Crown Pride: The International Dirt Horse Who Carried the 'Pride of the Crown' Across the Globe

🐎 Racehorses That Remain in Memory and Records - Part 100

Crown Pride: The International Dirt Horse Who Carried the 'Pride of the Crown' Across the Globe

I. The Frustration of Falling Short and the Strength to Win Abroad

There are several types of Japanese dirt horses.

Horses that keep winning domestic G1 races.
Horses that show overwhelming strength in local exchange races.
Horses that achieve great feats overseas.
And horses that, while having days they couldn't win, remain in our memories by continuing to run all over the world.

Crown Pride was exactly that type.

He won the UAE Derby,
challenged the Kentucky Derby,
finished 2nd in the Champions Cup,
2nd in the JBC Classic,
2nd in the Teio Sho,
won the Korea Cup twice in South Korea,
and won the Mercury Cup in Morioka.

He fell just short of domestic G1-level victories.
However, he won overseas.
He traveled abroad many times, hit walls many times, and got back up many times.

Crown Pride is an international dirt horse defined by both his victories and his narrow defeats.

II. Profile

| Item | Details |
|------|------|
| Date of Birth | May 4, 2019 |
| Sex | Colt |
| Color | Dark Bay |
| Sire | Reach the Crown |
| Dam | Emmy's Pride |
| Dam's Sire | King Kamehameha |
| Breeder | Shadai Farm |
| Trainer | Koichi Shintani (Ritto) |
| Owner | Teruya Yoshida |
| Major Wins | UAE Derby / Korea Cup (x2) / Mercury Cup |
| Career Record | 24 starts, 6 wins |
| Domestic Record | JRA 7 starts, 2 wins / Local 10 starts, 1 win |
| Overseas Record | 7 starts, 3 wins |
| Major Jockeys | D. Lane / C. Lemaire / Yuga Kawada / Takeshi Yokoyama / Ryusei Sakai |
| Post-Retirement | Scheduled to become a stallion in South Korea |

His sire, Reach the Crown, was a Derby runner-up by Special Week.
His dam, Emmy's Pride, is a mare with the blood of King Kamehameha.

His name is Crown Pride.
“The Pride of the Crown.”

Just as his name suggests,
he was a horse that fought across borders, not just in Japan, but in the UAE, the United States, South Korea, and Saudi Arabia.

III. Debut: The Story That Began at Chukyo Dirt 1800m

Crown Pride's debut was in October 2021.
It was a newcomer race at Chukyo Dirt 1800m.

The result was a victory.

Winning by a margin of 1.0 seconds,
he demonstrated high aptitude for dirt middle distances from his very first race.

At this point, he was not a flashy turf classic candidate.
However, there was a definite strength in his running.

He can go to the front.
He is not bothered by the sand.
He can use his legs effectively in the home stretch.
And he had a physique with great scale.

He also won the subsequent Mochi-no-Ki Sho.
He achieved two consecutive wins on the JRA dirt 1800m course as a two-year-old.

From this time on,
"This horse will go far on dirt"
was a sentiment that was already well-established.

However, surely no one at this point imagined
that he would win the UAE Derby a few months later
and take on the Kentucky Derby.

IV. 2022 Hyacinth Stakes: The First Defeat

February 2022.
Tokyo Dirt 1600m.
Hyacinth Stakes.

Crown Pride was defeated here, finishing 6th.

His winning streak since his debut came to an end.

The Tokyo mile
is quite different in nature from the Chukyo 1800m.

A turf start.
One turn.
A stage where the quality of speed is tested.
If you cannot get into the flow from the start,
it is difficult to show your full strength.

With this defeat,
his true nature became a little clearer.

Crown Pride
is not a horse that relies on pure mile speed.
His essence is around the 1800m to 2000m dirt distance.
He is the type who uses his legs for a long time
and demonstrates tenacity in a tough race flow.

And that aptitude would explode in his next race.

V. 2022 UAE Derby: The Victory That Opened the Door to the World

March 2022.
Meydan Racecourse, Dubai.
UAE Derby.

For Crown Pride, this was his first overseas expedition.
Both the opponents and the environment were different from Japan.
For a young three-year-old horse, it was a very tough challenge.

