Hishi Amazon

Hishi Amazon (Japanese: ヒシアマゾン, March 26, 1991 - April 15, 2019)^[2] was a Japanese thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare in Japan and the United States.^[1]

Hishi Amazon
Hishi Amazon in October 1995
Sire	Theatrical
Grandsire	Nureyev
Dam	Katies
Damsire	Nonoalco
Sex	Mare
Foaled	Mar 26, 1991
Died	April 15, 2019(2019-04-15) (aged 28)
Country	Japan
Breeder	Abe Masaichiro
Owner	Abe Masaichiro
Trainer	Takao Nakano
Record	20: 10-5-0 [1]
Earnings	695,829,000 yen
Major wins
Hanshin Sansai Himba Stakes (1993) Queen Elizabeth II Cup (1994) New Zealand Trophy Yonsai Stakes (1994) Rose Stakes (1994) Sankei Sho All Comers (1995) Kyoto Daishoten (1995)
Awards
JRA Award for Best Two-Year-Old Filly[Note 1] (1993) JRA Award for Best Three-Year-Old Filly[Note 1] (1994) JRA Award for Best Older Filly or Mare (1995)

Hishi Amazon was born in the United States and trained in Japan. She won the 1993 JRA Award for Best Two-Year-Old Filly, the 1994 JRA Award for Best Three-Year-Old Filly, and the 1995 JRA Award for Best Older Filly or Mare.^{[Note 1]}

Her main jockey was Eiji Nakadate, only being jockeyed by someone else in the second race after her debut and her final race at the Arima Kinen.

Overview

Hishi Amazon's racing career was marked both by the JRA's still-severe restrictions on foreign-born horses and also how well she competed against colts and stallions in spite of those restrictions. At the time, foreign-born horses weren't allowed to compete in the Classic races, and as a filly, Hishi Amazon's options for G1 races were limited.^[3]

After her first two races, which were on dirt tracks instead of turf due to worsening periostitis,^[3] she placed 2nd in her first graded race on a turf track, the Keio Hai Sansai Stakes. Later that year, Hishi Amazon won the filly-only G1 Hanshin Sansai Himba Stakes by five lengths, earning the JRA Award for Best Three-Year-Old Filly in 1993.^[4]

Despite being unable to race in the 1994 Classics, she won five graded races in a row that year—many over colts—culminating in a victory in the Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup over Classic winners Oguri Roman and Chokai Carol. While she lost the G1 Arima Kinen to Triple Crown-winner Narita Brian, she still came in second despite being the number-six favorite, beating out other veteran stallions like Rice Shower. She was given the JRA Award for Best Four-Year-Old Filly in 1994.^[4]

For the next two years, she began to struggle more in races, though she won the 1995 Sankei Sho All Comers and Kyoto Daishoten and placed 2nd in the Japan Cup, highest of all Japanese horses in that race.^[4] Her efforts earned her the JRA Award for Best Older Filly or Mare that year. She retired after three more races in 1996, becoming a broodmare.

Statistics

The following statistics are based on information from netkeiba and JBIS.^{[5][6][Note 2]}

