Equinox won both the Japan Racing Association's Horse of the Year for 2022 and Best Three-Year-Old Colt award. In the voting for the Horse of the Year award, Equinox received 282 votes out of 288.
The Horse of the Year title is the highest honor given to JRA-registered race horses and is selected by the Horse of the Year Selection Committee represented by journalists of various dailies and magazines.
Note: All information, including ages and race performances, are as of December 31, 2022, unless otherwise indicated.
Horse of the Year and Best Three-Year-Old Colt
Equinox (JPN)
3-Year-Old, Brown, Colt
| Sire Dam (Sire of Dam) | Kitasan Black Chateau Blanche (King Halo) |
|---|---|
| Owner | Silk Racing Co. Ltd. |
| Trainer | Tetsuya Kimura |
| Jockey | Christophe Lemaire |
| Breeder | Northern Farm |
| Wins / Starts in 2022 | 2 / 4 |
| Earnings in 2022 | 761,168,000 Yen |
| Principal Wins in 2022 | Tenno Sho (Autumn) (G1) Arima Kinen (The Grand Prix) (G1) |
Comments from the horse's connections
Owner: Masashi Yonemoto, CEO of Silk Racing Co., Ltd.
"Allow me to express my heartfelt gratitude for having been selected for this distinguished award. Last year, Equinox impressed upon me just how much he had matured in all his races, and each and every time, his performance was magnificent. He was especially impressive in the Tenno Sho (Autumn), with his sharp turn of foot and powerful final drive down the stretch, and then in the Arima Kinen (The Grand Prix), as he rounded the final turn brimming with energy and pulled away in the straight. I believe he still has some growing to do and I am very much looking forward to this year's races. I would like to take this opportunity to recognize and thank everyone involved with his care, at the stable and on the farms, and to all the fans who have given us their constant support."
Trainer: Tetsuya Kimura
"It is an honor to receive the prestigious award for Horse of the Year. This would not have been possible without, firstly, the owner and stable staff, and the support of all those connected with the horse, including the fans and their encouragement. Thank you very much."
Jockey: Christophe Lemaire
"Equinox gradually improved over the past year. Especially from the autumn, when he had matured into an adult, he gave us some brilliant performances, such as in the Tenno Sho (Autumn) and the Arima Kinen. I am very much looking forward to this year as well."
Best Two-Year-Old Colt:
Dolce More (JPN)
2-Year-Old, Bay, Colt
| Sire Dam (Sire of Dam) | Rulership Ayusan (Deep Impact) |
|---|---|
| Owner | Three H Racing Co. Ltd. |
| Trainer | Naosuke Sugai |
| Jockey | Ryusei Sakai |
| Breeder | Shimokobe Farm |
| Wins / Starts in 2022 | 3 / 3 |
| Earnings in 2022 | 111,540,000 Yen |
| Principal Wins in 2022 | Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes (G1) |
Best Two-Year-Old Filly:
Liberty Island (JPN)
2-Year-Old, Bay, Filly
| Sire Dam (Sire of Dam) | Duramente Yankee Rose (All American) |
|---|---|
| Owner | Sunday Racing Co. Ltd. |
| Trainer | Mitsumasa Nakauchida |
| Jockey | Yuga Kawada |
| Breeder | Northern Racing |
| Wins / Starts in 2022 | 2 / 3 |
| Earnings in 2022 | 85,432,000 Yen |
| Principal Wins in 2022 | Hanshin Juvenile Fillies (G1) |
Best Three-Year-Old Filly:
Stars on Earth (JPN)
3-Year-Old, Dark Bay, Filly
| Sire Dam (Sire of Dam) | Duramente Southern Stars (Smart Strike) |
