and just like her last race, was considered an overwhelming favorite in the race. During the race, Vodka would be caught up in traffic on the final stretch, but would be able to break through and catch Deep Sky in the final moments, claiming victory by 3/4 lengths. Vodka would become only the 2nd horse to achieve consecutive Yasuda Kinen victories, first achieved by Yamanin Zephyr in 1993. She had claimed her 6th G1 victory, and set the record for most G1 victories by a filly in the JRA.
Vodka would take a break during summer, where her first race of her autumn campaign would be the Mainichi Okan, a race many expected her to win. She would run away in the race but was caught by Company in the final stretch, finishing a surprising 2nd. She would go on to run in the Fall Tennosho, where she would face familiar rivals in Company and Deep Sky. However, she would have a tough race, and failed to catch Company on the stretch, finishing the race in 3rd. The disappointing results in the Mainichi Okan and Fall Tennosho resulted in her longtime jockey, Yutaka Take, from stepping down allowing upcoming star jockey Christophe Lemaire to ride Vodka in her next race.
Her next race would be the Japan Cup where she would be set to face an international field of horses. The main international rival would come in as Conduit, an Irish horse that had won the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes and Breeders Cup Turf that year. Vodka was considered a slight favorite in the race, having 3.6 odds. In the race, Vodka was able to take the lead in the final 400 meters, but was being chased down Oken Bruce Lee resulting in a photo finish. It took 7 minutes to decide a winner, but Vodka was declared victorious by only a nose. Vodka had claimed her 7th G1 victory and tied the record for most G1 victories in the JRA, held by Symboli Rudolf, T.M. Opera O and Deep Impact, and was the first Japanese trained filly to win the Japan Cup.
Vodka would once again be awarded the JRA Horse of the Year and Best Female Horse 4 Years and Older. She is the first filly to awarded Horse of the Year 2 years in a row, and the sixth horse ever in the history of the JRA.
Retirement
After the Japan Cup, it was discovered Vodka had developed a nosebleed during the race, and was suspended from racing in the JRA for a month, causing her to miss the Arima Kinen. Vodka would cancel her retirement at the end of 2009, with the plan to retire after running in the Dubai World Cup. Vodka's first race of 2010 would be the prep race G2 Maktoum Challenge Round 3, but would finish in 8th place. After the race, Vodka had developed a second nosebleed, and the decision was made to retire her from racing.
In 2011, Vodka was voted into the JRA Hall of Fame with a 84.4% majority vote. She would be the 4th filly to be voted into the Hall of Fame, following Kurifuji, Tokitsukaze, and Mejiro Ramonu.
Breeding career
After her retirement, Vodka would begin her breeding career at Aga Khan Stud Giltown in Ireland. She was bred to Sea the Stars for 3 consecutive years, and other stallions including Frankel and Invincible Spirit. Her 3rd and 4th kid, Tanino Urban Sea and Tanino Frankel would race in Japan, with Tanino Frankel becoming a sire at Rex Stud in 2022.
On February 23rd, 2019, Vodka was moved to a farm near Newmarket, England to mate with a stallion but had developed a fracture in her right hind leg. She was taken to a hospital for surgery but had developed laminitis in both hind legs. Vodka would be euthanized due to her injuries, and passed away on April 1st, 2019. Vodka was cremated and remains were given to her owner Yuzo Tanimizu. He divided her ashes, and her remains are buried on a private farm in Newmarket, in a grave under a cherry blossom tree. [3]
Honors
Including being inducted into the JRA Hall of Fame 2011, owner Yuzo Tanimizu donated a bronze state of Vodka at Tokyo Racecourse, celebrating her 6 G1 victories at the racetrack. The statue was unveiled April 23rd, 2014, in a rose garden near Tokyo Racecourse. [4]
On April 6th, 2019, 5 days after Vodka's passing, the main races of the race weekend, The New Zealand Trophy, Hanshin Himba Stakes and Azuma-Kofuji Sho were held with the subtitle "Vodka Memorial Race". Flower offering stands were set up that race weekend at Fukushima, Kyoto, Tokyo, Nakayama and Hanshin Racecourse, with 218 flower tributes being offered.
