Mikki Fight
| |
|---|---|
 Mikki Fight at the 2024 Japan Dirt Classic | |
| Breed | Thoroughbred |
| Sire | Drefong |
| Grandsire | Gio Ponti |
| Dam | Special Groove |
| Damsire | Special Week |
| Sex | Stallion |
| Foaled | 5 May 2021 |
| Country | Japan |
| Colour | Chestnut |
| Breeder | Northern Farm |
| Owner | Mizuki Noda |
| Trainer | Hiroyasu Tanaka |
| Jockey | |
| Record | 13: 8-3-2 |
| Earnings | ¥508,387,000 |
| Major wins | |
| |
Mikki Fight (Japanese: ミッキーファイト, Mikkī Faito; foaled 5 May 2021) is a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse. He competed from 2023 to 2026, recording eight wins from thirteen starts, primarily on dirt surfaces.[1] His major victories include the Teio Sho (JpnI) in 2025 and 2026, the Japan Breeding Farms' Cup Classic (JpnI) in 2025, the Nagoya Daishoten (JpnIII) in 2024, the Leopard Stakes (GIII) in 2024, and the Antares Stakes (GIII) in 2025.[2] His consecutive victories in the Teio Sho made him the second horse in history to achieve the feat.[3]
Background
[edit]Mikki Fight is a chestnut stallion bred in Abira, Hokkaido, by Northern Farm.[1] He was sired by Drefong, an American-bred stallion by Gio Ponti, and his dam was Special Groove (スペシャルグルーヴ), a mare by Special Week.[4] Special Groove is a daughter of the mare Air Groove, who won the 1996 Yushun Himba and the 1997 Tennō Shō (Autumn), making Mikki Fight a close relative to multiple Grade 1 winners such as Duramente and Rulership.[4] He is owned by Mizuki Noda (Danox Co., Ltd.) and was trained by Hiroyasu Tanaka at the Miho Training Center.[1] His name combines the owner's prefix "Mikki" with "Fight," meaning "do your best."[1]
Racing career
[edit]2023: two-year-old season
[edit]Mikki Fight debuted on 15 October 2023 in a maiden race on dirt at Tokyo Racecourse, winning under jockey Akihide Tsumura.[5] He won his second start in a 1-win class race at Nakayama Racecourse on 10 December by five lengths.[6]
2024: three-year-old season
[edit]Mikki Fight finished third in the Unicorn Stakes (GIII) on 27 April.[7] After a brief break, he won the Leopard Stakes (GIII) at Niigata Racecourse on 4 August, securing his first graded stakes victory and a priority entry to the Japan Dirt Classic.[8] On 2 October, he contested the Japan Dirt Classic (JpnI) at Ohi Racecourse, finishing second to Forever Young.[9] He was initially aimed at the Champions Cup but was excluded due to insufficient earnings.[10] Instead, he ran in the Nagoya Daishoten (JpnIII) on 19 December, where he set a track record of 2:07.4 to claim his second graded stakes win.[11]
2025: four-year-old season
[edit]Mikki Fight started his season in the February Stakes (GI) on 23 February, finishing third behind Costa Nova and Sunrise Zipangu.[12] On 19 April, with Christophe Lemaire taking over riding duties, he won the Antares Stakes (GIII) at Hanshin Racecourse.[13] On 2 July, he won the Teio Sho (JpnI) at Ohi Racecourse, recording his first top-level victory.[14] He followed this with a dominant three-length victory in the Japan Breeding Farms' Cup Classic (JpnI) at Funabashi Racecourse on 3 November.[15] He ended the year with a narrow second-place finish in the Tokyo Daishoten (GI) on 29 December, beaten by Diktaean.[16]
2026: five-year-old season
[edit]Mikki Fight was initially invited to the Dubai World Cup in March, but the trip was cancelled due to the Iran War that had started about a month prior the race was due.[17] He instead targeted the Kashiwa Kinen (JpnI) on 5 May, where he finished second to Wilson Tesoro.[18] On 1 July, he contested the Teio Sho again and won by 1.75 lengths, becoming the second horse in history (after Meisho Hario) to win the race in consecutive years.[3]
Statistics
[edit]The following table details all 13 starts of Mikki Fight's racing career. Record current as of 1 July 2026.