Date	Track	Name	Grade	Type/Distance	Field	Finished	Time	Jockey	Winner (2nd Place)
1993 – two-year-old season
September 19, 1993	Nakayama	Maiden Race		Dirt 1200m	11	1st	1:13.7	Eiji Nakadate	(Nobori Ryu)
October 24, 1993	Tokyo	Platanus Sho		Dirt 1400m	11	2nd	1:26.3	Teruo Eda	Mitsuru Masaru
November 13, 1993	Tokyo	Keio Hai Sansai Stakes	G2	Turf 1400m	9	2nd	1:22.9	Eiji Nakadate	Yamanin Ability
December 5, 1993	Hanshin	Hanshin Sansai Himba Stakes	G1	Turf 1600m	15	1st	1:35.9 (record)	Eiji Nakadate	(Robe Montante)
1994 – three-year-old season
January 9, 1994	Nakayama	Keisei Hai	G3	Turf 1600m	8	2nd	1:34.2	Eiji Nakadate	Biko Pegasus
January 30, 1994	Tokyo	Daily Hai Queen Cup	G3	Turf 1600m	13	1st	1:35.1	Eiji Nakadate	(Eishin Vermont)
April 16, 1994	Nakayama	Crystal Cup	G3	Turf 1200m	14	1st	1:08.5	Eiji Nakadate	(Taiki Wolf)
June 5, 1994	Tokyo	New Zealand Trophy Yonsai Stakes	G2	Turf 1600m	9	1st	1:35.8	Eiji Nakadate	(Machikane Allegro)
October 2, 1994	Nakayama	Queen Stakes	G3	Turf 2000m	11	1st	2:02.9	Eiji Nakadate	(Jono Butterfly)
October 23, 1994	Hanshin	Rose Stakes	G2	Turf 2000m	15	1st	2:00.0	Eiji Nakadate	(Agnes Parade)
November 13, 1994	Kyoto	Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup	G1	Turf 2400m	18	1st	2:24.3	Eiji Nakadate	(Chokai Carol)
December 25, 1994	Nakayama	Arima Kinen	G1	Turf 2500m	13	2nd	2:32.7	Eiji Nakadate	Narita Brian
1995 – four-year-old season
July 9, 1995	Chukyo	Takamatsunomiya Hai	G2	Turf 2000m	12	5th	2:03.0	Eiji Nakadate	Matikanetannhauser
September 18, 1995	Nakayama	Sankei Sho All Comers	G2	Turf 2200m	10	1st	2:16.3	Eiji Nakadate	(Irish Dance)
October 8, 1995	Kyoto	Kyoto Daishoten	G2	Turf 2400m	13	1st	2.25.3	Eiji Nakadate	(Tamamo Highway)
November 26, 1995	Tokyo	Japan Cup	G1	Turf 2400m	14	2nd	2:24.8	Eiji Nakadate	Lando
December 24, 1995	Nakayama	Arima Kinen	G1	Turf 2500m	12	5th	2:34.6	Eiji Nakadate	Mayano Top Gun
1996 – five-year-old season
June 9, 1996	Tokyo	Yasuda Kinen	G1	Turf 1600m	17	10th	1:33.9	Eiji Nakadate	Trot Thunder
November 10, 1996	Kyoto	Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup	G1	Turf 2200m	16	7th(*)	2:14.3	Eiji Nakadate	Dance Partner
December 22, 1996	Nakayama	Arima Kinen	G1	Turf 2500m	14	5th	2:35.0	Hiroshi Kawachi	Sakura Laurel

(*) Demoted from 2nd.

In popular culture

An anthropomorphized depiction of Hishi Amazon appears in the Umamusume: Pretty Derby multimedia franchise, voice-acted by seiyuu Yuiko Tatsumi.^[7]

Pedigree

Pedigree of Hishi Amazon^[8][9]

Sire Theatrical	Nureyev	Northern Dancer	Nearctic
			Natalma
		Special	Forli
			Thong
	Tree of Knowledge	Sassafras	Sheshoon
			Ruta
		Sensibility	Hail to Reason
			Pange
Dam Katies	Nonoalco	Nearctic	Nearco
			Lady Angela
		Seximee	Hasty Road
			Jambo
	Mortefontaine	Polic	Relic
			Polaine
		Barbantia	Honeyway
			Parthaven

Notes

1. Prior to Japan's revision of the way it counts horse ages to match the international standard in 2001, newborns used to be considered 1 year old, thus these awards at the time were named "Best Three-Year-Old Filly" and "Best Four-Year-Old Filly."
2. Prior to Japan's revision of the way it counts horse ages to match the international standard in 2001, newborns used to be considered 1 year old, thus there is a one-year difference in the names of certain races.