Sakura Star O: Spirit of the Ink-Black Cherry Blossom
Sakura Star O (サクラスターオー) was a member of the 1987 generation, often called “the tragedy generation” by people nowadays.
His life was true to his name: as brief as cherry blossoms in bloom, yet as bright as a star. Every moment of brilliance came at the cost of deep sorrow and sacrifice. Even so, he carried the hopes of those who had sacrificed for him and passed their wishes to the newly budding sakura, enduring the sorrow and pain all on his own.
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This is the story of a horse who carried the cherry blossom spirit.
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Light of the Unborn 未生の光
いは戸あけし 天つみことのそのかみに 桜を誰か植ゑはじめけん
When Heaven’s god unsealed the sacred stone
and light returned to the world,
who was it, I wonder,
that first planted the cherry blossoms?
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001 西行法師《御裳濯河歌合》
Saigyō Hōshi, “The Mimosusogawa Uta-awase”
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Sakura Star O’s father was Sakura Shouri (サクラショウリ), who won the 1978 Japanese Derby and the 1979 Takarazuka Kinen. He was a son of the famous Partholon (パーソロン). His mother was Sakura Smile (サクラスマイル) from the famous Star Roch (スターロツチ) maternal line, a key bloodline for his home Fujiwara Farm (藤原牧場).
As their names suggest, Sakura Star O’s parents were both among Sakura Commerce’s (さくらコマース) most promising horses. His blood contains his owner’s purest hope that he would be as fast and as durable as they were, and that he would become a shining star, bringing victories and smiles to everyone.
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But this hope was soon challenged when they found out that there were two spirits in Sakura Smile's womb. Back then, many believed twins would split the mare’s nutrients, leaving both foals underdeveloped. To reduce the risk, they decided to keep only one foal, and that foal was Sakura Star O, born on May 2, 1984. From the start of his life, he carried the dream his twin could not fulfill.
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But the challenge for Sakura Star O and his closed ones were far from over. Just two months after his birth, his mother collapsed while grazing with him and soon passed away because of a twisted intestine.
Knowing his mother's look and scent, and seeing her passed away in front of him, Sakura Star O would not simply go to another mare and nurse as if nothing had happened. Yet at his age, mare’s milk was basically the only source of adequate nutrition for him to grow well.
To solve this, Fujiwara Farm’s owner, Syouzou Fujiwara (藤原 祥三; first name rendered phonetically), decided to feed him himself. Even though Sakura Star O needed feeding every four hours, including at midnight, he would wake up and feed him every day. Sakura Star O soon saw him as a second mother; whenever he heard his footsteps, he would call out to him. Perhaps not wanting him to worry, Sakura Star O began nibbling pasture much earlier than other foals.
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Besides farm owner Fujiwara, Sakura Star O had one other “mother.” While other foals ran happily with their dams, he struggled to fit in and had no role model to follow. To ease his loneliness, Fujiwara brought out his great-great-grandmother, the legendary Star Roch, who had long retired, to lead and keep him company. Star Roch really loved her great-great-grandson. Even when he accidentally squeezed through the fence of the grazing area, she would go to him and stay by his side, and Sakura Star O would stick close to her too.
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Law of Mortality 生者必滅の理
深草の野辺の桜し 心あらば 今年ばかりは墨染に咲け
Oh cherry blossoms
on the fields of Fukakusa,
if you have a heart,
then just for this year
let your blossoms bloom in mourning black.
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上野 岑雄《古今和歌集》
Mineo Kamitsukeno, “Kokin Wakashū”
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As he turned two, Sakura Star O began training to become a racehorse. He was a member of the so-called "Sakura Clan". Most members were trained by Katsutarou Sakai (境 勝太郎), Sakura Commerce’s most trusted trainer, but Sakura Star O was sent to a rookie trainer, Yuuji Hirai (平井 雄二). Hirai had been a jockey until the previous year and had close ties to Sakura Commerce. Sakura Star O was assigned to him as the gift of his new training career.
