Kitasan Black drew 134 out of 291 votes to win The Japan Racing Association’s 2016 Horse of the Year based on an outstanding season that included victories in the Tenno Sho (Spring) and the Japan Cup. Maurice, who won three G1 titles, including two in Hong Kong, earned 90 votes to deny him a second consecutive Horse of the Year title, but he still earned a Special Award for continuing to excel in the final season of his illustrious career. The annual JRA Awards, which will be handed out in a ceremony at Prince Park Tower Tokyo on Monday, January 30, recognize horses, trainers, jockeys, other individuals and organizations for outstanding performances or achievements in the thoroughbred racing season.
Kitasan Black also was selected Best Older Colt or Horse with 201 votes. Oju Chosan was named Best Steeplechase Horse as the year’s only unanimous choice in any category, while Best Two-Year-Old Filly Soul Stirring and Best Three-Year-Old Colt Satono Diamond came up just one vote and five votes short, respectively, of 291. Best Two-Year-Old Colt Satono Ares and Best Three-Year-Old Filly Sinhalite both collected over 90% of the votes.
Yoshito Yahagi
JRA Best Trainer Awards are presented for Wins, Money Earned and Winning Average based on JRA races and designated NAR and overseas races. Yoshito Yahagi became Best Trainer (Races Won) for a second time following 2014, while Noriyuki Hori won his second consecutive title for Winning Average, his third overall and first in Money Earned and Training Technique.
Keita Tosaki
Best Jockey Awards are presented for Races Won, Money Earned, Winning Average, Steeplechase and Newcomer based on accomplishments in JRA races alone. Keita Tosaki won his third consecutive titles for Races Won with 187 and Most Valuable Jockey for overall accomplishments, including designated NAR and overseas races. Christophe Lemaire missed sharing the Races Won title by just one victory but claimed his second successive title for Winning Average and his first title for Money Earned. Shinichi Ishigami won his first title for Best Steeplechase Jockey and Takuya Kowata was named Best Jockey (Newcomer). Shigefumi Kumazawa was given a Special Award for noteworthy career achievements both in flat and steeplechase racing.
The Equine Culture Award was presented to Mugiho Omata (author) and Yuki Sasameya (illustrator) for their work in children’s literature, “Satta no Kuroi Kouma” (Satta’s black foal).
*All information, including ages and race performances, are as of December 31, 2016, unless otherwise indicated. Wins and earnings include JRA-designated local public races under the National Association of Racing (NAR) and overseas starts, except for jockeys. The Season Performances chart shows the horse’s positions in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and final corners, from left to right. “L3F” and “[Horse]” indicate time over the last 3 furlongs (600m) and the horse’s weight, respectively.
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