Narita Hayabusa: A Sand Falcon Born in the Wrong Era
First of all, it should be clarified that this story is about Narita Hayabusa (ナリタハヤブサ), as he might be confused with other “Narita” horses such as Narita Taishin or Narita Brian.
I think this is a good opportunity to introduce this relatively lesser-known dirt horse from the 1990s, since the current banner in the global server features Narita Brian, another member of the Narita family, while the previous banner highlighted Smart Falcon, whose story is partly about the stages where a racehorse could shine. Through this, I’d love to give a quick glimpse into dirt racing in 1990s Japan, which is a topic that Uma Musume project hasn’t really covered yet.
Smart Falcon’s epithet, "Sand Falcon," is the direct translation of "Suna no Hayabusa (砂のハヤブサ)." "Suna" means sand, and "Hayabusa" refers to a kind of falcon. For some veteran horseracing fans, this name might evokes memories of another “Hayabusa” who excelled on dirt in the 1990s: Narita Hayabusa.
Since information about him is rather scattered, I’ve done my best to ensure accuracy, but there may still be mistakes. If so, I’d greatly appreciate any corrections or references. His story reveals how JRA horses with dirt aptitude were treated in that era and the difficulties they faced.
Prologue: Turf or Dirt
If you have ever trained Smart Falcon in Uma Musume, you might have found that one of her goals is the Satsuki Sho, which doesn’t necessarily fit her aptitude. In her own words, she can’t be the top Umadol if she keeps running on dirt.
This mirrors a real issue in Japanese horse racing: the number of internationally recognized graded dirt races is significantly lower than that of turf races. In fact, there are only three international G1 dirt races in the entire year, namely the February Stakes, the Champions Cup, and the Tokyo Daishoten. Other “G1” races, such as the Teio Sho and the JBC Series, are different: almost all Grade 1 races hosted by the NAR are actually domestic graded G1 events, written as JPN1. Internationally, these are usually counted only as listed restricted race, and therefore attract less public attention and lower prize money compared to turf races.
Back in 1990, the differences between turf and dirt races were even greater. There were no G1 or G2 dirt races at all, only three G3s, namely the February Handicap, Negishi Stakes, and Winter Stakes. To make matters worse, before 1995, JRA-registered horses were only allowed to participate in five NAR races, three of which were Anglo-Arab-only races. As we know, races hosted by NAR are mostly on dirt, and with JRA having an insufficient number of highly-rewarded dirt races and facing rejection from NAR, we can certainly say there was no future for strong JRA-registered dirt horses back then. This is why horses in that era tended to participate in turf races despite their aptitude, and our protagonist, Narita Hayabusa, was no exception.
A "Phantom"
Narita Hayabusa was born on April 28, 1987, at Shimokawabe Farm (下河辺牧場). His sire was Nagruski (ナグルスキー), a son of Nijinsky, whose influence on international racing was legendary. Nagruski’s own offspring would go on to excel on dirt, most notably Hokuto Vega (ホクトベガ), crowned the “dirt queen” of 1996, but this tendency wasn’t known at the time, as it was his first breeding year. Based on Nagruski’s performance on the track, the breeder believed his progeny would have an aptitude for turf. His dam was Fair Cup (フエアーカップ), a mare of quieter fame. Most of her offspring were good at running on dirt.
Purchased by Hidenori Yamaji (山路 秀則), who would later own Narita Taishin and Narita Brian, Hayabusa was sent to the stable of Kentaro Nakao (中尾 謙太郎) and placed under the care of a young assistant trainer, Katsuhiko Sumii (角居 勝彦), years before Sumii would become a well-known name with stars like Cesario (シーザリオ) and Vodka (ウオッカ).
Looking back, Sumii recalled that he had only been a sub-trainer for three years when he first met Narita Hayabusa. When he rode Narita Hayabusa the first time, he was "terrified" by his sheer power and speed. and this horse soon became his personal role model for what a “good horse” should be, and even after the horse’s retirement, Sumii was committed to using the same training approach to produce another “good horse”, only to fail again and again. Hayabusa was like a phantom that clouded his ability to read and train horses, until he realized that every horse has its own aptitude and should not be trained in exactly the same way. He says it was Hayabusa who led him to this truth, and that he was extremely lucky to have met him.
