King Kamehameha (horse)

King Kamehameha (Japanese: キングカメハメハ, March 20, 2001 – August 10, 2019) was a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. After winning both of his races as a two-year-old he established himself as the best colt of his generation in Japan in 2004 with a five-race winning streak including the Mainichi Hai, NHK Mile Cup, Tokyo Yushun and Kobe Shimbun Hai. After sustaining a tendon injury he was retired from racing with a record of seven wins and one third place from eight starts. He became one of the most successful breeding stallions in Japan winning two sires' championships.

King Kamehameha
King Kamehameha before his final race at Hanshin in September 2004
SireKingmambo
GrandsireMr. Prospector
DamManfath
DamsireLast Tycoon
SexStallion
FoaledMarch 20, 2001[1]
CountryJapan
ColourBay
BreederNorthern Farm
OwnerMakoto Kaneko
TrainerKunihide Matsuda
Record8:7-0-1
Earnings¥429,733,000
Major wins
Mainichi Hai (2004)
NHK Mile Cup (2004)
Tokyo Yushun (2004)
Kobe Shimbun Hai (2004)
Awards
JRA Award for Best Three-Year-Old Colt (2004)
Leading sire in Japan (2010, 2011)

Background

King Kamehameha was a bay horse with no white markings bred in Japan by Northern Farm. His sire, Kingmambo was a highly successful breeding stallion. His progeny included the British Classic winners Russian Rhythm, King's Best, Henrythenavigator, Virginia Waters and Rule of Law as well as major winners in Japan (El Condor Pasa), France (Divine Proportions) and the United States (Lemon Drop Kid).[2] King Kamehameha's dam Manfath, showed no discernible racing ability, failing to win in seven races in England in 1993 and 1994.[3] Manfath did come from a successful female line: her great-great-grandmother Aimee was the ancestor of many major winners including Blushing Groom, Shareta and Encke.[4]

Before foaling King Kamehameha, Manfath had produced The Deputy, a colt who won the Santa Anita Derby in 2000. Manfath was in foal to Kingmambo when she was offered for sale at Keeneland and sold for $600,000. She was exported to Japan where she produced King Kamehameha in the following spring.[5] During his racing career the colt raced in the colours of Makoto Kaneko and was trained by Kunihide Matsuda. The colt was named after a Hawaiian monarch.[6]

Racing career

2003: two-year-old season

King Kamehameha began his racing career in a maiden race at Kyoto Racecourse on 16 November and won from eleven opponents over 1800 metres. He then won the Erica Sho at over 2000 metres at Hanshin Racecourse in December.[7]

2004: three-year-old season

King Kamehameha began his second season by sustaining his only defeat when finishing third to Focal Point and Meiner Makros in the Grade 3 Keisei Hei over 2000 metres at Nakayama Racecourse on 17 January. He was moved up in distance to win the Sumire Stakes over 2200 metres at Hanshin in February and then recorded his first important success at the same course in March when he defeated Shell Game and Meiner Makros in the Grade 3 Mainichi Hai over 2000 metres.[7] On 9 May the colt started favourite in an eighteen-runner field for the Grade 1 NHK Mile Cup over 1600 metres at Tokyo Racecourse. His closest rival in the betting was Seeking The Dia, colt who had won his last three races including the Arlington Cup and the New Zealand Trophy. Ridden by the veteran jockey Katsumi Ando he won by five lengths from Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes winner Cosmo Sunbeam with Meisho Bowler in third and Seeking The Dia seventh.[8]

Three weeks after his win in the NHK Mile Cup King Kamehameha returned to Tokyo Racecourse and was stepped up in trip for the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) over 2400 metres in front of a crowd of 122,000.[9] The colt's preparation for the race, moving up, down and up again in distance were described as being "in defiance of conventional training methods".[6] Focal Point, Meiner Makros and Cosmo Sunbeam were again in opposition whilst other contenders in the eighteen-runner field included Heart's Cry, Daiwa Major and the popular Cosmo Bulk. With Ando again in the saddle, King Kamehameha was restrained in the early stages as Meiner Makros set a very fast pace and went ten lengths clear. King Kamehameha moved up on the final turn, took the lead 300 metres from the finish and won by one and a half lengths from Heart's Cry in a race record time of 2:23.3.[10] After the race Ando said "It wasn't an easy race, but winning it was almost a given. This horse is something else".[9]

