Bucephalus was a Japanese dark bay stallion of the 2010s, foaled on 30 March 2015 and bred by Yamagiwa Central Stud. He raced in the colours of Yoshio Oda and was trained from Ritto by Kazuya Nakatake, following a career that took in both JRA and NAR competition before his retirement.
His pedigree combined major modern Japanese bloodlines. Bucephalus was by Black Tide and out of Erimo Princess, a daughter of King Kamehameha, giving him a background that linked Sunday Silence-line influence through his sire with one of Japan’s most important classic and stallion influences on the dam side. He also came from a family that included siblings such as Asukano Hayate, Lagoon Liberty, and Kitano Maxim.
Before racing, Bucephalus passed through the 2016 Hokkaido Summer Sale, where he sold for ¥11.34 million. That commercial beginning set up a modest but complete racing career: across 16 starts, he recorded 1 win. His earnings were split almost evenly between the two circuits, with ¥1.85 million in JRA prize money and ¥1.87 million in NAR earnings, reflecting a campaign that moved between Japan’s central and regional racing systems.
While Bucephalus was not a headline star, his record captures a familiar and important tier of the Japanese racing world: a horse with recognized pedigree, professional connections, and experience on both major racing stages. For archive purposes, that makes him representative of the many horses who contribute to the depth of the sport beyond the elite level. He is listed as retired.
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