A Stumbling Fledgling
Narita Hayabusa’s debut was in September 1989 at Hanshin Racecourse, in a 1600m turf race. Though he finished second, he soon claimed his first victory in his second start, with identical race conditions.
After this victory, Hayabusa remained on turf and received a decent, but not outstanding result, including third in the G3 Kisaragi Sho, and second in both the G3 Pegasus Stakes and the G2 Spring Stakes. Then he started to prepare for his first G1 race: Satsuki Sho. At the time, his jockey was Yutaka Take (武 豊), the young talent who had just won his first G1 aboard Super Creek in 1988 at the age of 18.
In the lead-up to the race, his farrier Sou Nishiuchi (西内 荘) and his trainer discovered that Hayabusa’s hooves were extremely fragile, a problem that worsened during the Satsuki Sho preparation period. This suggested that he wasn’t suited to running on hard surfaces such as turf. His shoes could not be nailed on in the usual manner, and although Nishiuchi managed to shoe him regardless, the issue may have prevented Hayabusa from showing his full ability, resulting in a 12th-place finish in the Satsuki Sho.
Out of the Blue
After his decisive defeat in the Satsuki Sho, Narita Hayabusa continued to try his luck on turf several more times, even changing jockeys from race to race, but his results only grew worse and worse. It was not until autumn that his trainer finally decided to let him participate in a dirt race.
On December 16, 1990, just one week before all of Japan was moved by Oguri Cap’s astonishing performance in his retirement race, the G3 Winter Stakes, one of the few big stages where JRA dirt horses could showcase their abilities, was held at Chukyo Racecourse. This was Hayabusa’s first time running on dirt, and his competitors were no pushovers.
Carib Song (カリブソング), a racehorse who won four times in five attempts on dirt — finishing second in the other — and Osaichi Bravest (オサイチブレベスト), who only finished outside the top five once when it comes to dirt races during his four-and-a-half-year career, were predicted to be Hayabusa’s greatest rivals in that race, and Hayabusa was the 6th favored racehorse.
This was a 2300m dirt contest. After the start, Narita Hayabusa settled into third place to avoid being sprayed by sand, with Carib Song right beside him and Osaichi Bravest racing in mid-pack, biding his time for the long run ahead. The situation changed quickly as they approached the third corner of the second lap, with Osaichi Bravest starting to move toward the front.
Approaching the final stretch, three horses were running almost side by side. Narita Hayabusa’s jockey that day, Norihiko Yokoyama (横山 典弘), gave him the signal to start his spurt, and Hayabusa broke away from the pack immediately. Carib Song launched his spurt a little too late and ended up being blocked by other horses. Though he tried his best to catch up, Hayabusa still won by half a length, breaking the course record in the process. Osaichi Bravest, on the other hand, didn’t accelerate fast enough to close the gap and end up finished fourth, and this would be his second-to-last race.
Everyone, including his trainer, even his jockey, couldn’t believe that Narita Hayabusa had beaten Carib Song in his first dirt grade race. Jockey Yokoyama credited the victory to a good position and Hayabusa’s quick response afterwards.
Enemy on the back
At the start of 1991, Narita Hayabusa remained on dirt and entered the G3 February Handicap, another “big” race for JRA dirt horses. This was a 1600m dirt contest held at Tokyo Racecourse, and his jockey, Yokoyama once again, was a little concerned that the distance might be too short compared to his previous race.
This time, he was the first favorite, and his competitors included Mr. Tojin (ミスタートウジン), who had finished third in the Winter Stakes last year, and Strong Power (ストロングパワー), who had led that race before fading to sixth. Carib Song, on the other hand, had just switched to turf and won a G3 there, and thus did not participate in this race.
After the start, Narita Hayabusa chose to stay in mid-pack at first and gradually made his way toward the front. Once he reached the final stretch, Hayabusa aimed for the inside and began his spurt. He caught up to the frontrunner like a falcon diving on its prey. At the same time, another horse also broke away from the pack, but it was neither Mr. Tojin nor Strong Power. Instead, it was Inter Shiokaze (インターシオカゼ), whose trainer, Kinzou Kubota (久保田 金造), would have celebrated his 1000th JRA victory if the horse had won. He engaged Hayabusa in a brief dead heat, but Hayabusa managed to shake off his challenge in the end, winning the February Handicap in record time by 1 ¾ lengths.