On his only subsequent appearance, King Kamehameha ran in the Kobe Shimbun Hai over 2000 metres at Hanhin on 26 September. He won by one and a quarter lengths from Keiai Guard, with Heart's Cry the same distance away in third place.[11] He was retired from racing after sustaining a tendon injury.[12]

Awards

In January 2005 King Kamehameha was voted champion Japanese three-year-old colt at the JRA Awards.[13]

Stud record

King Kamehameha was retired from racing to become a breeding stallion at the Shadai Stallion Station after being syndicated at a value of $19 million, a record for a Japanese-trained horse.[12] He had considerable success as a sire of winners[14] and was the leading sire in Japan in 2010 and 2011.[12] In early 2019 the stallion began to suffer from ill-health and in August his condition deteriorated. He died on 10 August at the age of 18.[15]

Major winners

c = colt, f = filly

Foaled Name Sex Major wins
2007 Rose Kingdom c Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes, Japan Cup
2007 Rulership c Queen Elizabeth II Cup
2007 Apapane f Hanshin Juvenile Fillies, Oka Sho, Yushun Himba, Shuka Sho, Victoria Mile
2008 Belshazzar c Japan Cup Dirt
2008 Lord Kanaloa c Sprinters Stakes (twice), Hong Kong Sprint(twice), Takamatsunomiya Kinen, Yasuda Kinen
2009 Hokko Tarumae c Champions Cup, Tokyo Daishoten
2010 Lovely Day c Takarazuka Kinen, Tenno Sho
2012 Duramente c Satsuki Shō, Tokyo Yūshun
2012 Let's Go Donki f Oka Sho
2013 Leontes c Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes
2013 Mikki Rocket c Takarazuka Kinen
2014 Rey de Oro c Tokyo Yushun
2015 Chuwa Wizard c Champions Cup
2017 Jun Light Bolt c Champions Cup
2019 Stunning Rose f Shūka Sho

Pedigree
Pedigree of King Kamehameha (JPN), bay stallion, 2001[1]
Sire
Kingmambo (USA)
1990		 Mr. Prospector (USA)
1970		 Raise a Native Native Dancer
Raise You
Gold Digger Nashua
Sequence
Miesque (USA)
1984　		 Nureyev Northern Dancer
Special
Pasadoble Prove Out
Santa Quilla
Dam
Manfath (IRE)
1991		 Last Tycoon (IRE)
1983		 Try My Best Northern Dancer
Sex Appeal
Mill Princess Mill Reef
Irish Lass
Pilot Bird (GB)
1983		 Blakeney Hethersett
Windmill Girl
The Dancer Green Dancer
Khazaeen (Family: 22-d)[4]
  • King Kamehameha was inbred 4 × 4 to Northern Dancer, meaning that this stallion appears twice in the fourth generation of his pedigree.

See also

References
  1. "King Kamehameha pedigree". Equineline.
  2. "Kingmambo Stud Record". Racing Post. 2012-02-15. Retrieved 2012-08-05.
  3. "Manfath – Record By Race Type". Racing Post.
  4. "Grand Duchess – Family 22-d". Thoroughbred Bloodlines.
  5. Blood-Horse Staff (30 May 2004). "King Kamehameha Romps in Japan Derby". The Blood-Horse.
  6. Alan Shuback. "King Kamehameha best in Japanese Derby". Daily Racing Form.
  7. "Race Records:Lifetime Starts – King Kamehameha". Japan Bloodhorse Breeders' Association.
  8. "NHK Mile Cup result". Racing Post. 9 May 2004.
  9. Barbara J. Bayer (1 June 2004). "Japan's King Still Rules". The Blood Horse.
  10. "Tokyo Yushun result". Racing Post. 30 May 2004.
  11. "Kobe Simbun Hai result". Racing Post. 26 September 2004.
  12. Andrew Caulfield (28 February 2012). "King ruling Japanese sires' table". Thoroughbred Owner & Breeder Magazine.
  13. "Zenno Rob Roy Heads Japanese Champions". The Blood-Horse. 11 January 2005.
  14. "King Kamehameha – Stud Record". Racing Post.
  15. Takahashi, Masakazu (August 10, 2019). "Japan loses another sire legend as King Kamehameha dies aged 18". Racing Post.
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