But he won.

He got into the flow during the race,
and used his legs for a long time in the straight.
He stretched tenaciously until the end,
and won against strong international rivals.

UAE Derby victory.

This was a monumental victory.

A three-year-old Japanese dirt horse winning a major dirt stakes race in the Middle East.
Moreover, achieving results in a crucial stepping stone toward the Kentucky Derby.
With this victory, Crown Pride instantly became a horse challenging the world.

From a 'promising domestic horse' to a 'Japanese horse heading to the Kentucky Derby.'
Crown Pride's story became international in scope with this single race.

From a 'promising domestic horse' to a 'Japanese horse heading to the Kentucky Derby.'
Crown Pride's story became international in scope with this single race.

Crown Pride's story became international in scope with this single race.

VI. 2022 Kentucky Derby: The Wall of the World's Pinnacle

May 2022.
Churchill Downs Racetrack.
The Kentucky Derby.

The first leg of the American Triple Crown.
One of the most famous dirt classics in the world.

Crown Pride took on this grand stage as a Japanese-trained horse.

The result was 13th place.

It was a harsh defeat.

American dirt is different from that in Japan or Dubai.
The pace is intense,
the pressure for positioning from the start is strong,
and the density of the pack is different.

Even for a horse strong on Japanese dirt,
it is a stage where success does not come easily.

Crown Pride was defeated.
However, this challenge was not in vain.

Winning the UAE Derby and going to the Kentucky Derby.
Walking that path itself
was significant in the history of Japanese dirt horses challenging overseas.

In the flow that later saw Forever Young perform well in the Kentucky Derby,
there are the challenges of these predecessors.

Crown Pride was one of the horses that paved the way
for Japanese dirt horses to challenge the world.

VII. 2022 Nippon TV Hai: 2nd Place in Domestic Return

After the Kentucky Derby,
Crown Pride entered the Nippon TV Hai in the autumn.

Funabashi Dirt 1800m.

The result was 2nd place.

The winner was Field Sense.

Though he couldn't quite secure the win,
he finished second in a local exchange graded stakes race after returning from overseas.
He regained his form and showed his strength domestically as well.

From this race,
Crown Pride's 'career of near-misses' truly began.

He looks like he could win, but doesn't.
He is strong, but can't quite reach the top.
However, he always makes his presence felt on the big stage.

He would become that kind of horse.

VIII. 2022 JBC Classic: 2nd place to T O Keynes

November 3, 2022.
Morioka Racecourse.
JBC Classic.

The winner was T O Keynes.
He is the emperor of the dirt who dominated the 2021 Champions Cup.

Crown Pride finished second.

The margin was 0.4 seconds.

He lost.
However, this was a valuable second-place finish.

The JBC Classic is
a major stage for local exchange races.
It is a race over 2000 meters that tests overall ability.

Crown Pride
finished second there, right behind T O Keynes.

As a three-year-old,
he fought head-to-head with the top class of older horses.

With this second-place finish,
he proved that his UAE Derby victory was not just a one-time fluke overseas.

Even on Japanese dirt,
he can compete at the G1 level.

That was the proof.

IX. 2022 Champions Cup: 2nd place in a JRA G1

December 4, 2022.
Chukyo Racecourse.
Champions Cup.

The winner was Jun Light Bolt.
Crown Pride finished second.

Once again, just one step away from a G1-level victory.

Chukyo Dirt 1800m.
The classic stage for JRA dirt racing.
Finishing second here was a massive achievement.

Moreover, the competition consisted of top-tier older horses.
He fought valiantly as a three-year-old.

With this second-place finish in the Champions Cup,
Crown Pride was recognized as a horse capable of competing at the JRA G1 level.

However, it also left the impression that he 'could not quite seal the deal'.

He won the UAE Derby.
But in domestic G1-level races, he finished second.
Second in the JBC Classic.
Second in the Champions Cup as well.

With his hand on the crown,
he still fell just short of the domestic summit.

That frustration
only deepens the memory of the horse known as Crown Pride.

X. 2023 Teio Sho: Second to Meisho Hario

June 28, 2023.
Ohi Racecourse.
Teio Sho.

Crown Pride ran well here, too.

The result was second place.