Relationships
Relatives
- Tanino Gimlet - Father
Raced with
Race Records
| Date | Racecourse | Race | Grade | Distance (condition) | Entry | HN | Odds (Favored) | Finish | Time | Margins | Jockey | Winner (Runner-up) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 – two-year-old season | ||||||||||||
| Oct 29, 2006 | Kyoto | 2yo Newcomer | 1,600m (Firm) | 13 | 4 | 3.3 (2) | 1st | 1:35.0 | -0.6 | K. Sameshima | (Lace Doll) | |
| Nov 12, 2006 | Kyoto | Kigiku Sho | ALW | 1,800m (Firm) | 8 | 7 | 3.0 (2) | 2nd | 1:49.5 | 0.2 | H. Shii | Meiner Soliste |
| Dec 3, 2006 | Hanshin | Hanshin JF | G1 | 1,600m (Firm) | 18 | 2 | 11.1 (4) | 1st | R1:33.1 | -0.0 | H.Shii | (Aston Machan) |
| 2007 – three-year-old season | ||||||||||||
| Feb 3, 2007 | Kyoto | Elfin Stakes | OP | 1,600m (Firm) | 9 | 9 | 1.7 (1) | 1st | 1:33.7 | -0.5 | H. Shii | (Nishino Manamusume) |
| Mar 3, 2007 | Hanshin | Tulip Sho | G3 | 1,600m (Firm) | 16 | 11 | 1.4 (1) | 1st | 1:33.7 | -0.0 | H. Shii | (Daiwa Scarlet) |
| Apr 8, 2007 | Hanshin | Oka Sho | G1 | 1,600m (Firm) | 18 | 14 | 1.4 (1) | 2nd | 1:33.9 | 0.2 | H. Shii | Daiwa Scarlet |
| May 27, 2007 | Tokyo | Japan Derby | G1 | 2,400m (Firm) | 18 | 3 | 10.5 (3) | 1st | 2:24.5 | -0.5 | H. Shii | (Asakusa Kings) |
| Jun 24, 2007 | Hanshin | Takarazuka Kinen | G1 | 2,200m (Good) | 18 | 2 | 3.5 (1) | 8th | 2:14.0 | 1.6 | H. Shii | Admire Moon |
| Oct 14, 2007 | Kyoto | Shuka Sho | G1 | 2,000m (Firm) | 18 | 16 | 2.7 (1) | 3rd | 1:59.3 | 0.2 | H. Shii | Daiwa Scarlet |
| Nov 11, 2007 | Kyoto | Queen Elizabeth II Cup | G1 | 2,200m (Firm) | 14 | 3 | -- (--) | Scr | -- | -- | H. Shii | Daiwa Scarlet |
| Nov 25, 2007 | Tokyo | Japan Cup | G1 | 2,400m (Firm) | 18 | 11 | 6.1 (2) | 4th | 2:24.9 | 0.2 | H. Shii | Admire Moon |
| Dec 23, 2007 | Nakayama | Arima Kinen | G1 | 2,500m (Good) | 16 | 16 | 6.9 (3) | 11th | 2:35.7 | 2.1 | H. Shii | Matsurida Gogh |
| 2008 – four-year-old season | ||||||||||||
| Feb 23, 2008 | Kyoto | Kyoto Kinen | G2 | 2,200m (Firm) | 16 | 16 | 3.4 (2) | 6th | 2:13.9 | 0.3 | H. Shii | Admire Aura |
| Mar 29, 2008 | Nad Al Sheba | Dubai Duty Free | G1 | 1,777m (Good) | 16 | 12 | -- (--) | 4th | 1:46.6 | -- | Y. Take | Jay Peg |
| May 18, 2008 | Tokyo | Victoria Mile | G1 | 1,600m (Firm) | 18 | 9 | 2.1 (1) | 2nd | 1:33.8 | 0.1 | Y. Take | Asian Winds |
| Jun 8, 2008 | Tokyo | Yasuda Kinen | G1 | 1,600m (Firm) | 18 | 5 | 4.1 (2) | 1st | 1:32.7 | -0.6 | Y. Iwata | (Armada) |
| Oct 12, 2008 | Tokyo | Mainichi Okan | G2 | 1,800m (Firm) | 16 | 3 | 1.5 (1) | 2nd | 1:44.6 | 0.0 | Y. Take | Super Hornet |
| Nov 2, 2008 | Tokyo | Tenno Sho (Autumn) | G1 | 2,000m (Firm) | 17 | 14 | 2.7 (1) | 1st | R1:57.2 | -0.0 | Y. Take | (Daiwa Scarlet) |
| Nov 30, 2008 | Tokyo | Japan Cup | G1 | 2,400m (Firm) | 18 | 4 | 3.7 (2) | 3rd | 2:25.7 | 0.2 | Y. Iwata | Screen Hero |
| 2009 – five-year-old season | ||||||||||||
| Mar 5, 2009 | Nad Al Sheba | Jebel Hatta | G2 | 1,777m (Firm) | 16 | 7 | -- (--) | 5th | 1:49.2 | -- | Y. Take | Balius |
| Mar 28, 2009 | Nad Al Sheba | Dubai Duty Free | G1 | 1,777m (Good) | 16 | 3 | -- (--) | 7th | 1:48.7 | -- | Y. Take | Gladiatorus |
| May 17, 2009 | Tokyo | Victoria Mile | G1 | 1,600m (Firm) | 18 | 6 | 1.7 (1) | 1st | 1:32.4 | -1.2 | Y. Take | (Bravo Daisy) |
| Jun 7, 2009 | Tokyo | Yasuda Kinen | G1 | 1,600m (Firm) | 18 | 3 | 1.8 (1) | 1st | 1:33.5 | -0.1 | Y. Take | (Deep Sky) |
| Oct 11, 2009 | Tokyo | Mainichi Okan | G2 | 1,800m (Firm) | 11 | 6 | 1.3 (1) | 2nd | 1:45.5 | 0.2 | Y. Take | Company |
| Nov 1, 2009 | Tokyo | Tenno Sho (Autumn) | G1 | 2,000m (Firm) | 18 | 7 | 2.1 (1) | 3rd | 1:57.5 | 0.3 | Y. Take | Company |
| Nov 29, 2009 | Tokyo | Japan Cup | G1 | 2,400m (Firm) | 18 | 5 | 3.6 (1) | 1st | 2:22.4 | -0.0 | C. Lemaire | (Oken Bruce Lee) |
| 2010 – six-year-old season | ||||||||||||
| Mar 4, 2010 | Meydan | Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3 | G2 | 2,000m (Standard) | 14 | 8 | -- (--) | 8th | -- | -- | C. Lemaire | Red Desire |
Legend:
Turf
All Weather
Notes