Meikei Yell (Japanese: メイケイエール, Meikei Ēru; foaled 23 February 2018) is a retired Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse. She competed from 2020 to 2024, recording seven wins from twenty starts, including the Tulip Sho (GII) in 2021, the Keio Hai Spring Cup (GII) in 2022, the Centaur Stakes (GII) in 2022, the Kokura Nisai Stakes (GIII) in 2020, the Fantasy Stakes (GIII) in 2020, and the Silk Road Stakes (GIII) in 2022. She never won a GI race despite ten attempts. Her name combines "Meikei," the owner's prefix, with "Yell" (応援).
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Background
Meikei Yell is a bay filly bred in Abira, Hokkaido, by Northern Farm. She was sired by Mikki Isle, a son of Deep Impact, and her dam was Shiroinger (シロインジャー), a white mare by Harbinger. Shiroinger is a descendant of the white horse family tracing back to Shirayukihime (シラユキヒメ); Meikei Yell's dam is white but Meikei Yell herself is bay. She is owned by Nagoya Keiba Co., Ltd., owner of the Chukyo Racecourse, and was trained by Hidenori Take at the JRA's Ritto Training Center.
Racing career
2020: two-year-old season
Meikei Yell debuted on 22 August 2020 in a maiden race at Kokura Racecourse, winning by 0.8 seconds. She won the Kokura Nisai Stakes (GIII) on 6 September and the Fantasy Stakes (GIII) at Hanshin Racecourse on 7 November in a race-record time of 1:20.1. She finished fourth in the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies (GI) on 13 December.
2021: three-year-old season
Meikei Yell won the Tulip Sho (GII) at Hanshin on 6 March in a dead heat with Elizabeth Tower. She finished last of eighteen in the Oka Shō (GI) on 11 April after failing to settle. She finished seventh in the Keeneland Cup (GIII) on 29 August and fourth in the Sprinters Stakes (GI) on 3 October.
2022: four-year-old season
Meikei Yell won the Silk Road Stakes (GIII) at Chukyo Racecourse on 30 January. She finished fifth in the Takamatsunomiya Kinen (GI) on 27 March. She won the Keio Hai Spring Cup (GII) at Tokyo Racecourse on 14 May. She won the Centaur Stakes (GII) at Chukyo on 11 September in a race-record time of 1:06.2. She finished fourteenth in the Sprinters Stakes (GI) on 2 October and fifth in the Hong Kong Sprint (G1) at Sha Tin Racecourse on 11 December.
2023: five-year-old season
Meikei Yell finished twelfth in the Takamatsunomiya Kinen (GI) on 26 March, fifteenth in the Yasuda Kinen (GI) on 4 June, and fifth in the Sprinters Stakes (GI) on 1 October. She finished ninth in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) at Santa Anita Park on 4 November, her first dirt start.
2024: six-year-old season
Meikei Yell finished tenth in the Kyoto Himba Stakes (GIII) on 17 February. Her final race was the Takamatsunomiya Kinen (GI) on 24 March, where she finished ninth. A retirement ceremony was held after the race. She was retired on 27 March 2024 and entered stud at Northern Farm.
Statistics
The following table details all 20 starts of Meikei Yell's racing career. Record current as of 24 March 2024.
Pedigree
Meikei Yell is inbred 3 × 4 to Sunday Silence and 4 × 4 to Danehill.
Her sire Mikki Isle won the 2014 NHK Mile Cup.
Her dam Shiroinger is a white mare. Her grandmother Yukichan won the 2008 Kanto Oaks.
Her relatives include Sodashi, Mama Cocha, and Hayayakko.