The winner was Meisho Hario,
a powerful closer who would go on to win consecutive Teio Sho titles.

Crown Pride
ran solidly over the 2000m at Ohi as well.

Second in the JBC Classic.
Second in the Champions Cup.
Second in the Teio Sho.

A horse that racks up this many second-place finishes at the G1 level
could not possibly do so without genuine ability.

However, he still could not win.

At this point,
the scent of a 'gallant runner-up' began to drift around Crown Pride.

But his story does not end with these narrow domestic defeats.

In the place he headed next,
he would seize victory once again.

XI. 2023 Korea Cup: Winning Abroad Again

September 2023.
Seoul Racecourse, South Korea.
The Korea Cup.

Crown Pride wins here.

The competition included strong rivals from Japan, such as Gloria Mundi.
Even so, Crown Pride won.

Still, Crown Pride emerged victorious.

Conquering the Korea Cup.

This victory was typical of him.

He falls just short in domestic G1-level races.
But he wins decisively on the international stage.

His second international graded stakes victory following the UAE Derby.

So close in Japan.
Strong abroad.

This mysterious career path is
Crown Pride's unique personality.

XII. 2024 Saudi Cup: Challenging the World's Richest Race

February 2024.
The Saudi Cup.

Crown Pride headed to the world's grand stage once again.

The result was 9th place.

A world-class dirt G1 with the highest prize money.
The opponents were elite.
It is not a stage where results come easily.

This defeat was harsh, but
it was also a challenge typical of Crown Pride.

He does not stay only within Japan.
He wins in Korea,
wins in the UAE,
and takes on Saudi Arabia as well.

It is not just about whether he can win or not,
but about continuing to appear on the world stage.
That attitude shapes his career.

XIII. 2024 Kashiwa Kinen: The Pain of a Crushing Defeat

May 2024.
Funabashi Racecourse.
Kashiwa Kinen.

Crown Pride started as the 4th favorite, but
the result was 12th place.

He collapsed significantly.

The winner was Shamal.

This defeat was
quite heavy even within his career.

The fast pace of the mile.
The unique conditions of Funabashi.
The track, condition, and rhythm.
Something just didn't click.

Crown Pride is
not an all-purpose, consistent horse.

When he is strong, he is tenacious,
and can even win internationally.
However, he can also collapse significantly if the conditions are not right.

This inconsistency was also a part of him.

XIV. 2024 Mercury Cup: First Domestic Graded Stakes Victory

July 15, 2024.
Morioka Racecourse.
Mercury Cup.

Crown Pride wins here.

Mercury Cup victory.

This was his first domestic graded stakes victory.

You might find it surprising.
A horse that won the UAE Derby,
won the Korea Cup,
and finished 2nd multiple times in domestic G1-level races,
had his first domestic graded stakes win here.

Morioka Dirt 2000m.
The same Morioka stage where he finished 2nd in the JBC Classic.
Conditions where his stamina in middle-distance dirt races could shine.

Crown Pride
finally grasped a domestic graded stakes title on that stage.

This victory carries weight.

A horse that had won overseas
finally wins a Japanese local exchange graded stakes race.

It was a race that felt like, 'He finally won.'

XV. 2024 Korea Cup: Consecutive Victories

September 2024.
Back to Korea.
The Korea Cup.

Crown Pride won this race again, just as he had the previous year.

A Korea Cup repeat.

He conquered the big stage in Korea for two consecutive years.

This demonstrated his high aptitude for overseas racing.

The dirt at Seoul Racecourse.
1800 meters.
Transportation.
The environment.
An atmosphere different from Japan.

Yet, he still won.

For Crown Pride,
the Korea Cup was a stage that suited him perfectly.

With these consecutive wins,
he became remembered as the 'King of the Korean Expedition.'

XVI. 2024 Champions Cup and Tokyo Daishoten: A Difficult Year-End

At the end of 2024,
Crown Pride ran in the Champions Cup and the Tokyo Daishoten.

He finished 11th in the Champions Cup.
He finished 7th in the Tokyo Daishoten.

Neither race yielded the desired results.

The winners were,
Lemon Pop in the Champions Cup,
and Forever Young in the Tokyo Daishoten.

