Uma profile
Cesario
Cesario (シーザリオ) carries herself with the kind of composure that makes people straighten up around her. A Junior Division student from Ritto Dorm, she gives off an unmistakably capable air: intelligent, broad-minded, and deeply conscious of what it means to lead. Her official tagline says it plainly—she will never yield the Tiara—and that sense of purpose runs through her whole image. Even her quieter ambition has a noble cast to it: rather than thinking only about her own future, Cesario is drawn to the idea of nurturing the next generation.
That idealism is rooted in her background. Influenced by a famous-trainer father and an education-minded mother, she developed a strong interest in teaching and guidance. After learning that many Tiara Umamusume devote themselves to mentoring after retirement, she came to admire that path as the shape of her own ideal. It gives Cesario an especially appealing balance: she is not only serious and accomplished, but also future-facing, someone who seems to measure success by what she can pass on as much as by what she can win.
Still, there is nothing flat or purely academic about her. According to her roommate Rhein Kraft, Cesario has a very distinct on/off switch in how she carries herself, which adds a sharp little spark to her otherwise elegant presence. That contrast makes her memorable: refined, yes, but not stiff; disciplined, but clearly capable of changing gears when the moment demands it. She refers to herself as Watashi and addresses her mentor simply as Trainer, fitting her polished, straightforward manner. Fans may also know her by the nickname Shi-chan.
Her connections place her right in the middle of a strong and competitive circle. Rhein Kraft is especially significant as roommate, stablemate, friend, teammate, and rival all at once—a combination that says a lot about the intensity around Cesario’s daily life. She is also closely associated with Air Messiah and Daring Heart, both framed as friends and rivals, while Special Week appears as a respected upperclassman. Other noted ties include Buena Vista and Symboli Kris S. Altogether, Cesario’s world looks less like a solitary pedestal and more like a constellation of talented peers pushing one another onward.
Sources
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Same races
Same Races
3 shared rivals
Related Umas
6 total · 6 linked
Rivals
3 total · 3 linked
Stablemates
1 total · 1 linked
Mentioned By Related Umas
6 profiles
Mentioned By Rivals
2 profiles
Mentioned By Stablemates
1 profile
Cesario was one of the most accomplished fillies of her generation and later became one of the most influential broodmares in modern Japanese racing. A bay mare foaled on 31 March 2002, she was bred by Northern Farm in Hokkaido and raced for Sunday Racing Co., Ltd. Trained by Katsuhiko Sumii, Cesario was by the legendary Special Week out of Kirov Premiere, a daughter of Sadler's Wells, giving her an exceptional blend of Japanese stamina and elite European bloodlines.
Career at a glance
Track record
Featured races
Finished 1st · G1 · at Tokyo · over 2400m · Tokyo (JP)
Finished 1st · G1 · at Hollywood Park · over 2000m · Hollywood Park (US)
Finished 1st · G3 · at Nakayama · over 1800m · Nakayama (JP)
At a glance
IRL Profile
Elegant, athletic, and remarkably versatile, Cesario demonstrated top-class ability over middle distances on both firm and soft ground. Her calm temperament and powerful finishing kick quickly established her as one of Japan's brightest young fillies, while her later achievements abroad elevated her into the history books.
Early Career
Cesario made her debut as a two-year-old in late 2004, immediately impressing with a comfortable victory. She followed this with another success before finishing second in the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies (GI), Japan's premier race for two-year-old fillies.
Although narrowly beaten, the performance confirmed that she belonged among the country's elite juveniles.
Three-Year-Old Season
Returning as a three-year-old in 2005, Cesario rapidly developed into the leading filly of her generation.
After winning the Flower Cup (GIII), she contested the Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) over 2,400 metres.
Displaying her trademark patience, Cesario settled comfortably behind the leaders before producing a sustained run in the home straight. Her powerful finish carried her to victory, securing the Oaks and establishing herself as Japan's premier three-year-old filly.
Rather than ending her season there, her connections chose an ambitious path that would define her career.
Historic American Victory
Following her triumph in the Japanese Oaks, Cesario's connections set their sights overseas rather than remaining at home for the remainder of her three-year-old season.
Travelling to Hollywood Park in California for the American Oaks Invitational (GI), Cesario faced unfamiliar surroundings, a long international journey, and a field of elite American fillies.
Ridden confidently by Yasunari Iwata, she settled comfortably before unleashing her trademark acceleration around the final bend. Drawing clear in the straight, she won by an emphatic four lengths, leaving little doubt she was the best horse in the race.
The victory made history.
Cesario became the first Japanese-trained horse ever to win a Grade 1 race in the United States, a landmark achievement that further demonstrated the growing strength of Japanese Thoroughbred racing on the international stage. Her dominant performance attracted worldwide attention and helped pave the way for later generations of Japanese horses to compete successfully overseas.