The back-to-back wins proved Narita Hayabusa to be an outstanding dirt runner, able to adapt from mile to intermediate distances, and many were eager to see him claim more victories on dirt. Yet even as expectations rose, trainer Nakao remained cautious, showing concern about the enemy on the new-born stars' back in the future.
As you might know, the weight a horse carries is strictly regulated to ensure fairness in racing. However, to make the races more entertaining and to prevent some talented horses from outshining the rest too much, the assigned weight can vary depending on a horse’s conditions, and different races may use different methods to calculate it. In fact, in the world of horse racing, every additional kilogram of weight is generally said to slow a horse by about 0.2 seconds — roughly the distance of one length.
Take three G3 dirt races at that time as examples. In the February Handicap, the weight was determined by each horse’s past performance and its perceived ability as assessed by the Handicap Decision Committee under the JRA. In the Negishi Stakes and Winter Stakes, 3-year-olds and mares were allowed a lower base weight, while additional weight could be added depending on the amount of prize money earned by individual horses. Under these rules, horses with outstanding performances might receive heavier weights in subsequent races.
And since Narita Hayabusa had won both the Winter Stakes and the February Handicap, two of the three most important dirt races in the JRA, the burden on his back would only grow heavier and heavier.
Conquering the Turbulence
Narita Hayabusa’s next race was the open-class Musashino Stakes, a 1600m dirt contest at Tokyo Racecourse, where he finished second while carrying 58 kg — the heaviest weight in the field. After that, he switched back to turf in the Sapporo Kinen, but could do no better than a disappointing 13th. Returning to dirt for the open-class Times Cup, he once again finished second, this time under 58 kg, the second-heaviest assignment in the race. The top weight went to President City (プレジデントシチー), a two-time turf G3 winner, who carried 60 kg and finished sixth.
He then contested two more open-class mile dirt races under top weight, finishing fifth in both. In November, he contested the G3 Negishi Stakes, a 1200m dirt sprint, which was far too short for him to display his true ability. He ended up finishing ninth.
His next race was the G3 Winter Stakes, the very race he had conquered the previous year. Back then he carried 54 kg, but this time he shouldered 58 kg. Though Mr. Tojin and Strong Power were also in the field, his main rivals were Manjuden Kabuto (マンジュデンカブト), who was on a winning streak, and Russian Gold (ラシアンゴールド), a rising dirt star carrying only 53 kg.
This time, Narita Hayabusa chose to be a late-runner. At the third corner of the second lap, as Manjuden Kabuto executed his pace strategy perfectly and began to accelerate, Hayabusa spotted a gap that opened up behind him and cut through the pack toward the front.
In the final stretch, Hayabusa launched his attack on Manjuden Kabuto, gradually closing the gap before finally catching him near the finish. Hayabusa won the race, breaking his own record from the previous year — this time while carrying 4 more kilograms. Manjuden Kabuto and Russian Gold had to settle for second and third, respectively. Because of his outstanding performances that year, especially breaking the course record three times, he was named the JRA’s Best Dirt Horse of 1991.
Dead Heat on the Local Dirt
In Narita Hayabusa’s next race, the G3 February Handicap, he carried a whopping 60 kg and went off as the fifth favorite, ultimately finishing third. The winner was Russian Gold, ridden by Masayoshi Ebina (蛯名 正義), who earned his first ever graded race victory, with Manjuden Kabuto taking second. After that, Hayabusa entered another open-class dirt race and finished fourth.
Hayabusa’s next race was the Teio Sho, one of the few NAR races open to JRA horses. At the time, however, it was classified only as a domestically graded race. The contest was run over 2000 meters on dirt at Oi Racecourse. This time he was not only facing JRA elites like Russian Gold and Manjuden Kabuto, but also top-tier NAR horses such as Hashiru Shogun (ハシルショウグン), Suruga Spain (スルガスペイン), and Daiko Galdan (ダイコウガルダン). The good news, however, was that he carried only 56 kg, while the other competitors received either 55 or 56 kg, since prize money was not considered in the weight assignments in this race. The chains that had restrained the falcon’s power were finally gone, and Hayabusa could spread his wings to show his true strength.
