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Lord Kanaloa named Japanese Horse of the Year

Winners of the 

On January 7, Lord Kanaloa was announced as a double winner for the JRA Awards for 2013. Lord Kanaloa won both the Japan Racing Association's Horse of the Year for 2013 and Best Sprinter or Miler award. Lord Kanaloa dominated the voting for the Horse of the Year award with 209 votes out of 280. Orfevre and Gentildonna had received 69 and one respectively.

The Horse of the Year title is the highest honor given to JRA-registered race horses and is selected by the Horse of the Year Selection Committee represented by journalists of various dailies and magazines.

Owner: Lord Horse Club representative Isami Nakamura
"It is a great honor to have (Lord Kanaloa) recognized with the Horse of the Year Award. My biggest memory of last year was the Hong Kong Sprint. It was astounding to have won a 1,200-meter race by 5 lengths. It was his final run and he went out in style. And, with the Yasuda Kinen, there was his speed of course, but also proof that he could go the distance. Since he has shown that he can handle both 1,200 meters and 1,600 meters, I think there is a chance that, with the right combination, children of his will go to the classic races. I have great expectations for his progeny."


Trainer: Takayuki Yasuda
"(For Lord Kanaloa) to have won the Horse of the Year Award is like a dream for me and it is a great honor. The race that gave me my biggest memory last year was the Yasuda Kinen. He had the sprint title but conquering a longer distance was really something. And his winning time was a surprise as well. Lord Kanaloa will go to stud this year, but I want him to bring some wonderful children to the turf. "


Jockey: Yasunari Iwata
"It has really been an honor to have ridden a great horse such as this. Last year, he was able to win all the G1 races he ran in and it was good that I, as the jockey, was able to deliver results. He won the Hong Kong Sprint for two years in a row and I think that is proof that he is No. 1 in the world. This horse is retiring but I believe he will pass on that blood to his progeny. It is my dream to ride a child of his in a G1 race and win."

The JRA Awards ceremony will be held on January 27.

Note: All information, including ages and race performances, are as of December 31, 2013, unless otherwise indicated. 

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