| Date | Distance (Condition) | Race | Class | Course | Odds (Favourite) |
Field | Finish | Time | Jockey | Winning (Losing) Margin |
Winner (2nd Place) |
Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 – two-year-old season | ||||||||||||
| Oct 15 | Dirt 1600 m (Sloppy) | 2-Y-O Newcomer | Maiden | Tokyo | 3.9 (2nd) | 16 | 1st | 1:38.4 | Akihide Tsumura | 0.0 | (Central Valley) | [5] |
| Dec 10 | Dirt 1800 m (Fast) | 2-Y-O 1-Win | Allowance | Nakayama | 3.4 (1st) | 16 | 1st | 1:52.5 | Keita Tosaki | –0.8 | (Blue Sun) | [6] |
| 2024 – three-year-old season | ||||||||||||
| Apr 27 | Dirt 1900 m (Fast) | Unicorn Stakes | GIII | Kyoto | 2.8 (1st) | 16 | 3rd | 1:59.3 | Keita Tosaki | 0.7 | Ramjet | [7] |
| Aug 4 | Dirt 1800 m (Fast) | Leopard Stakes | GIII | Niigata | 2.2 (1st) | 15 | 1st | 1:51.2 | Keita Tosaki | –0.2 | (Satono Phoenix) | [8] |
| Oct 2 | Dirt 2000 m (Fast) | Japan Dirt Classic | JpnI | Ohi | 6.5 (3rd) | 15 | 2nd | 2:04.3 | Keita Tosaki | 0.2 | Forever Young | [9] |
| Dec 19 | Dirt 2000 m (Fast) | Nagoya Daishoten | JpnIII | Nagoya | 2.6 (2nd) | 12 | 1st | R2:07.4 | Keita Tosaki | 0.0 | (Notturno) | [11] |
| 2025 – four-year-old season | ||||||||||||
| Feb 23 | Dirt 1600 m (Fast) | February Stakes | GI | Tokyo | 3.3 (1st) | 16 | 3rd | 1:35.9 | Keita Tosaki | 0.4 | Costa Nova | [12] |
| Apr 19 | Dirt 1800 m (Fast) | Antares Stakes | GIII | Hanshin | 1.8 (1st) | 12 | 1st | 1:51.3 | Christophe Lemaire | –0.4 | (Tight Knit) | [13] |
| Jul 2 | Dirt 2000 m (Fast) | Teio Sho | JpnI | Ohi | 1.7 (1st) | 13 | 1st | 2:03.1 | Christophe Lemaire | 0.0 | (Outrange) | [14] |
| Nov 3 | Dirt 1800 m (Good) | Japan Breeding Farms' Cup Classic | JpnI | Funabashi | 1.7 (1st) | 14 | 1st | 1:52.0 | Christophe Lemaire | –0.6 | (Meisho Hario) | [15] |
| Dec 29 | Dirt 2000 m (Muddy) | Tokyo Daishoten | GI | Ohi | 1.4 (1st) | 15 | 2nd | 2:04.3 | Christophe Lemaire | 0.0 | Diktaean | [16] |
| 2026 – five-year-old season | ||||||||||||
| May 5 | Dirt 1600 m (Fast) | Kashiwa Kinen | JpnI | Funabashi | 1.7 (1st) | 13 | 2nd | 1:38.7 | Christophe Lemaire | 0.1 | Wilson Tesoro | [18] |
| Jul 1 | Dirt 2000 m (Good) | Teio Sho | JpnI | Ohi | 1.7 (1st) | 13 | 1st | 2:02.8 | Keita Tosaki | –0.3 | (Outrange) | [3] |
- R indicated that it was a record time finish
Pedigree
[edit]| Sire Drefong (USA) 2013 |
Gio Ponti (USA) 2005 |
Tale of the Cat | Storm Cat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yarn | |||
| Chipeta Springs | Alydar | ||
| Salt Spring | |||
| Eltimaas (USA) 2007 |
Ghostzapper | Awesome Again | |
| Baby Zip | |||
| Najecam | Trempolino | ||
| Sue Warner | |||
| Dam Special Groove (JPN) 2007 |
Special Week (JPN) 1995 |
Sunday Silence | Halo |
| Wishing Well | |||
| Campaign Girl | Maruzensky | ||
| Lady Shiraoki | |||
| Sonic Groove (JPN) 2003 |
French Deputy | Deputy Minister | |
