Vivlos (, foaled 9 April 2013) is a Japanese

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a list of horse breeds, horse breed developed for Thoroughbred racing, horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thorough ...

racehorse and

broodmare A mare is an adult female horse or other equine. In most cases, a mare is a female horse over the age of three, and a filly is a female horse three and younger. In Thoroughbred horse racing, a mare is defined as a female horse more than four ...

. She showed some promise as a juvenile in 2015 when she won a minor race on the second of her two starts. In the following year she was moved up in class and made steady progress, ending her season with a win in the

Grade 1 First grade (also 1st Grade or Grade 1) is the first year of formal or compulsory education. It is the first year of elementary school, and the first school year after kindergarten. Children in first grade are usually 6–7 years old. Examples ...

Shuka Sho Shuka ( , also Shukadeva ) is a rishi (sage) in Hinduism. He is the son of the sage Vyasa and the main narrator of the scripture ''Bhagavata Purana''. Most of the ''Bhagavata Purana'' consists of Shuka reciting the story to the king Parikshit ...

. As a four-year-old she defeated an international field to take the

Dubai Turf The Dubai Turf is a Group 1 flat horse race in the United Arab Emirates for four-year-old and above thoroughbreds run over a distance of 1,800 metres (1 mile 1 furlong) on the turf at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai during the Dubai World Cup Night ...

and won the

JRA Award for Best Older Filly or Mare The JRA Award for Best Older Filly or Mare is a title awarded annually by the Japan Racing Association (JRA) to an outstanding horse of that category in Japanese Thoroughbred horse racing. Since 1987 the honor has been part of the JRA Awards. Recor ...

. In 2018 she failed to win a race but finished second in both the Dubai Turf and the

Hong Kong Mile The Hong Kong Mile is a Conditions races, Group 1 Flat racing, flat Horse racing, horse race in Hong Kong which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run over a distance of 1,600 metres (about 1 mile) at Sha Tin Racecourse, Sha ...

. On her final racecourse appearance she finished second in the 2019 Dubai Turf.

Background

Vivlos is a black mare bred in Japan by Northern Farm. During her racing career she was owned by the baseball star

Kazuhiro Sasaki Kazuhiro Sasaki (佐々木主浩 ''Sasaki Kazuhiro'', born February 22, 1968) is a Japanese former professional baseball relief pitcher. He played his entire Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) career with the Yokohama Taiyō Whales / Yokohama ...

and trained by

Yasuo Tomomichi Yasuo Tomomichi (; born August 11, 1963) is a Japanese horse trainer of the Japan Racing Association. Career Tomomichi was born in the district of Akō, Hyōgo. After graduating from in 1982, he enrolled in the Osaka Prefecture University's S ...

. She was from the sixth crop of foals sired by Deep Impact, who was the

Japanese Horse of the Year The Japanese Horse of the Year is the highest honor given to the most outstanding horse in Japanese thoroughbred horse racing. It is awarded annually by the Japan Racing Association (JRA). Since 1987 the honor has been part of the JRA Awards. This ...

in 2005 and 2006, winning races including the

Tokyo Yushun Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

Tenno Sho The is a horse race held twice a year in Japan, once in the spring and once in the autumn. "Tenno" means "Emperor of Japan". The races are both International Grade 1 races. Prior to the 2007 races, both Tenno Sho races were Japanese domestic Gr ...

Arima Kinen The Arima Kinen (有馬記念) is a Conditions races, Grade I Flat racing, flat Horse racing, horse race in Japan open to Thoroughbreds three-years-old and above and the world's largest betting horserace. It is run in late December each year, over ...

and

Japan Cup The is one of the most prestigious horse races in Japan. It is contested on the last Sunday of November, post time of 15:40 at Tokyo Racecourse in Fuchu, Tokyo at a distance of 2400 meters (about miles) run under weight for age conditions with ...

. Deep Impact's other progeny include

Gentildonna is a retired Japanese thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare. In 2012 she won the Japanese Fillies Triple Crown and was voted Japanese Horse of the Year. She was also the first three-year-old filly to win the Japan Cup, in 2012, and the following ...

Harp Star Harp Star (, foaled 24 April 2011) is a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse. She was one of the leading two-year-old fillies in Japan in 2013 when she won the Niigata Nisai Stakes and was narrowly beaten in the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies. In the follo ...

, Kizuna,

A Shin Hikari A Shin Hikari (japanese language, Japanese エイシンヒカリ, foaled 3 May 2011) is a retired Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse. He began his racing career as a three-year-old in 2014 when he won his first five races including the Listed Irela ...