On April 15, 1992, at 15:50, the gates of the Teio Sho opened, and 16 top-tier dirt horses broke out simultaneously. At that moment, no one could have known that this race outcome would become more unforgettable than ever.
At first, Hayabusa stayed at the back of the field, with Russian Gold in the front pack and the NAR horses setting the pace. By the third corner, Suruga Spain had taken the lead, with Daiko Galdan and Russian Gold running side by side, while Hashiru Shogun remained trapped in the pack.
In the final stretch, Suruga Spain was still clinging to the lead, with Daiko Galdan and Russian Gold closing in on him. Meanwhile, Hashiru Shogun finally found a gap, broke away from the pack, and began his charge to catch up. Just as everyone thought the race was turning into a dramatic showdown among these four contenders, with Russian Gold seemingly holding the advantage, the falcon appeared like a phantom on the outside.
Narita Hayabusa had been running wide since the third corner, patiently working his way forward until he reached the perfect position to launch his attack. Sweeping past Manjuden Kabuto and Daiko Galdan, his wings carried him forward. At last, they reached Russian Gold… or perhaps, almost in time.
After the finish, Narita Hayabusa’s jockey, Yokoyama, patted his neck with joy. Back at the weighing room, Russian Gold’s jockey, Ebina, dismounted with a pale face, remarking that Hayabusa had come flying from the outside like the wind. Yokoyama and Ebina both stared up at the results board, but the final order was still undecided.
After a long wait, the result was finally announced, but the outcome was beyond anyone’s expectations. It was a tie: both Narita Hayabusa and Russian Gold were placed first. A tied race in horse racing is extremely rare, especially given that the cameras used to decide the order of finish can be incredibly precise, and the judge could be extremely strict. For example, in the 2008 Tenno Sho Autumn, the winner was decided by a gap of merely two centimeters. And yet, here, Narita Hayabusa and Russian Gold could not be separated.
Later that day, news from the United States shocked the entire racing world. Nijinsky, the great stallion who had sired so many champions, passed away at the age of 24. Both Narita Hayabusa and Russian Gold were grandsons of Nijinsky, and this dead heat on Japanese soil felt like a requiem for him, a final testament to his greatness.
This race surely left a deep impression on jockey Yokoyama and Ebina, but no one could have imagined that they would experience it again eighteen years later. In the 2010 Japanese Oaks, Yokoyama was aboard Saint Emilion (サンテミリオン), Zenno Rob Roy’s only progeny to win a international graded G1 race until nowadays, while Ebina rode Apapane (アパパネ), who would go on to claim the Triple Tiara. The two horses crossed the line together in another dead heat, and the result was later declared a tie, marking the first time in JRA history that a G1 race had two winners. It was, without a doubt, an exceptionally rare case: the same two jockeys experiencing the same miracle twice.
Unlimited Impact
After his miraculous performance at Oi Racecourse, Narita Hayabusa’s next target was set: the open-class Musashino Stakes. And once again, the chains bound the falcon. 60.5kg, this was the crushing weight assigned onto his back, but he had no choice but to accept it. None of his rivals carried anything close: the second-highest assignment was 56 kg, while the rest ranged between 49 and 55 kg.
After the start, Narita Hayabusa dropped to the back of the pack, as he so often did. By the third corner, he was still trailing, being in the inner track. Entering the final stretch, he still remained third from last. Was this the limit of the beast? With the crushing weight of pressure and expectation on his back, had he once again been beaten by the rules?
"As I stumbled and get stuck in so much muddy reality, and the heavy air threatens to suffocate all sounds"
"Even so this voice of mine will never quiver, and these legs of mine will never stand still"
"For as long as I can fight!"
