Japan Racing Association Hall of Fame

The Horse Racing Hall of Fame (Japanese: 競馬の殿堂) is a Japanese horse racing memorial hall which was installed on September 2, 1985 at the JRA Horse Racing Museum, Fuchu, Tokyo. It was founded by Japan Racing Association to honor the achievements of race horses, jockeys and trainers.

Race horses inducted into the Hall of Fame are called Kensho-ba (顕彰馬) while jockeys and trainer are called Kensho-sha (顕彰者) by the Japan Racing Association.

Race horse nomination[edit]

The selection of a race horse for the Hall of Fame is decided annually by a vote in June. It is voted on by members of the press. Racehorses are inducted into the Hall of Fame if they gather over three-quarters of the total vote.^[1]

Voters can vote for race horses which:

Have won more than three Grade 1 races.^[a]
Have had excellent racing and breeding results (sired a G1 winner more than five or bred G1 winner more than two)
Have had a positive contribution to the racing world or JRA.

Since 2004, an additional rule was introduced: that race horses which retired less than a year or more than 20 years ago cannot be nominated. In that year only, an extra vote was held exclusively for horse which retired more than 20 years (where Takeshiba O was selected).

Almond Eye (アーモンドアイ 2023)^[2]
Contrail (コントレイル 2024)^[3]
Deep Impact (ディープインパクト 2008)
El Condor Pasa (エルコンドルパサー 2014)
Gentildonna (ジェンティルドンナ 2016)
Grand Marches (グランドマーチス 1985)
Haiseiko (ハイセイコー 1984)
Hakuchikara (ハクチカラ 1984)
Lord Kanaloa (ロードカナロア 2018)
King Kamehameha (キングカメハメハ 2024)^[3]
Kitasan Black (キタサンブラック 2020)
Kodama (コダマ 1990)
Kumohata (クモハタ 1984)
Kurifuji (クリフジ 1984)
Maruzensky (マルゼンスキー 1990)
Meiji Hikari (メイヂヒカリ 1990)
Mejiro McQueen (メジロマックイーン 1994)
Mejiro Ramonu (メジロラモーヌ 1987)
Mr. C.B. (ミスターシービー 1986)
Narita Brian (ナリタブライアン 1998)
Oguri Cap (オグリキャップ 1991)
Orfevre (オルフェーヴル 2015)
Seiyu (セイユウ 1985)
Shinzan (シンザン 1984)
Speed Symboli (スピードシンボリ 1990)
St Lite (セントライト 1984)
Symboli Rudolf (シンボリルドルフ 1987)
Taiki Shuttle (タイキシャトル 1999)
Takeshiba O (タケシバオー 2004)
Ten Point (テンポイント 1990)
T M Opera O (テイエムオペラオー 2004)
Tokai Teio (トウカイテイオー 1995)
Tokino Minoru (トキノミノル 1984)
Tokitsukaze (horse) [jp] (トキツカゼ 1984)
Tosa Midori (トサミドリ 1984)
Tosho Boy (トウショウボーイ 1984)
Vodka (ウオッカ 2011)

Criticism against the voting process[edit]

The voting process for race horse selection has been called in to question, including by some voters,^[4] in 2022 after no horses gained the required votes to be inducted in to the Hall of Fame, including Almond Eye despite winning 9 Grade 1 races in her career.^[4]^[5]^[6] While Almond Eye was ultimately inducted in 2023, during that same voting process Contrail was not selected by 1 less vote, and at least 3 votes were cast to Stay Gold, who was already ineligible due to the retirement rules; leading to more criticism against the voting process.^[7]^[8]

Jockeys[edit]

The jockeys who have shown remarkable activity as well as more than 1000 victories are inducted to hall of Fame. The selection was started in 2004.^[9]

Youichi Fukunaga (福永洋一 2004)
Hiroyuki Gohara (郷原洋行 2014)
Hiroshi Kawachi (河内洋 2014)
Yuuji Nohira (野平祐二 2004)
Yukio Okabe (岡部幸雄 2014)
Masato Shibata (柴田政人 2014)
Takayoshi Yasuda (保田隆芳 2004)

Trainers[edit]

Trainers who have won more than 1000 races and who have won more than ten times at the eight biggest races: Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby), Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas), Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger), Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks), Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas), Tenno Sho (Spring and Autumn) and Arima Kinen, are inducted to hall of Fame. The selection was started in 2004.^[9]

Tomiyoshi Fujimoto (藤本冨良, 2004)
Kazuo Fujisawa (藤沢和雄,2022)
Yukio Inaba (稲葉幸夫, 2004)
Yuji Ito (伊藤雄二, 2014)
Kinzou Kubota (久保田金造, 2004)
Kichisaburou Matsuyama (松山吉三郎, 2004)
Yasuhisa Matsuyama (松山康久, 2014)
Hashiguchi Koujirou (橋口弘次郎, 2013)
Toshio Nihonyanagi (二本柳俊夫, 2004)
Tokichi Ogata (尾形藤吉, 2004)
Bungo Takeda (武田文吾, 2004)

Footnotes[edit]

^ This rule may not apply to all horses, particularly before 1984 (the introduction of the Grading system in Japan).

References[edit]

(一)^ "競馬の殿堂　JRA". Japan Racing Association (in Japanese). Retrieved 2024-06-09. 毎年報道関係者による選定投票を行い、4分の3以上の得票を得れば選定されます。 (二)^ "2023年度顕彰馬の選定". JRA. (三)^ ^a ^b"2024年度顕彰馬の選定 JRA". jra.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 2024-06-04. (四)^ ^a ^bShibata, Akitoshi (2022-06-08). "︻記者の目︼アーモンドアイ落選に驚き投票システムの改革が必要では". サンスポZBAT! (in Japanese). Sankei Shimbun. Archived from the original on 2022-06-08. Retrieved 2023-04-11. (五)^ Hiroshi, Yamakawa (2022-06-14). "︻ＪＲＡ顕彰馬︼アーモンドアイ〝落選〟の真実求められる〝一票の重み〟現場記者による﹁告白﹂と﹁提言﹂". 東スポ競馬 (in Japanese). Tokyo Sports. Archived from the original on 2022-06-14. Retrieved 2023-04-11. (六)^ "アーモンドアイ〝落選〟で物議顕彰馬の選定方法変更に含みも﹁〝責任感のなさ〟に直結するものとは考えていない﹂". 東スポ競馬 (in Japanese). Tokyo Sports. 2022-10-18. Archived from the original on 2022-10-17. Retrieved 2023-04-11. (七)^ Keiba Lab [@keibalab] [in Japanese] (2023-06-06). "顕彰馬投票、ステイゴールドは選定対象外であることから、得票馬欄から削除したことをJRAが発表しました。(選定対象馬は02年4月1日～22年3月31日の間に競走馬登録を抹消した馬であるため。ステイゴールドの抹消は02年1月)" (Tweet) (in Japanese). Retrieved 2023-12-26 – via Twitter. (八)^ "コントレイルは顕彰馬ならず1票差での落選は初". サンスポZBAT! (in Japanese). 2023-06-07. Retrieved 2023-12-26. (九)^ ^a ^b"顕彰者の選定基準︵平成27年～︶" (PDF). Japan Racing Association (in Japanese). Retrieved 2024-06-09.

Hall of Fame - Japan Racing Association (in Japanese)

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35°39′59″N 139°29′17″E / 35.66639°N 139.48806°E / 35.66639; 139.48806

[2] This rule may not apply to all horses, particularly before 1984 (the introduction of the Grading system in Japan).

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