Marialite Marialite is a silicate mineral with a chemical formula of if a pure endmember or with increasing meionite content. Marialite is the sodium endmember of the scapolite group and a solid solution exists between marialite and meionite, the calci ...

and

Saxon Warrior Saxon Warrior (foaled 26 January 2015) is a Japanese-bred, Irish-trained Thoroughbred racehorse. As a two-year-old in 2017 he was one of the best colts of his generation in Europe, winning all three of his races including the Beresford Stakes a ...

. Vivlos' dam Halwa Sweet showed some racing ability, winning five minor races from 22 starts, but became an outstanding broodmare whose previous foals included Verxina and Cheval Grand. Her granddam Morn of Song was a full-sister to

Rahy Rahy (February 18, 1985 – September 22, 2011) was a Thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse who competed in United Kingdom, England and the United States. Background Bred by Hill 'n' Dale Farms in Lexington, Kentucky, Lexington, Rahy was a son of ...

and a half-sister to

Singspiel A Singspiel (; plural: ; ) is a form of German-language music drama, now regarded as a genre of opera. It is characterized by spoken dialogue, which is alternated with ensembles, songs, ballads, and arias which were often strophic, or folk- ...

Racing career

2015: two-year-old season

Vivlos began her racing career by finishing a close second to Classic Lydia in an event for previously unraced juveniles over 1600 metres at

Kyoto Racecourse is located in Fushimi-ku, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. It is used for horse racing. It has a capacity of 120,000. The current stand was built in 1999. History Kyoto Racecourse opened at its current location in December 1, 1925. In prepara ...

on 24 October. At the same track four weeks later she was stepped up in distance for a

maiden race In horse racing, a maiden race is an event for horses that have not won a race. Horses that have not won a race are referred to as maidens. Maiden horse races are held over a variety of distances and under conditions with eligibility based on the s ...

over 1800 metres and recorded her first success as she won from Ribbon Flower and nine others.

2016: three-year-old season

In March 2016 Vivlos was moved up to Grade 3 class but made no impact in her first two starts as she finished towards the rear in both the

Tulip Sho The Tulip Sho (Japanese チューリップ賞) is a Japanese Grade 2 flat horse race in Japan for three-year-old Thoroughbred fillies run over a distance of 1,600 metres at Hanshin Racecourse, Takarazuka, Hyogo. The race is run in March and ser ...

Hanshin Racecourse is located in Takarazuka, Hyogo, Japan. It has a capacity of 139,000 and is used for horse racing. The land was originally owned by Kawanishi Aircraft Company, which manufactured combat planes during World War II. After World War II, GHQ orde ...

and the Flower Cup at

Nakayama Racecourse was built in 1990 in Funabashi, Chiba, Japan, for horse racing Horse racing is an equestrian performance activity, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for c ...

. After a three-month break, she returned to winning form as she took a minor race over 2000 metres at

Chukyo Racecourse is located in Toyoake, Aichi, Japan. It is used for horse racing Horse racing is an equestrian performance activity, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance ...

in July. On 10 September at Nakayama Vivlos started at odds of 4.8/1 for the Grade 3 Shion Stakes (a trial race for the Shuka Sho) and finished second of the eighteen runners, beaten two and a half lengths by the favourite Biche. In the Grade 1 Shuka Sho over 2000 metres at Kyoto on 16 October Vivlos, ridden by

Yuichi Fukunaga is a Japanese horse trainer and former jockey who has won 29 Grade 1 races in Japan and abroad. He is affiliated with the Japan Racing Association (JRA) in Rittō. His father is former jockey who was said to be a "genius" during his active care ...

, started the 5.3/1 third choice in the betting behind Biche and

Jeweler A bench jeweler is an artisan who uses a combination of skills to make and repair jewelry. Some of the more common skills that a bench jeweler might employ include antique restoration, silversmithing, goldsmithing, stone setting, engraving, ...

. After racing in mid-division she produced a strong late run, took the lead in the closing stages and won by half a length from Pearl Code, with Kaiserball and Jeweler close behind. After the race Fukunaga said "We were in a perfect position and the trip was smooth and in good rhythm. I was aware of Biche behind me at the third corner but we were able to pick our own timing for the move. Her sister (Verxina) had a lot of speed and staying power but this filly has a tremendous burst of speed". In the

JRA Award The is given annually since 1987 by the Japan Racing Association (JRA) to the outstanding horses and people in Japanese Thoroughbred horse racing. The awards originally started as the in 1954 and since 1972 the {{Nihongo, Yūshun Awards, 優駿� ...

s for 2016 Vivlos finished third behind

Sinhalite Sinhalite is a borate mineral with formula MgAl(BO4). Sinhalite was first found in Sri Lanka (Ceylon) in 1952, and was named from Sinhala - the Sanskrit name for Sri Lanka. Gemstone quality Sinhalite can also be found in Madagascar, Tanzania ...

and

in the voting for the JRA Award for Best Three-Year-Old Filly.