Retirement
Unfortunately, Cesario's racing career was cut short.
Following her return to Japan, veterinary examinations revealed ligament problems that prevented her from returning to full training. Rather than risking her long-term health, connections elected to retire her while still at the peak of her abilities.
Although she retired after only six career starts, she had already established herself among the finest fillies of her generation.
Her final record stood at:
- 6 starts
- 5 wins
- 2 seconds
A Legendary Broodmare
If Cesario's racing career was exceptional, her achievements as a broodmare proved even more remarkable.
Bred with the incomparable King Kamehameha, she produced Epiphaneia, winner of the Japan Cup (GI) and later an outstanding stallion whose offspring include Efforia, winner of the Tenno Sho (Autumn) and Arima Kinen.
She also produced Leontes, winner of the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes (GI) and later sire of the outstanding mare Brede Weg.
Perhaps even more impressively, Cesario produced Saturnalia, winner of the Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas), and Cesario's influence continues to shape Japanese racing through multiple generations.
Few mares have contributed so profoundly to the modern Japanese Thoroughbred.
Legacy
Although her racing career lasted barely a year, Cesario's impact on Japanese racing has been immense.
Her victories demonstrated that Japanese-trained fillies could succeed internationally, while her extraordinary success as a broodmare established one of the most influential maternal families in the modern Stud Book.
As the daughter of Special Week, she carried forward one legendary bloodline before creating another of her own.
Today, Cesario is remembered not only as an outstanding racehorse, but as one of the foundation mares whose descendants continue to compete at the highest levels around the world.
Her remarkable career inspired her inclusion in Uma Musume: Pretty Derby, where her elegance, quiet confidence, and international success are reflected in her character.
Career Summary
- Foaled: 31 March 2002
- Colour: Bay
- Sex: Mare
- Breeder: Northern Farm
- Owner: Sunday Racing Co., Ltd.
- Trainer: Katsuhiko Sumii
- Sire: Special Week
- Dam: Kirov Premiere
- Damsire: Sadler's Wells
- Starts: 8
- Wins: 5
- Seconds: 2
- Thirds: 1
- Prize Money: ¥296,760,000
Major Victories
- Flower Cup (GIII)
- Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) (GI)
- American Oaks Invitational (GI)
Notable Characteristics
- First Japanese-trained horse to win a Grade 1 race in the United States.
- Brilliant middle-distance filly.
- Daughter of Special Week.
- One of Japan's greatest modern broodmares.
- Dam of multiple Grade 1 winners and influential stallions.
Legacy as a Broodmare
Notable offspring include:
- Epiphaneia – Japan Cup winner and leading sire.
- Leontes – Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes winner and successful sire.
- Saturnalia – Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) winner.
Through her descendants, Cesario's influence continues to shape Japanese racing and breeding more than two decades after her own racing career ended.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cesario_(horse)
- https://db.netkeiba.com/horse/2002100814/
- https://www.jbis.jp/horse/0000734042/
- https://umamusu.wiki/IRL:Cesario
More photographs
IRL image archive
5 more images
| Date | Race | Grade | Course | Going | Dist | Pos | Draw | Jockey | Wgt | SP | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005-07-03 |
AMERICAN OAKS
|
G1 | Hollywood Park (US) | Good | 2000 m | 1 | 13 | Yuichi Fukunaga | 55.0 kg | 0.0 | 1:59.0 |
| 2005-05-22 |
YUSHUN HIMBA (JAPANESE OAKS)
|
G1 | Tokyo (JP) | Good | 2400 m | 1 | 4 | Yuichi Fukunaga | 55.0 kg | 1.5 | 2:28.8 |
| 2005-04-10 |
OKA SHO (JAPANESE 1000 GUINEAS)
|
G1 | Hanshin (JP) | Good | 1600 m | 2 | 7 | M.Yoshida | 55.0 kg | 3.9 | 1:33.5 |
| 2005-03-19 |
JIJI PRESS HAI FLOWER CUP
|
G3 | Nakayama (JP) | Good | 1800 m | 1 | 2 | Yuichi Fukunaga | 54.0 kg | 1.4 | 1:49.0 |
| 2005-01-09 |
KANCHIKU SHO ALW (1 Win)
|
Pre-OP | Nakayama (JP) | Good | 2000 m | 1 | 11 | Yuichi Fukunaga | 54.0 kg | 10.3 | 2:01.6 |
| 2004-12-25 |
2yo DBT
|
Maiden | Hanshin (JP) | Good | 1600 m | 1 | 10 | Yuichi Fukunaga | 54.0 kg | 4.2 | 1:36.7 |
Citations
Race Result Sources
AI Race Import 2026-07-01 12:28 UTC
Imported and enriched race results from supported racing sources.