Sound True: The 'True Finishing Kick', a Craftsman Who Kept Resonating on the Big Dirt Stage

🐎 Racehorses That Remain in Memory and Records - Part 82

Sound True: The 'True Finishing Kick', a Craftsman Who Kept Resonating on the Big Dirt Stage

I. Not flashy. But, you will always hear it at the end

In dirt racing, there are
horses that go to the front and push through.

Espoir City.
Copano Rickey.
Adjudi Mitsuo.

They were the type to create the race themselves
and take the lead on the sand.

However, Sound True is different.

He waits in the back.
He doesn't panic.
He reads the pace.
And in the final stretch, he quietly surges forward.

It is not a flashy escape.
He is not the type to crush opponents with a massive physique.
But, the bigger the stage,
the more surely and mysteriously his finishing kick resonated.

The name Sound True
was exactly what his racing was all about.

II. Profile

| Item | Details |
|------|------|
| Date of Birth | May 15, 2010 |
| Sex | Gelding |
| Color | Chestnut |
| Sire | French Deputy |
| Dam | Kyoei Truth |
| Dam's Sire | Fuji Kiseki |
| Breeder | Okada Stud |
| Trainer | Noboru Takagi (Miho) -> Yuta Sato (Funabashi) |
| Owner | Hiroshi Yamada |
| Major Wins | Tokyo Daishoten / Champions Cup / JBC Classic / Nippon TV Hai / Tokyo Kinen / Kin Pai |
| Career Record | 68 domestic starts, 13 wins |
| Main Jockeys | Takuya Ono / Taito Mori |
| Awards | 2016 JRA Award for Best Dirt Horse |

Sire French Deputy.
Dam's sire Fuji Kiseki.

The power of dirt,
and the suppleness of the Sunday Silence line.

Inheriting both, Sound True
continued to run long, deep, and quietly on the sand.

III. Debut - He wasn't a star from the beginning

Sound True was not a horse that gathered much attention immediately after his debut.

He was not a turf classic candidate.
He did not win many graded stakes early on.
Rather, he was the type who steadily built up his strength from the condition races.

The good thing about this horse
was not an explosive power that surprises people in an instant.

With every race,
he gradually became more complete.

He learned how to position himself,
learned how to race while covered in sand,
honed his finishing kick,
and little by little, he approached the top tier of dirt racing.

It was not a flashy rise.
But it was certain.

Sound True was
a horse whose 'process of becoming stronger was deeply satisfying to watch.'

IV. Entering the Open Class: Completion as a Finishing-Kick Dirt Horse

In dirt racing, horses that can get to the front tend to have an advantage.

Especially in local exchange races,
there are many turns,
and many stages where the front-runners are hard to stop.

Under such conditions, for a horse that comes from behind to get results,
a considerable amount of raw ability is required.

Sound True
advanced to the top ranks with exactly that difficult racing style.

He didn't push himself in the first half.
He saved his energy during the race.
He gradually moved up after the third corner.
He used his long stride in the home stretch.

When this pattern clicked,
he was extremely strong.

Rather than being 'sharp' on dirt,
he 'kept extending' on dirt.

This was the essence of Sound True.

V. 2015 Nippon TV Hai: First Graded Stakes Victory

October 7, 2015.
Funabashi Racecourse.
Nippon TV Hai.

Here, Sound True achieved his first graded stakes victory.

His opponents included strong contenders like Chrysolite,
who had a proven track record in local exchange graded stakes.

Sound True
raced from the middle of the pack as usual.

Funabashi dirt 1800m.
A tight course where the front is often advantageous.
It is not easy for a closer.

But he surged at the end.

Using his legs firmly in the straight,
he held off Chrysolite to win.

Victory in the Nippon TV Hai.

This victory was significant.

It showed that Sound True was
not just an open-class horse,
but a horse capable of winning in local exchange graded stakes as well.

From here, his battle on the G1-level circuit would begin in earnest.

VI. 2015 JBC Classic: 2nd Place on the Grand Stage

Having won the Nippon TV Hai, Sound True
proceeded to the JBC Classic.

Ohi Dirt 2000m.
A grand stage for Japanese middle-distance dirt racing.

Copano Rickey won.
Sound True finished 2nd.

Although he was defeated, it was a valuable 2nd place finish.