2017: four-year-old season

On her 2017 debut Vivlos was matched against male opposition in the Grade 2

Nakayama Kinen The Nakayama Kinen (中山記念, ''Nakayama Kinen'') is a Grade 2 flat horse race in Japan for Thoroughbreds aged four and older run over a distance of 1,800 metres at the Nakayama Racecourse, Funabashi, Chiba. The race is run in late February ...

over 1800 metres on 26 February in which she stayed on well from the rear of the field to finish fifth of the eleven runners, two lengths behind the six-year-old winner Neorealism. The filly was then sent to the

United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE), or simply the Emirates, is a country in West Asia, in the Middle East, at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is a Federal monarchy, federal elective monarchy made up of Emirates of the United Arab E ...

to contest the

over 1800 metres at

Meydan Racecourse Meydan Racecourse is a racecourse in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The grandstand is a half mile in length, and can accommodate over 60,000 spectators. Meydan opened on 27 March 2010, replacing Nad Al Sheba Racecourse, which formerly occu ...

on 25 March in which she was ridden by the Hong Kong-based Brazilian jockey João Moreira and started at odds of 14/1. The French colt

Zarak ''Zarak'' is a 1956 CinemaScope adventure film directed by Terence Young with assistance from John Gilling and Yakima Canutt. Set in the Northwest Frontier (though filmed in Morocco), the film stars Victor Mature, Michael Wilding and Anita ...

started favourite ahead of the British-trained

Ribchester Ribchester () is a village and civil parish within the Ribble Valley district of Lancashire, England. It lies on the banks of the River Ribble, northwest of Blackburn and east of Preston, Lancashire, Preston. The village has a long history w ...

while the other ten runners included Decorated Knight (

Irish Champion Stakes The Irish Champion Stakes ( Irish: Curadh-Dhuais na hÉireann) is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Leopardstown over a distance of 1 mile and 2 furlongs (2 ...

), Deauville (

Belmont Derby The Belmont Derby is an American Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred race horse run over a distance of miles on the turf at Belmont Park in July. The purse for the 2023 race is US$750,000. Race history In 2014, the race became ...

) and Mondialiste (

Arlington Million The Arlington Million is a Grade 1 flat horse race in the United States for thoroughbred horses aged three years and upward on turf. It was originally raced at Arlington Park in Arlington Heights, Illinois over a distance of miles. The Arling ...

). After racing towards the rear of the field as Ribchester set the pace Vivlos began to make progress and moved up to make her challenge on the outside in the straight. The outsider Heshem gained the advantage from Ribchester inside the final furlong but Vivlos took the lead in the closing stages to win by half a length. Moreira commented "She was brilliant. From the time that I sat on top of her on Friday, she gave me the feel that she was going to be very competitive... She made the job very easy for me today. We were travelling nice and when I took her out and she had daylight, she was strong to the line." Her trainer Yasuo Tomomichi said "She travelled very well from Japan and she was very relaxed in Dubai. She relaxed again in the back of the field and quickened very well. It kept raining but the ground wasn't too soft, which suited her." After an absence of over six months Vivlos returned in the Grade 2

Fuchu Himba Stakes The Fuchu Himba Stakes (Japanese 府中牝馬ステークス) is a Japanese Grade 3 horse race for Thoroughbred fillies and mares aged three and over run in June over a distance of 1,800 meters at Tokyo Racecourse. It was first run in 1953 and w ...

Tokyo Racecourse is located in Fuchū, Tokyo, Japan. Built in 1933 for horse racing, it is considered the "racecourse of racecourses" in Japanese horseracing. It has a capacity of 223,000, with seating for 13,750. Tokyo Racecourse hosts numerous G1 (Grade 1) ...

on 14 October. She started the 2.2/1 favourite against thirteen other fillies and mares but despite finishing strongly she was failed by a neck to overhaul Crocosmia. Four weeks later the filly was stepped up in distance and started 1.8/1 favourite for the Grade 1

Queen Elizabeth II Cup The Queen Elizabeth II Cup is a Group One Thoroughbred horse race at Sha Tin Racecourse in the New Territories, Hong Kong. Established in 1975 by the Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club, it is run annually in April over a distance of 2,000 metres (te ...

over 2200 metres at Kyoto in which she was partnered by

Christophe Lemaire Christophe Patrice Lemaire (Japanese:, born 20 May 1979) is a French-born jockey. He has enjoyed much of his success on the Japanese flat racing circuit, with the most wins at Japan Racing Association racetracks for five consecutive years sin ...

