Admire Vega

Admire Vega was a bay horse with a white blaze and a white sock on his left hind leg bred in Japan by the Yoshida family's Northern Farm. He was smaller than average for a male Thoroughbred, with a maximum racing weight of 464 kg.{{cite web|url=http://www.jbis.jp/horse/0000309184/record/|title=Race Records:Lifetime Starts – Admire Vega(JPN)|author=|publisher=Japan Bloodhorse Breeders' Association}} He was sired by Sunday Silence, who won the 1989 Kentucky Derby, before retiring to stud in Japan where he was champion sire on thirteen consecutive occasions. His other major winners included Deep Impact, Stay Gold, Heart's Cry, Manhattan Cafe, Zenno Rob Roy and Neo Universe.{{cite web|url=https://www.racingpost.com/profile/horse/465637/sunday-silence|publisher=Racing Post|title=Sunday Silence – Stud Record}} Admire Vega's dam Vega was an outstanding racemare who won the Oka Sho and the Yushun Himba in 1993.{{cite web|url=http://www.jbis.jp/horse/0000232957/|title=Vega (JPN)|author=|publisher=Japan Bloodhorse Breeders' Association}} As a broodmare Vega also produced the multiple Grade I winner Admire Don and Historic Star, the dam of Harp Star. Vega was a descendant of the American mare Nellie Morse, making her a distant relative of Bold Forbes and Bet Twice.{{cite web|url=http://www.bloodlines.net/TB/Families/Family9f.htm|title=Toxophilite Mare – Family 9-f|publisher=Thoroughbred Bloodlines|accessdate=4 October 2014}}

The colt was acquired by Riichi Kondo and was sent into training with Mitsuru Hashida.

Admire Vega began his racing career by finishing fourth to Mayano Matador in a 1600-metre maiden race at Kyoto Racecourse on 7 November and recorded his first win four weeks later when he won the Erica Sho over 2000 metres at Hanshin Racecourse. On 26 December the colt was moved up in class for the Grade III Radio Tampa Hai Sansai Stakes over the same course and distance as the Erica Sho. He gained his first major success as he won from Matikane Kinnohosi and Osumi Bright.

On his three-year-old debut Admire Vega contested the Grade II Hochi Hai Yayoi Sho over 2000 metres at Nakayama Racecourse on 7 March and finished second to Narita Top Road. In the Grade I Satsuki Sho over the same course and distance on 18 April he finished sixth, three lengths behind T M Opera O, who won from Osumi Bright and Narita Top Road.{{cite web|url=https://www.racingpost.com/results/514/nakayama/1999-04-18/266415|work=Racing Post|title=Satsuki Sho result |date=18 April 1999}} On 6 June Admire Vega was moved up in distance to contest the sixty-sixth running of the Tokyo Yushun over 2400 metres at Tokyo Racecourse. Ridden by Yutaka Take he faced seventeen opponents including T M Opera O, Narita Top Road and Osumi Bright. He won by a neck from Narita Top Road, with T M Opera O a length and a quarter back in third place.{{cite web|url=https://www.racingpost.com/results/315/tokyo/1999-06-06/268979|title=Tokyo Yushun result |publisher=Racing Post|date=6 June 1999}}

After a break of more than four months Admire Vega returned in the Group Two Kyoto Shimbun Hai at Kyoto on 17 October and won from Narita Top Road. For his final race the colt was moved up in distance for the Grade I Kikuka Sho over 3000 metres at Kyoto on 7 November. He finished sixth of the fifteen runners, four lengths behind Narita Top Road, who won by a neck from T M Opera O.{{cite web|url=https://www.racingpost.com/results/504/kyoto/1999-11-07/274682|title=Kikuka Sho result|publisher=Racing Post|date=7 November 1999}}

He remained in training as a four-year-old but suffered from ligament problems and did not race again.

Admire Vega was retired from racing to become a breeding stallion at Shadai Stallion Station. He had some success in four seasons at stud, siring the Grade I winners Kiss to Heaven (Oka Sho) and Blumenblatt (Mile Championship).{{cite web|url=http://www.jbis.jp/horse/0000309184/sire/record/|title=Stallion Reports – Admire Vega|author=|publisher=Japan Bloodhorse Breeders' Association}} He died suddenly on 29 October 2004 at the age of eight. An autopsy revealed that the cause of death was an accidental stomach rupture.

A funeral was held for Admire Vega on 23 November of the same year at the Shadai Stallion Station, which was attended by 200 people including at least 50 fans, trainer Hashida, and House of Councillors member Seiko Hashimoto.{{Cite web |date=2004-11-24 |title=アドマイヤベガ告別式、行われる |url=https://news.netkeiba.com/?pid=news_view&no=7668 |access-date=2024-04-18 |website=netkeiba |language=ja}}

c = colt, f = filly

{{Pedigree

|name = Admire Vega (JPN), bay stallion 1996

|f = Sunday Silence (USA)
1986

|m = Vega (JPN)
1990

|ff = Halo (USA)
1969

|fm = Wishing Well (USA)
1975

|mf = Tony Bin (IRE)
1983

|mm = Antique Value (USA)
1979

|fff = Hail to Reason

|ffm = Cosmah

|fmf = Understanding　

|fmm = Mountain Flower

|mff = Kampala

|mfm = Severn Bridge

|mmf = Northern Dancer

|mmm = Moonscape

|ffff = Turn-To

|fffm = Nothirdchance

|ffmf = Cosmic Bomb

|ffmm = Almahmoud

|fmff = Promised Land

|fmfm = Pretty Ways

|fmmf = Montparnasse

|fmmm = Edelweiss

|mfff = Kalamoun

|mffm = State Pension

|mfmf = Hornbeam

|mfmm = Priddy Fair

|mmff = Nearctic

|mmfm = Natalma

|mmmf = Tom Fool

|mmmm = Brazen (Family 9-f)

}}

{{Reflist}}

Category:1996 racehorse births

Category:2004 racehorse deaths

Category:Racehorses bred in Japan

Category:Racehorses trained in Japan

Category:Thoroughbred family 9-f

Category:Tokyo Yūshun winners