The new protagonists of the Japanese dirt racing world
showed a powerful presence.

Crown Pride
struggled amidst them.

However, this is not simply a story of him becoming weaker.

The level of the dirt racing world is high,
and young new champions are emerging one after another.
In such an environment, it is difficult for a horse that has repeatedly traveled overseas
to consistently perform at its peak.

The latter part of Crown Pride's career
was truly a battle against that difficulty.

XVII. 2025 Mercury Cup: 2nd Place and Subsequent Struggles

July 2025.
The Mercury Cup.

Crown Pride finished in 2nd place.

On the stage where he won the previous year,
he once again finished near the top.

The winner was Kazutanjer.

Though he couldn't secure the win,
he once again demonstrated his aptitude for the 2000m at Morioka.

However, after that,
with a 9th place in the Nambu Hai and a 4th place in the Urawa Kinen,
a series of races followed where he could not secure a victory on the big stage.

As he aged,
maintaining the tenacity of his prime was not easy.

Even so,
the very fact that he continued to run until age 7,
traveling both domestically and internationally, is a value in itself.

XVIII. 2026 Procyon Stakes and Retirement

January 25, 2026.
Kyoto Dirt 1800m.
Procyon Stakes.

Crown Pride finished 15th.

This became his final race.

His registration as a racehorse was cancelled on February 13, 2026.
It was subsequently announced that he was scheduled to become a stallion in South Korea.

This may be a second chapter fitting for his career.

A horse that won in the UAE,
won the Korea Cup twice in South Korea,
and showed his presence in overseas expeditions
is becoming a stallion in South Korea.

Crown Pride's bloodline
will now spread into Asian dirt pedigrees.

XIX. Crown Pride by the Numbers

| Metric | Details |
|------|------|
| Total Record | 24 starts, 6 wins |
| JRA Record | 7 starts, 2 wins |
| NAR Record | 10 starts, 1 win |
| Overseas Record | 7 starts, 3 wins |
| Major Wins | UAE Derby / Korea Cup (x2) / Mercury Cup |
| Major Placements | JBC Classic 2nd / Champions Cup 2nd / Teio Sho 2nd / Nippon TV Hai 2nd / Mercury Cup 2nd |
| Distance Aptitude | Dirt 1800m–2000m |
| Best Conditions | Dirt 1800m–2000m, Overseas Middle Distance |
| Running Style | Front-runner to forward-position stalker |
| Characteristics | Overseas adaptability, tenacity, high frequency of G1-level 2nd place finishes, aptitude for Korean expeditions, international campaigner |

What is characteristic about this record
is the contrast between the races he won and the races he lost.

He won the
UAE Derby.
The Korea Cup twice.
The Mercury Cup.

On the other hand,
he finished 2nd in the JBC Classic, Champions Cup, and Teio Sho.

He fell just short of domestic G1-level glory.
However, it is precisely because he fell just short that
his race record has a unique flavor.

XX. The 'Crown Pride Structure' as Seen Through AI

When classified using an AI development model, Crown Pride is categorized as
'International dirt middle-distance type + forward-position endurance type + overseas adaptation A + domestic G1 competitive type'.

| Element | Rating | Explanation |
|------|------|------|
| Dirt Middle-Distance Aptitude | A+ | High level at 1800m to 2000m |
| Overseas Adaptation | A+ | Won graded stakes in UAE and Korea |
| Endurance | A | Can use his legs for a long time from a forward position |
| Forward Positioning | A | Can race near the front |
| Domestic G1-Level Aptitude | A | Competitive with many 2nd place finishes |
| Explosive Power | B | A tenacious type rather than an overwhelming one |

The characteristic of the Crown Pride type is that
'the stages where he wins and the stages where he narrowly loses are clearly divided'.

He can win in overseas middle-distance races.
He can compete at the domestic G1 level.
However, there are many times when he falls just short.

From an AI perspective,
rather than a 'winning horse candidate,'
he is the type who is a 'top-tier G1-level opponent, suitable as a pivot or partner for combination bets.'

In the world of betting,
how you handle a horse like this is where your sense shows.
The god of horse racing occasionally sends these 'puzzlers' our way.
It's truly mean-spirited. It's a battle of wits on the sand.

