Hishi Akebono (Japanese: ヒシアケボノ, Hepburn: Hishi Akebono; 27 February 1992 – 19 November 2008) was an American-bred, Japanese-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. Best known for his exceptional power and weight-carrying ability, he won the 1995 Sprinters Stakes and Swan Stakes.
Weighing 560 kg during his Sprinters Stakes victory, Hishi Akebono set the record as the heaviest horse to ever win a JRA Grade 1 race on turf. He was a half-brother to the champion sprinter Agnes World and an uncle to the European Group 1 winner Dubai Destination.
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Background
Hishi Akebono was a black stallion bred in the United States by Swettenham Stud and partners. He was sired by Woodman, a son of the legendary Mr. Prospector, and out of the Seattle Slew mare Mysteries. His dam Mysteries was also the mother of Agnes World, who won the July Cup (GI) in England and the Prix de l'Abbaye (GI) in France, making Hishi Akebono a member of one of the most accomplished international sprinting families of the era.
He was purchased by Masaichiro Abe and imported to Japan, where he was trained by Masaru Sato at the Ritto Training Center. Throughout his career, he was primarily ridden by Koichi Tsunoda, who expertly managed the colt's massive frame and powerful closing kick.
Racing career
1994–1995: Early career and breakthrough
Hishi Akebono made his debut in November 1994 at Tokyo Racecourse, finishing fourth and second in two maiden starts. After a brief stint on dirt where he struggled, he returned to the turf and broke his maiden in July 1995 at Chukyo. He then reeled off four consecutive victories, including the Swan Stakes (GII) in a Japanese record time of 1:19.8 for 1400 meters.
On December 17, 1995, he entered the Sprinters Stakes (GI) at Nakayama as the favorite. Carrying a race weight of 560 kg, he delivered a dominant performance to win Japan's premier sprint championship, setting the JRA record for the heaviest G1 turf winner in history. He was subsequently named the 1995 JRA Best Sprinter or Miler.
1996–1997: Weight struggles and retirement
Hishi Akebono continued racing through 1996 and 1997 but struggled with extreme weight fluctuations. In the 1996 Swan Stakes, he arrived at the track weighing 580 kg (a 30 kg increase) and finished 11th. He followed with a 582 kg effort in the Mile Championship (15th). Though he dropped to 566 kg for the Sprinters Stakes, he finished fourth.
In 1997, he carried 61 kg in the Baden-Baden Cup Open and finished fifth, but failed to place in any subsequent graded stakes. He was retired after finishing ninth in the December 1997 Sprinters Stakes.
Stud career and death
Following his retirement, Hishi Akebono stood at the JBBA Shimofusa Stallion Station in Chiba Prefecture before moving to the University of Tokyo's Faculty of Agriculture farm in Ibaraki Prefecture in August 2007. He did not produce any major stakes winners as a sire, though his daughter Crown Rose (out of Hishi Asuka) won the 2013 Fairy Stakes (GIII).
Hishi Akebono fell ill in October 2008 and was transferred to the JRA Equine Research Institute for examination on November 17. He died two days later on November 19, 2008, at the age of 16. The specific cause of death was not publicly disclosed.
Statistics
The following table details all 30 starts of Hishi Akebono's racing career based on official netkeiba and JBIS race charts.
Note: "R" in the Time column indicates a course record.
In popular culture
An anthropomorphized version of Hishi Akebono appears as a character in the Japanese multimedia franchise Umamusume: Pretty Derby, voiced by Rei Matsuzaki. She is depicted as a jovial, magnanimous girl with an incredible talent for cooking as well as a strong sense of justice. She holds the distinction of being the largest playable trainee in the game at 180 centimeters tall, reflecting Hishi Akebono's real-life reputation as a powerful, heavy-framed sprinter who excelled despite carrying significant weight. Similar to her real-life counterpart, she is the roommate and rival of Biko Pegasus, and is often depicted enjoying large meals in reference to her real-life counterpart's substantial physique.