. She was in contention throughout the race but was unable to make any significant progress in the closing stages and came home fifth behind the three-year-old Mozu Katchan. In January 2018 she topped the poll to take the

for 2017 with 194 of the 290 votes. In the 2017 World's Best Racehorse Rankings, Vivlos given a rating of 117 making her the 129th-best horse in the world and the fifth-best four-year-old filly behind Minding,

Marsha Marsha is a variant spelling of Marcia. Notable people with the name include: *Marsha Ambrosius (born 1977), former member of the English band duo Floetry *Marsha Arzberger (born 1937), Democratic politician * Marsha Barbour, first lady of the U ...

Persuasive Persuasion or persuasion arts is an umbrella term for influence. Persuasion can influence a person's beliefs, attitudes, intentions, motivations, or behaviours. Persuasion is studied in many disciplines. Rhetoric studies modes of persuasio ...

and

Songbird A songbird is a bird belonging to the suborder Passeri of the perching birds (Passeriformes). Another name that is sometimes seen as the scientific or vernacular name is Oscines, from Latin ''oscen'', "songbird". The Passeriformes contains 5,00 ...

2018 & 2019: five and six-year-old seasons

In 2018 Vivlos again began her campaign in the Nakayama Kinen. On this occasion she started at odds of 5.4/1 and finished eighth of the ten runners behind the four-year-old colt Win Bright, beaten three and a half lengths by the winner. On 31 March the mare returned to Meydan Racecourse in an attempt to repeat her 2017 success in the Dubai Turf. Despite never looking likely to trouble the winner

Benbatl Benbatl (foaled 15 February 2014) is a retired British Thoroughbred racehorse and breeding stallion. He was unraced as a two-year-old in 2016 but in the following year he won the Hampton Court Stakes and was placed in both the Craven Stakes and ...

she stayed on strongly in the straight to take second place ahead of her fellow Japanese challengers

Deirdre Deirdre ( , ; ) is a tragic heroine in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. She is also known by the epithet "Deirdre of the Sorrows" (). Deirdre is a prominent figure in Irish legend. American scholar James MacKillop (author), James MacKil ...

and

Real Steel ''Real Steel'' is a 2011 American science fiction sports film starring Hugh Jackman and Dakota Goyo and co-produced and directed by Shawn Levy for DreamWorks Pictures. The film is based on the short story "Steel", written by Richard Mathes ...

. Almost three months later she was one of sixteen horses invited to contest the

Takarazuka Kinen The Takarazuka Kinen (宝塚記念) is a Grade I flat horse race in Japan for Thoroughbreds aged three and over a distance of 2,200 metres (approximately miles) at Hanshin Racecourse (阪神競馬場) in late June. It is one of the two "All-Sta ...

over 2200 metres at

and kept on well in the closing stages to come home fourth behind Mikki Rocket. After a summer break of over four months Vivlos returned for the autumn edition of the

over 2000 metres at Tokyo on 28 October. She started at odds of 16.4/1 and came home eighth of the twelve runners behind

Rey de Oro Rey de Oro ( foaled 5 February 2014) is a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse. As a juvenile in 2016 he was undefeated in three races including the Grade 2 Hopeful Stakes and was rated one of the best two-year-old colts in Japan. In the following year ...

. For her final tart of the year the mare was sent to

Sha Tin Racecourse Sha Tin Racecourse is one of the two racecourses for horse racing in Hong Kong. It is located in Sha Tin District, Sha Tin in the New Territories. It is managed by Hong Kong Jockey Club. Penfold Park is encircled by the track, and the Ho ...

for the

on 9 December. Starting a 57/1 outsider she exceeded expectations as she came from well off the pace to take second place behind the local champion

Beauty Generation Beauty Generation (; foaled 27 September 2012) is a New Zealand-bred Thoroughbred racehorse best known for his performances in Hong Kong. He began his career as a three-year-old in Australia where he won two races and ran second in the Rosehill ...

. Despite expectations that she would be retired at the end of 2018, Vivlos returned for a final run in the 2019 edition of the Dubai Turf on 30 March. As in the previous year she came with a strong late run to take second place, beaten one and a quarter lengths by

Almond Eye Almond Eye (Japanese language, Japanese: アーモンドアイ, foaled 10 March 2015) is a champion Japanese Thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse who won the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing#Japan, Japanese Fillies' Triple Crown in 2018, and ...

. After the race Tomomichi said "everything went right. It was her third time here and she clearly seems to really like Dubai and we’re really grateful of all that she achieved at this place. She's calling it a career now but I hope to be back in Dubai with her kid one day."

Pedigree

*Vivlos was

inbred Inbreeding is the production of offspring from the mating or breeding of individuals or organisms that are closely related genetically. By analogy, the term is used in human reproduction, but more commonly refers to the genetic disorders an ...

3 × 4 to Halo, meaning that this stallion appeared in both the third and fourth generations of her pedigree.

References

{{Reflist 2013 racehorse births Racehorses bred in Japan Racehorses trained in Japan Thoroughbred family 12-c Shūka Sho winners