| Mitterand | |||
| Air Groove | Tony Bin | ||
| Dyna Carle |
- Mikki Fight is inbred 5 × 4 to Deputy Minister.[4]
- His sire Drefong won the 2016 King's Bishop Stakes.[4]
- His dam Special Groove is a half-sister to the dam of Admire Groove, and his third dam Air Groove won the 1997 Yushun Himba.[4]
- His half-brother Jun Light Bolt won the 2022 Champions Cup.[4]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 "ミッキーファイト". JBIS Search (in Japanese). Japan Bloodhorse Breeders' Association. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
- ↑ "ミッキーファイト 競走成績". JBIS Search (in Japanese). Japan Bloodhorse Breeders' Association. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
- 1 2 3 "【大井競馬・帝王賞】ミッキーファイト 圧巻V 史上2頭目の連覇". Sponichi (in Japanese). 2 July 2026. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "ミッキーファイト - 5代血統表". JBIS Search (in Japanese). Japan Bloodhorse Breeders' Association. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
- 1 2 "【2歳新馬・東京4R】ミッキーファイトが差し切る". Sankei Sports (in Japanese). 15 October 2023. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
- 1 2 "ミッキーファイト、デビュー2連勝". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). 10 December 2023. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
- 1 2 "ミッキーファイト 競走成績". netkeiba (in Japanese). Retrieved 6 August 2026.
- 1 2 "【レパードS】ミッキーファイトが好位から抜け出す！重賞初V". Sankei Sports (in Japanese). 4 August 2024. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
- 1 2 "【ジャパンダートクラシック】直線猛追のミッキーファイト2着". netkeiba (in Japanese). 2 October 2024. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
- ↑ "【注目馬動向】ジャパンダートクラシック2着のミッキーファイトはチャンピオンズCへ". Sports Hochi (in Japanese). 8 October 2024. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
- 1 2 "【名古屋大賞典】ミッキーファイトが堂々抜け出し重賞V2！". Sankei Sports (in Japanese). 19 December 2024. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
- 1 2 "【フェブラリーS・1番人気の敗因】ミッキーファイトは3着が精いっぱい". Toshpo Keiba (in Japanese). 23 February 2025. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
- 1 2 "【アンタレスS】ミッキーファイトが断然人気に応えて重賞3勝目". Sankei Sports (in Japanese). 19 April 2025. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
- 1 2 "【帝王賞】夏休み前のルメール騎手とミッキーファイトが人気に応えG1初制覇！". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). 2 July 2025. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
- 1 2 "【JBCクラシック結果＆コメント】ミッキーファイトが人気に応えてV". Toshpo Keiba (in Japanese). 3 November 2025. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
- 1 2 "【東京大賞典】ディクテオンが地元で大仕事！ ミッキーファイト破る". Toshpo Keiba (in Japanese). 29 December 2025. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
- ↑ "ミッキーファイトはドバイワールドCの招待を辞退". Toshpo Keiba (in Japanese). 7 March 2026. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
- 1 2 "【かしわ記念】単勝1・7倍のミッキーファイトは最後にかわされ2着". netkeiba (in Japanese). 5 May 2026. Retrieved 6 August 2026.