Air Messiah (Japanese: エアメサイア, Hepburn: Ea Mesaia; 4 February 2002 – 12 September 2014) was a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse and a broodmare. Her major wins include the Rose Stakes and Shuka Sho, both in 2005. Her name comes from the crown name Air, and Messiah, which means saviour in English.
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Racing career
She raced only once in 2004, winning her debut race. The next year, she placed second in Shiraume Sho and won the Elfin Stakes. Then, she went onto the Fillies' Revue, a major trial race for the Oka Sho, over 1400 metres at Hanshin on 19 February. She battled mostly with the eventual winner, Rhein Kraft and finished in third, a neck behind her. She also lost to Rhein Kraft in the Oka Sho, where she ineffectively tried to run on the outside track, but failed to catch up and ended up in fourth place. The next month in the Yushun Himba, she ran closely to the lead, but lost to Cesario by a neck. In the autumn campaign, she opened this section with a comfortable win in the Rose Stakes over Rhein Kraft when she overtook her just before the finish line. She repeated this feat again in the Shuka Sho wherein she chased the middle of the pack throughout the race, then took the lead early in the straight and won by a neck ahead of Rhein Kraft. She finished her season with a fifth-place finish in the Queen Elizabeth II Cup, ended the winning streak of Yutaka Take in this competition.
The next season, she started her year early in the Nakayama Kinen. Balance of Game ran out early in that race and won it by five lengths over Daiwa Major, whilst Air Messiah herself ended up in third place, one and three quarters length behind him. She had another battle with Rhein Kraft in the Hanshin Himba Stakes in which she lost by a neck to the line. In the inaugurated race of Victoria Mile, she ran mostly at the back and chased at the end of the race but just a bit short of Dance in The Mood and finished second, one and a quarter length behind. Air Messiah suffered an ingrown nail injury after the race, sidelining for the rest of the year. Her condition never improved, and she had to be retired on 28 February 2007.
Racing form
Air Messiah won four races and placed in another six out of 12 starts. All the data available is based on JBIS and Netkeiba.
Legend:
Turf
Broodmare career and death
She entered broodmare duty in Shadai Farm in 2007 and foaled her first progeny in 2008 which was Air One Piece. Her fourth progeny, Air Spinel had a good career when he won three graded stakes race (Kyoto Kimpai, Fuji Stakes and Daily Hai Nisai Stakes) whilst her final foal, Air Windsor was the winner of the Challenge Cup. She died in an accident whilst grazing around on 12 September 2014.
c = colt, f = filly
Pedigree
Air Messiah was an inbred by 4 x 5 to Almahmoud (Natalma's dam) and by 5 x 4 to Lady Angela (Nearctic's dam)
Air Messiah's dam, Air Deja Vu, is the half sister of Air Shakur
In popular culture
An anthropomorphized version of Air Messiah appears as a character in the Japanese multimedia franchise Umamusume: Pretty Derby, voiced by Yuna Nemoto. She is depicted as a steadfast, honest, and hardworking yet highly insecure girl who dreams of winning the Japanese Triple Tiara in honor of her mother, who fell just short of winning it as a runner-up during her racing career. She shares a close friendship and rivalry with her classmates Rhein Kraft, Cesario, and Daring Heart.