The Musashino Stakes is held at Tokyo Racecourse, whose defining feature is its long home stretch and the slope leading up to the finish. The dirt course’s stretch measures 501.6 meters, which is the longest of any dirt track in Japan, and the elevation difference between its two ends is 2.4 meters, making it one of the most challenging courses to run on. For a powerful late-runner like Narita Hayabusa, however, this grueling stretch offered a glimmer of hope.
He swept to the outside and unleashed his spurt. One by one, the horses that had been ahead of him were swallowed by the falcon’s shadow, overtaken in a blur of speed. Passing the 100-meter mark, the only horse still ahead of him was Daikatsu Joanne (ダイカツジョンヌ), a mare who had transferred to the JRA less than a year earlier and had never finished worse than third while racing as an NAR-registered horse. She was holding on to the lead with all her strength, pushing with everything she had, but Hayabusa was closing in fast on the outside. His wings swept past Daikatsu Joanne, and his pace never faltered until the end.
1:34.5, a record time for 1600m dirt races in Japan was set, with the record-breaker carrying 60.5 kg on his back. Coincidentally, this was the exact same time Mihono Bourbon (ミホノブルボン) clocked to win the Asahi Hai Sansai Stakes on the Nakayama turf over 1600m. Times on turf are usually faster than those on dirt, and this extraordinary performance further proves the robust strength of Narita Hayabusa.
This record stood for nearly nine years, until October 27, 2001, in the G3 Musashino Stakes, the race with the same name and the same course that Narita Hayabusa broke the record in. On that day, a horse named Kurofune (クロフネ) stormed to victory by nine lengths, stopping the clock at 1:33.3 while carrying 57 kg on his back.
"You shall be my witness."
Afterglow of the Wings on Dirt
This race marked the peak of Narita Hayabusa’s career. Thanks to his growing fame on dirt, he earned a spot in the 1992 Takarazuka Kinen, though it was run on turf. He still chose to take on the challenge, but could do no better than ninth place, with Mejiro Palmer (メジロパーマー) taking the victory.
For nearly nine months after that, he never finished higher than fifth, even in the Winter Stakes and the February Handicap, the very races where he had once set records. Race after race, he carried between 59 and 61 kg, almost always among the heaviest weights in the field.
On March 21, 1993, he stood on the turf course at Kokura Racecourse to run in the G3 Chukyo Kinen. That year, the race was moved to Kokura due to renovations at Chukyo Racecourse. For that reason, the inner side of the turf at Kokura had been raced on every weekend for the past seven weeks, leaving it extremely worn down and almost dirt-like, conditions perfectly suited for the Sand Falcon.
After the start, almost all the horses moved to the outside to avoid the soft ground. Even so, the runners still kicked up dirt as they thundered along. But Narita Hayabusa chose to stay on the inside, from the start all the way to the home stretch, running alone on a path that was harsh and overlooked, as he always did. One by one, he overtook his rivals along the empty inner course, before entering a dead heat with Arashi (アラシ). Though he was ultimately beaten by a neck, it gave his fans one last glimmer of hope in his eyes.
For his next race, he once again ran in the Teio Sho, but could only manage an eighth-place finish. Afterward, he was transferred to the NAR, more specifically to the Niigata Prefectural Horse Racing Association (新潟県競馬組合), where he won three races in a row and then finished fourth before suffering an injury in his fifth race that ultimately forced him into retirement.
After his retirement, he began a new life as a stallion at Miura Farm (三浦牧場), but his record at stud was rather unremarkable. Only one daughter, Kura Sorayuke (クラソラユケ), managed to win a regional graded race at Kasamatsu Racecourse, and one grandson, Domonarazu (ドモナラズ), captured an international graded race in 2010.
In February 2003, he suffered a bone fracture that was too severe to heal and was euthanized at the age of 16. And so, the legend of the Sand Falcon came to an end.
The Altair
In 1995, the very year Narita Hayabusa retired, the JRA and NAR finally decided to create more opportunities for horses from both sides to compete against each other. The JRA began allowing NAR horses that had won designated trial races to enter JRA-hosted G1 events, while the NAR introduced more races as Designated Exchange Races (指定交流競走), opening the door for JRA horses to participate. This provided a new path for those registered with the JRA who possessed a natural aptitude for dirt.
