Daiwa Scarlet JP
A scarlet streak with a captain’s stride. Daiwa Scarlet runs like she leads a parade: chin up, rhythm perfect, and a “keep up if you can” smile for anyone who dares. She’s the dependable class rep who colour-codes the training schedule, then goes out and dictates the pace herself — cool head, hot engine, zero wobble.
She lives for clean plans and visible results. Warm hands on a skittish teammate’s shoulders; a crisp, “We’ve got this,” then straight back to splits and strategy. Rivalries don’t rattle her — they energise her. If someone surges, she tightens her form and answers with metronome cadence rather than panic.
On race day it’s textbook: jump smart, settle on or just off the lead, stack even fractions, and snap the elastic in the final 300. The crowd reads “elegant”; the clock reads “merciless.”
“Set the tempo. Own the line.”
Flavour cues
- Persona: poised leader; dependable big-race temperament.
- On-track style: front-runner / pace dictator with iron efficiency.
- Aesthetic: deep scarlet + gold accents; sash-clean tailoring; minimal, refined jewellery.
Race Results
| Date | Race | Grade | Course | Going | Dist | Pos | Draw | Jockey | Wgt | SP | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-12-28 | Arima Kinen (The Grand Prix) | G1 | Nakayama (JP) | Firm | 2500 m | 1 | 13 | Katsumi Ando | 55.0 kg | 2.6 | 2:31.5 |
| 2008-11-02 | Tenno Sho (Autumn) | G1 | Tokyo (JP) | Firm | 2000 m | 2 | 7 | Katsumi Ando | 56.0 kg | 3.6 | 1:57.2 |
| 2008-04-06 | Sankei Osaka Hai | G2 | Hanshin (JP) | Firm | 2000 m | 1 | 9 | Katsumi Ando | 55.0 kg | 2.0 | 1:58.7 |
| 2007-12-23 | Arima Kinen (The Grand Prix) | G1 | Nakayama (JP) | Good | 2500 m | 2 | 7 | Katsumi Ando | 53.0 kg | 8.1 | 2:33.8 |
| 2007-11-11 | Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup | G1 | Kyoto (JP) | Firm | 2200 m | 1 | 7 | Katsumi Ando | 54.0 kg | 1.9 | 2:11.9 |
| 2007-10-14 | Shuka Sho | G1 | Kyoto (JP) | Firm | 2000 m | 1 | 13 | Katsumi Ando | 55.0 kg | 2.8 | 1:59.1 |
| 2007-09-16 | Rose Stakes | G2 | Hanshin (JP) | Firm | 1800 m | 1 | 5 | Katsumi Ando | 55.0 kg | 1.6 | 1:46.1 |
| 2007-04-08 | Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) | G1 | Hanshin (JP) | Firm | 1600 m | 1 | 18 | Katsumi Ando | 55.0 kg | 5.9 | 1:33.7 |
| 2007-03-03 | Tulip Sho | G3 | Hanshin (JP) | Firm | 1600 m | 2 | 7 | Katsumi Ando | 55.0 kg | 2.8 | 1:33.7 |
| 2007-01-08 | Nikkan Sports Shinzan Kinen | G3 | Kyoto (JP) | Firm | 1600 m | 2 | 8 | Katsumi Ando | 55.0 kg | 1.9 | 1:35.3 |
| 2006-12-16 | Sports Hochi Hai Chukyo | OP | Chukyo (JP) | Firm | 1800 m | 1 | 1 | Katsumi Ando | 54.0 kg | 2.2 | 1:47.8 |
| 2006-11-19 | 2YO Newcomer | MDN | Kyoto (JP) | Firm | 2000 m | 1 | 3 | Katsumi Ando | 54.0 kg | 1.8 | 2:04.1 |
IRL Info
- Foaled: 2004-05-13
- Sex: Mare
- Colour: Chestnut
- Trainer: Kunihide Matsuda
- Owner: Keizo Oshiro
- Breeder: Shadai Farm
- Sire: Agnes Tachyon
- Dam: Scarlet Bouquet
- Damsire: Northern Taste
- Record: 12 starts: 8-4-0
- Earnings: JPY 7866800.00
Type: Japanese flat thoroughbred • Specialty: Mile–middle (1600–2500 m) with elite on-pace control
Notable rivalry: Vodka — the era-defining foil who pushed her to some of the sport’s most replayed finishes.
Snapshot
Daiwa Scarlet was the consummate professional of her generation: a chestnut mare who could take command early and never give it back. She rose from top filly to all-comers champion, culminating in a wire-to-wire victory in the Arima Kinen (G1, 2008) — a rare feat for a mare in Japan’s grand year-ender. Earlier, she completed two legs of the Japanese fillies’ Triple Tiara, taking the Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas, G1) and Shuka Sho (G1) in 2007 with measured, pace-perfect rides.
Style & strengths
- Trip: bounce, balance, and boss the fractions. She was hardest to beat when allowed to set an even tempo.
- Weapons: high cruising speed; economical action; resolve under pressure.
- Temperament: ice-calm in the paddock; rock-steady in traffic; found extra when eyeballed.
Rivalry with Vodka
Their meetings framed the era: power vs. panache, stalker vs. pace-maker. The rivalry peaked in the Tenno Sho (Autumn) 2008, a photo-finish classic with Vodka first, Daiwa Scarlet second by the thinnest margin — and then Daiwa Scarlet answered by owning the Arima Kinen to close the year. For many fans, those two results are a perfect diptych of Japanese racing at its best.
Career highlights (selected)
- Arima Kinen (G1, 2008) — all-the-way triumph against mixed company.
- Shuka Sho (G1, 2007) — authoritative control of the third crown race for fillies.
- Oka Sho / Jpn 1000 Guineas (G1, 2007) — the statement win that announced her reign.
- Multiple graded preps at 1800–2000 m that showcased her “lock the rail, raise the bar” style.
After racing
Retired sound, she became a high-value broodmare. As a daughter of Agnes Tachyon, she carried elite classic genetics; breeders coveted her for exactly what she displayed on the track — pace, professionalism, and iron constitution.
Why she still matters
In an age of closers and turbo splits, Daiwa Scarlet proved the art of winning from the front at the very top level. Her tapes are the go-to study set for riders learning how to control tempo without burning fuel — and for fans who love the sight of a champion measuring the field and then coolly closing the door.
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