It was a race where he first showed a major presence
against G1-level powerhouses.

Around this time, fans began to notice.

Sound True,
even if he couldn't quite win, would reliably surge forward on the big stage.

He was not a flashy star.
However, he had the strength to reach the betting frame at the G1 level.

This 'quiet sense of reliability' was
his greatest charm.

VII. 2015 Champions Cup: 3rd Place in a JRA G1

December 2015.
Chukyo Racecourse.
Champions Cup.

Sun Vista won.
Nonkono Yume was 2nd.
Sound True was 3rd.

Even in a JRA G1, he used his legs well to finish in the top tier.

This race is also one that remains in the history of Japanese dirt racing.
Because the mare Sun Vista won a JRA dirt G1.

Among them, Sound True,
while not winning in a flashy way,
showed high ability as a dirt horse with a late kick.

2nd in the JBC Classic.
3rd in the Champions Cup.

A G1 victory was no longer far off.
That was the impression left by his performance.

And at the end of the year,
his first major glory arrived.

VIII. 2015 Tokyo Daishoten: Running Down Hokko Tarumae

December 29, 2015.
Ohi Racecourse.
Tokyo Daishoten.

The opponents included Hokko Tarumae,
Copano Rickey,
Wonder Acute,
and Namura Victor.

A field of strong contenders had gathered.

Sound True was the 3rd favorite.

In the race, he saved his energy toward the back.
Up front, Hokko Tarumae held on tenaciously.

On the Ohi home stretch,
Sound True surged from the outside.

He closed the gap with every stride.
Kicking up the sand,
his pace never faltered until the end.

And then, he caught Hokko Tarumae.

Tokyo Daishoten victory.

Finally, his first G1 win.

This way of winning was truly characteristic of Sound True.

Quietly running down the champion ahead of him
in the final stretch.

It was not a flashy, crowd-roaring victory.
But it was a victory that resonated deeply.

IX. 2016 Kawasaki Kinen: A Heartbreaking 2nd Place

January 2016.
Kawasaki Kinen.

The winner was Hokko Tarumae.
Sound True finished second.

The margin was slight.
The time difference was 0.0 seconds.

Once again on the big stage,
it was a race where he just couldn't quite reach the front.

Kawasaki 2100m is a stage with many turns,
where positioning is crucial.
It is not easy for a closer.

Even so, Sound True closed in at the end.

He didn't win.
But he was strong.

This impression of being 'strong but unable to win'
appeared many times throughout his career.

And that,
made his later major victories even more profound.

X. 2016 Champions Cup: The Quintessence of the Closing Kick

December 4, 2016.
Chukyo Racecourse.
Champions Cup.

The favorite for the year was Awardee.
He was on a winning streak in graded stakes,
and was supported as the 1st favorite.

Sound True was the 6th favorite.

In the race, he came from the back.
Chukyo Dirt 1800m.
There is a slope on the home stretch.
For a closer, it is difficult to know where to use their kick.

However, Sound True did not panic.

The home stretch.
Awardee pulls ahead first.
Then, Sound True comes from the outside.

Slowly.
Slowly.
He steadily closes the gap.

At the very last moment,
he catches him right before the finish line.

Champions Cup victory.

His first JRA G1 victory.
And, he became the 2016 JRA Award Best Dirt Horse.

This victory was the completed form of him as a dirt horse with a finishing kick.

It wasn't about 'whether he would reach them'.
It was 'he will stretch until he reaches them'.

That was Sound True.

XI. 2016 Tokyo Daishoten: A Run Worthy Even in Third Place

After winning the Champions Cup,
Sound True headed to the Tokyo Daishoten.

The result was third place.

The winner was Apollo Kentucky.
Second place was Awardee.

Sound True couldn't quite clinch the win, but
on the grand stage immediately after winning a G1,
he firmly finished in the money.

This consistency was typical of him.

When he wins, he closes sharply.
Even when he loses, he doesn't fall apart.
He uses his own legs on the big stage.

As a top-tier contender in the dirt world,
Sound True had a solid presence during this period.

XII. 2017 JBC Classic: Shining at Oi Once Again

November 3, 2017.
Oi Racecourse.
JBC Classic.

Sound True was the fourth favorite.

The field included strong rivals such as
K T Brave, Awardee, and Mitsuba.