|---|---|
| Owner | Shadai Race Horse Co. Ltd. |
| Trainer | Mizuki Takayanagi |
| Jockey | Christophe Lemaire |
| Breeder | Shadai Farm |
| Wins / Starts in 2022 | 2 / 5 |
| Earnings in 2022 | 384,554,000 Yen |
| Principal Wins in 2022 | Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) (G1) Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) (G1) |
Best Older Colt or Horse:
Titleholder (JPN)
4-Year-Old, Bay, Colt
| Sire Dam (Sire of Dam) | Duramente Mowen (Motivator) |
|---|---|
| Owner | Hiroshi Yamada |
| Trainer | Toru Kurita |
| Jockey | Kazuo Yokoyama |
| Breeder | Okada Stud |
| Wins / Starts in 2022 | 3 / 5 |
| Earnings in 2022 | 475,652,000 Yen |
| Principal Wins in 2022 | Tenno Sho (Spring) (G1) Takarazuka Kinen (G1) |
Best Older Filly or Mare:
Geraldina (JPN)
4-Year-Old, Bay, Filly
| Sire Dam (Sire of Dam) | Maurice Gentildonna (Deep Impact) |
|---|---|
| Owner | Sunday Racing Co. Ltd. |
| Trainer | Takashi Saito |
| Jockey | Cristian Demuro |
| Breeder | Northern Racing |
| Wins / Starts in 2022 | 2 / 7 |
| Earnings in 2022 | 339,658,000 Yen |
| Principal Wins in 2022 | Queen Elizabeth II Cup (G1) |
Best Sprinter or Miler:
Serifos (JPN)
3-Year-Old, Chestnut, Colt
| Sire Dam (Sire of Dam) | Daiwa Major Sea Front (Le Havre) |
|---|---|
| Owner | G1 Racing Co. Ltd. |
| Trainer | Mitsumasa Nakauchida |
| Jockey | Damian Lane |
| Breeder | Oiwake Farm |
| Wins / Starts in 2022 | 2 / 4 |
| Earnings in 2022 | 290,704,000 Yen |
| Principal Wins in 2022 | Mile Championship (G1) |
Best Dirt Horse:
Cafe Pharoah (USA)
5-Year-Old, Bay, Horse
| Sire Dam (Sire of Dam) | American Pharoah Mary's Follies (More Than Ready) |
|---|---|
| Owner | Koichi Nishikawa |
| Trainer | Noriyuki Hori |
| Jockey | Yuichi Fukunaga |
| Breeder | Paul P. Pompa |
| Wins / Starts in 2022 | 2 / 3 (NAR 1 / 1) |
| Earnings in 2022 | 183,486,000 Yen (NAR 60,000,000 Yen) |
| Principal Wins in 2022 | February Stakes (G1) Mile Champion Ship Nambu Hai |
Best Steeplechase Horse:
Oju Chosan (JPN)
11-Year-Old, Bay, Horse
| Sire Dam (Sire of Dam) | Stay Gold Shadow Silhouette (Symboli Kris S) |
|---|---|
| Owner | Chosan Co. Ltd. |
| Trainer | Shoichiro Wada |
| Jockey | Shinichi Ishigami |
| Breeder | Naoyoshi Nagayama |
| Wins / Starts in 2022 | 1 / 4 |
| Earnings in 2022 | 76,370,000 Yen |
| Principal Wins in 2022 | Nakayama Grand Jump (J-G1) |
Trainers & Jockeys
*Best Trainer (races won): Yoshito Yahagi (64 wins)
*Best Trainer (winning average): Mitsumasa Nakauchida (0.195)
*Best Trainer (money earned): Yoshito Yahagi (1,916,755,400 Yen)
*Best Trainer (training technique): Tetsuya Kimura
JRA Best Jockey (races won): Yuga Kawada (143 wins)
JRA Best Jockey (winning average): Yuga Kawada (0.259)
JRA Best Jockey (money earned): Yuga Kawada (3,157,091,000 Yen)
Grand Prize: Yuga Kawada
**MVJ (Most Valuable Jockey): Keita Tosaki (47 points)
Best Steeplechase Jockey: Shinichi Ishigami
Best Jockey (newcomer): Seina Imamura
*Trainers' figures include National Association of Racing (NAR; Racing by Local Governments) and overseas race results.
**The MVJ is determined by points allotted a jockey for his or her ranking in four different categories for designated JRA, NAR and overseas races. The four categories are "number of wins," "win average," "earnings," and "number of rides for the year." The MVJ award is bestowed upon the jockey with the highest total points.