XXI. Yuga Kawada, Takeshi Yokoyama, Ryusei Sakai: Expressions by Jockey

Crown Pride walked his career path with multiple jockeys.

D. Lane in the UAE Derby.
C. Lemaire and Yuga Kawada on big stages both domestically and abroad.
In the latter half of his career, he also teamed up with Takeshi Yokoyama and Ryusei Sakai.

This horse is
not a one-trick pony who only runs from the front.
He is not a closer who comes from the back either.
He rides the flow in a forward position,
and uses his legs tenaciously until the very end.

That is precisely why the jockey was required to create a rhythm.

If they took too much of a position, he would soften up.
If they held back too much, he wouldn't reach the leaders.
They needed to carry him at just the right spot,
and move at the decisive moment.

Crown Pride was
like a 'difficult-to-handle honor student' of a horse.

He has the power.
But to make him win, everything had to click.

That is what makes him interesting.

XXII. The Blood of Sire Reach the Crown

Crown Pride's sire is Reach the Crown.

He was the runner-up in the Japanese Derby and is a stallion who carries the blood of Special Week.

A UAE Derby winner emerged from the progeny of Reach the Crown.

This is also interesting from a pedigree perspective.

His sire's speed and forward nature, combined with the power derived from his dam's side via King Kamehameha, clicked in dirt middle-distance races.

Crown Pride was a horse that ventured into the world from a somewhat unexpected pedigree background, rather than being the offspring of a major dirt stallion.

That element of surprise is also part of his charm.

XXIII. The Second Chapter: Entering Stud in Korea

After retirement, Crown Pride is scheduled to become a stallion in Korea.

This choice seems very natural.

He won the Korea Cup twice. He was strong on the Korean 1800m dirt track and left an impression on local racing fans.

A horse like that is now becoming a stallion in Korea.

He will now leave his legacy in the land where he won as a racehorse.

This is a beautiful progression.

Born in Japan, won in the UAE, challenged in America, won in Korea, and finally, he will carry on his bloodline in Korea.

Crown Pride's story truly spanned across Asia and the world.

XXIV. Why Crown Pride Remains in Our Memories

There are many reasons.

・UAE Derby victory, ・Kentucky Derby challenge, ・JBC Classic 2nd place, ・Champions Cup 2nd place, ・Teio Sho 2nd place, ・Korea Cup consecutive wins, ・Mercury Cup victory, ・The toughness of continuously racing both domestically and abroad, ・Scheduled to enter stud in Korea, ・A presence remembered more for the 'density of his challenges' than for his victories

Crown Pride is not a horse that won a G1 race in Japan.

However, the value of a great horse cannot be measured by the number of G1 victories alone.

He went to the world,
challenged many times,
won overseas,
and finished second in G1-class races domestically time and again.

His career holds
a 'memory of travel' that goes beyond mere numbers.

XXV. As the 'Pride of the Crown'

Crown Pride.

The pride of the crown.

That name
suited a horse that kept challenging no matter how many times he was defeated,
rather than an absolute champion who kept on winning.

Second in G1-class races.
Victory overseas.
Another expedition.
Another challenge.
Another wall.

Through that repetition,
he certainly left his mark.

Crown Pride was
that kind of international dirt horse.

🧠 Searching for the 'Crown Pride Type' with AI

In the AI development model,
'International Dirt Middle-Distance Type + Forward Position Sustained Type + Overseas Adaptation A + Domestic G1 Strong Contender Type'
is defined as the 'Crown Type'.

✔ Strong in dirt 1800m to 2000m
✔ Capable of performing in overseas expeditions
✔ Can use his speed for a long time from a forward position
✔ A strong candidate for victory even in domestic G1-class races
✔ However, requires the right race flow and conditions to win outright
✔ Especially noteworthy for expeditions in Asia, such as South Korea and the UAE

This type is
a presence to be valued in dirt middle-distance races like the Champions Cup, JBC Classic, Teio Sho, Mercury Cup, Korea Cup, and UAE Derby.

If you want to find a 'tenacious forward-position type that travels the world'👇

👉 https://note.com/loots/n/n2c223b86b014
(Central Horse Racing AI Prediction Prompt Ver. KYO-EX3.1)

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