In the race,
he once again proceeded patiently from the rear.

Oi 2000m.
A long straight.
A stage where endurance on sand is tested.

It was a condition that suited Sound True.

He stretched from the outside in the straight.
He caught K T Brave, who was in front.

JBC Classic victory.

With this win,
he achieved his third G1/Jpn1 level victory.

Tokyo Daishoten.
Champions Cup.
JBC Classic.

He conquered the major grand dirt stages of both the JRA and local racing circuits.

He was not flashy.
However, his achievements were genuine.

XIII. 2017 Tokyo Daishoten: Defeated in Copano Rickey's Last Run

The 2017 Tokyo Daishoten.

The winner was Copano Rickey.
It was the King of Dirt, adorning his final race with a glorious finish.

Sound True finished second.

Once again, he placed near the top at the Oi 2000m.

This second-place finish once again demonstrated his aptitude for the Oi course and his consistency.

Though he couldn't secure the win,
in the historic moment of Copano Rickey's final victory,
he firmly took second place.

In the stories of great horses,
it is not just about winning,
but sometimes witnessing the iconic moments of other great horses.

Sound True was a horse who appeared time and again
at such 'intersections of eras'.

XIV. 2018 and Beyond: Decline and Transfer

From 2018 onwards, Sound True drifted away from victory.

Third in the Teio Sho.
Third in the Nippon TV Hai.
Fifth in the JBC Classic.

He still showed his strength,
but the destructive power of his finishing kick gradually faded.

After that, he transferred to Yuta Sato's stable in Funabashi.

A JRA-affiliated G1 winner transferring to a local circuit
and continuing to run for a long time.

This, too, was a choice typical of Sound True.

Normally, it would not be strange to retire after winning three G1 races.
Yet, he kept on running.

The 'sound of truth' was still echoing on the sand.

XV. After Transferring to Local Racing: Winning at 2600m and 2400m

After transferring to local racing, Sound True followed an even more refined career path.

In February 2020, the Kinpai at Oi. The distance was 2600m.
He won here.

He won here.

Furthermore, in September of the same year, the Tokyo Kinen at Oi. The distance was 2400m.

He won here as well.

He was once a JRA G1 winner who captured the Champions Cup. A closer who won the Tokyo Daishoten over 2000m on dirt.

That horse, at 10 years old, won long-distance graded stakes at Oi.
This is deeply flavorful.

This is deeply flavorful.

It is not just about pure speed. It is not just about power. It is about the stamina to run long, mental strength, and adaptability.

Sound True continued to produce results on new stages even as he aged.

XVI. 2021 Kinpai: Top-Class Until the End

February 2021. The Oi Kinpai.

Sound True finished 3rd.

At this point, he was 10 years old. Yet, he still placed in the top tier of local graded stakes.

This is his greatness.

A horse that won G1s in his youth, performing well in local long-distance graded stakes in his twilight years.

This breadth of career cannot be explained by ability alone.

The horse's own toughness. The management by his connections. And, the desire to run.

All of those were present.

Sound True had a very long and rich racing career as a dirt horse.

XVII. Sound True in Numbers

| Metric | Details |
|------|------|
| Total Record | 13 wins in 68 domestic races |
| GⅠ/JpnⅠ Wins | Tokyo Daishoten / Champions Cup / JBC Classic |
| Graded Stakes Wins | Nippon TV Hai / Tokyo Kinen / Kin Pai, etc. |
| Major Placements | 3rd in Champions Cup / 2nd & 3rd in JBC Classic / 2nd & 3rd in Tokyo Daishoten / 3rd in Teio Sho |
| Awards | 2016 JRA Award for Best Dirt Horse |
| Distance Suitability | Dirt 1800m to 2600m |
| Best Conditions | Dirt 1800m to 2000m, Ohi outer track |
| Running Style | Closer / Deep Closer |
| Characteristics | Finishing kick, stamina, big-stage suitability, longevity, adaptability after moving to local racing |

13 wins in 68 races.

For a horse that won at the GⅠ level, this is an extremely long career.

Moreover, it wasn't just about running for a long time.
He won a JRA GⅠ,
won a local GⅠ,
and won local long-distance graded stakes in his later years.

This range is the depth of the horse known as Sound True.