The first beneficiaries included Lively Mount (ライブリマウント), a JRA horse who won seven consecutive races from late 1994 through 1995, three of them held under the NAR; and Hokuto Vega (ホクトベガ), who shared the same sire as Narita Hayabusa and went on to capture a total of ten graded dirt races, nine of them under the NAR.
Moreover, more graded dirt races began to be established under the JRA, including G1 events. Many of these races removed the rule of imposing extra weight based on prize money earned, allowing stronger horses to showcase their ability more freely.
Some argued that JRA dirt horses overwhelmed regional competition, taking prize money that might otherwise have gone to NAR horses. One of the most discussed cases was the other “Sand Falcon” who appeared in the 2010s, as you might have guessed, Smart Falcon (スマートファルコン).
In the Uma Musume story, Smart Falcon is depicted as an “Umadol,” constantly visiting regional racecourses to meet her fans. This concept comes from her model horse’s near-unbeatable record on NAR tracks. He won 2 G1s, 4 JPN1s, 5 JPN2s, and 8 JPN3s in his 25 attempts in races held by the NAR, an astonishing 76% win rate, which is a nearly unbelievable number.
At the same time, he was sometimes mocked as the JRA horse who merely toyed with weaker foes in the NAR, especially in 2009, when he chose to run in numerous JPN2 and JPN3 races across almost every NAR racecourse instead of entering JRA dirt races. By then, there were far more JRA dirt races, and proven horses could enter them much more easily than in Narita Hayabusa’s era. These doubts gradually faded only after he won the 2010 JBC Classic by seven lengths, defeating some of the most talented horses from both the NAR and JRA.
Yet the story of dirt racing was not one-sided. Though often seen as the weaker side when facing JRA horses, some NAR runners rose to the challenge and fought bravely against their central counterparts. Among them were Meisei Opera (メイセイオペラ), the pride of Iwate, who won the 1998 G1 February Stakes held by the JRA, and Abukuma Poro (アブクマポーロ), who won numerous Designated Exchange Races in 1997 and 1998.
The cooperation between the JRA and NAR gave horses from both sides more stages to choose from, which is the very opportunities that dirt-specialist horses of the 1990s could only dream of. In 2024, further changes were made to dirt racing. Finally, the path to a Dirt Triple Crown was established, open to both NAR and JRA horses. A new era for dirt racing had begun.
Epilogue: Period Breaker
Being forgotten is when a life truly comes to an end. Without strong descendants, and with records eclipsed by new stars, many horses’ names can gradually fade away. Yet thanks to Uma Musume, more and more racehorses who once fought on the track, and the stories they left behind, are being remembered by fans once again.
Among all the racehorses that have become Uma Musume, the oldest dirt-aptitude-only runner is Shinko Windy (シンコウウインディ), who earned most of his victories in 1996 and 1997. Cygames has not yet covered the stories of JRA dirt racing in the 1990s, and it may be very difficult to adapt, since the race schedule back then was vastly different compared to today.
Even so, I would personally love to see some of the dirt-aptitude horses of that era become Uma Musume talking, living, and competing alongside dirt horse girls from the modern age. It might show that the dirt runners of the 1990s were in no way inferior, and it would allow us players to remember their struggles and triumphs on dirt during that difficult era. At last, thanks for following along with this rather long story! I hope it sparks a bit more interest in JRA dirt racing during the 1990s.
Main References
https://db.netkeiba.com/horse/1987101199/
https://tospo-keiba.jp/motoichinichi/1303
http://blog.livedoor.jp/organa_jpn/archives/52167876.html
https://jra-van.jp/fun/baken/index25.html
https://x.com/nar_keiba/status/1805598228341309472
https://www.jra.go.jp/facilities/race/tokyo/course/
https://www.yushunweb.jp/story/story38/1920/
挑戦！競馬革命, written by Katsuhiko Sumii (角居 勝彦)
さらば愛しき競馬, written by Katsuhiko Sumii (角居 勝彦)
Yushun (優駿) Magazine, issues from 1990 to 1992.
Picture Source: https://db.netkeiba.com/photo/list.html?id=1987101199
Posted Aug 26, 2025, 2:01 PM UTC