XVIII. The 'Sound True Structure' Seen Through AI

When classified using an AI development model, Sound True is categorized as
'Closer/Deep Closer Dirt Middle-Distance Horse + Sustained Finishing Kick S + Late-Career Adaptability Type'.

| Element | Rating | Explanation |
|------|------|------|
| Finishing Kick Stamina | S | Stretches for a long time at Ohi and Chukyo |
| Dirt Middle-Distance Suitability | A+ | GⅠ level at 1800m to 2000m |
| Long-Distance Suitability | A | Won 2400m and 2600m graded stakes in later years |
| Mental Strength | A+ | Kept running for a long time |
| Pace Dependency | B | Strong when the front stops |
| Big-Stage Suitability | S | Consistently performs well at the GⅠ level |

The characteristic of the Sound True type is,
'always using his kick at the end'.

He does not dominate the race like a front-runner.
He does not push through from a good position like a stalker.

However, when the front gets into trouble,
he always comes stretching from behind.

This is a very important ability in dirt GⅠ races.

It is particularly valuable on stages where sustained stamina is required at the end,
such as the Ohi 2000m or Chukyo 1800m.

XIX. The Combination with Takuya Ono

When talking about Sound True's prime,
the presence of jockey Takuya Ono is indispensable.

Nippon TV Hai.
Tokyo Daishoten.
Champions Cup.
JBC Classic.

Jockey Ono held the reins for many of his important victories.

Jockey Ono's riding style
suited Sound True's racing style.

Don't rush him.
Proceed at the horse's own rhythm.
Make him use his legs at the end.

For a closer, if the move is too early or too late, they won't reach the front.
It is necessary to time that perfectly.

Sound True's three G1-level victories
were the result of the horse's finishing kick and the jockey's patience coming together.

XX. Contrast with Nonkono Yume

As a contemporary closer,
the existence of Nonkono Yume also comes to mind.

Nonkono Yume was also
a dirt horse that used a sharp kick from the rear.

However, the two were slightly different.

Nonkono Yume was more of a sharp-turn-of-foot type.
Sound True was more of a sustained-speed type.

Rather than an instantaneous explosion,
he would keep stretching out gradually.

This difference is interesting.

Even as the same type of closer,
the quality of their kick was completely different.

Sound True's
was not a flashy single blow, but
a finishing kick like a 'sound that keeps ringing until the very end'.

XXI. Why does Sound True remain in our memories?

There are many reasons.

・Tokyo Daishoten victory
・Champions Cup victory
・JBC Classic victory
・2016 Best Dirt Horse
・Many strong performances at the G1 level
・Famous partnership with Takuya Ono
・Active for a long time even after transferring from JRA to Funabashi
・Won a local graded stakes at age 10
・The toughness of running through 68 races

He is not a flashy idol horse.

However, the more deeply one watches horse racing,
the more one understands his value.

Will he reach them from the very back?
Will he stretch from the outside in the home stretch?
There was a joy in waiting for that moment.

Sound True
taught us the 'joy of believing in a closer'.

XXII. The 'True Sound' Resonates at the End

Sound True's racing career was a long one.

It began in allowance races,
winning graded stakes,
winning G1 races,
becoming the Best Dirt Horse,
transferring to local racing,
and winning a graded stakes even at the age of 10.

There are not many careers as deeply flavorful as this.

Sound True was
exactly that kind of horse.

It is fine not to stand out in the first half.
It is fine not to move flashily during the race.
It is enough to resonate surely at the end.

That finishing kick left on the dirt
continues to ring in the memories of fans even now.

🧠 Searching for the 'Sound True Type' with AI

In the AI race development model,
'Closer/Deep Closer Dirt Middle-Distance Horse + Sustained Finishing Kick S + Late-Career Adaptation Type'
is defined as the 'Sound Type'.

✔ Strong at 1800m to 2000m on dirt
✔ Strong on sustained-effort stages like Ohi and Chukyo
✔ Emerges when the front runners stop
✔ Can use its legs for a long time from the rear
✔ Can adapt to distance extensions even as it ages
✔ Can close in on G1-level races even when unfancied

This type
creates great value in races like the Champions Cup, Tokyo Daishoten, JBC Classic, and Teio Sho.

If you want to find a 'finishing kick that resonates at the end'👇

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

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