Though born with a slightly crooked leg, his trainer spoke highly of him, noting his good balance and great adaptability to different environment, and held high hopes for his future. Given the traits of his maternal grandsire, Intermezzo (インターメゾ), trainer Hirai did not rush him into preparation for the Classics, and his debut was set for October 5, 1986.
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Perhaps knowing her beloved great-great-grandson had grown strong and was ready to begin his racing career, Star Roch passed away peacefully in her sleep on August 7, 1986, two months before Sakura Star O’s debut, at age 29.
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In Sakura Star O's debut, he was guided by the Sakura Clan’s trusted jockey, Futoshi Kojima (小島 太). He finished second on his first try, then won his second start.
After his first victory, his crooked leg began causing issues, putting extra strain on his other sound legs and leading to periostitis. So trainer Hirai decided not to let him race again until the following year.
After a four-month layoff, Sakura Star O finished fifth in his next start. Believing his ability and condition were good enough for the Classics, his trainer still let him try the Triple Crown path. Thus his next start was set: the Yayoi Sho, a prep for the Satsuki Sho, where the top five finishers earn a ticket to the Satsuki Sho.
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At the time, a dispute arose between his jockey, Futoshi Kojima, and Sakura Commerce’s representative, Yeon-Sik Jeon (全 演植), so his rider was changed just two days before the Yayoi Sho. Unsure how to handle the sudden situation, trainer Hirai asked trainer Sakai for advice, and Sakai recommended Shinji Azuma (東 信二), a reliable substitute who had close ties to him, as Sakura Star O’s new jockey. With the jockey issue settled, Sakura Star O and Azuma stood on Nakayama Racecourse to fight for a spot in the Satsuki Sho.
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That year’s Yayoi Sho had 11 runners, and Sakura Star O was the 6th favorite. He sat mid-pack early and still had two lengths to make up on the leader when reaching the final stretch. Seeing this wasn’t ideal, Azuma made his move, and Sakura Star O produced an incredible burst of speed that didn't match his lack of graded-race experience. He stopped the clock at 2:02.1, and at that time, only Symboli Rudolf had gone faster on the same course.
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Trainer Hirai’s legs were trembling with shock and delight as he watched Sakura Star O storm past the finish, delivering his first graded stakes victory just two years into his training career. His performance also left a deep impression on his second mother, the farm owner Syouzou Fujiwara.
“I can’t help but wonder how strong Sakura Star O will be when spring comes,” he said happily in a magazine interview, hoping to see him win a major title.
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But that simple wish soon became impossible to achieve.
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Just one week after Sakura Star O’s astounding win, farm owner Fujiwara collapsed and passed away because of a stroke at age 57. He would never see Sakura Star O in the field for one of Japan’s most important races.
Even after losing his loved ones, Sakura Star O kept preparing for the Satsuki Sho. He ran over 6,000 meters in training with 70 kilograms on his back almost everyday, a Spartan training style. He was determined to win and make the ink-black sakura bloom at Nakayama, answering the wish of his "mother".
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Bloom Nobly, Ink-Black Cherry Blossom 幽雅に咲かせ、墨染の桜
はなときくはたれもさこそはうれしけれ おもひしつめぬ我かこころかな
All hearts are glad
to hear the flowers have bloomed—
all but mine,
sunken deep in thought
that no spring can lift.
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00147 西行法師《山家集》
Saigyō Hōshi, “Sankashū”
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The Satsuki Sho was run on April 19, 1987, a month and a half after the Yayoi Sho. There were twenty horses in the race, and nine were already graded race winners, including Sakura Star O. He was the second favorite. The top choice was Material (マティリアル), winner of the Spring Stakes, another Satsuki Sho trial. Sakura Star O had actually faced him before in another race, where Material won and Sakura Star O finished fifth.
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Knowing Material's strength, jockey Azuma and Sakura Star O viewed him as the top rival. But at the start, Material started late, a costly mistake that left him hard to settle. By contrast, Sakura Star O dropped toward the rear and found a good stalking position. Reaching the final corner, jockey Azuma still kept Sakura Star O in mid pack, waiting for the best timing to launch the attack.
Entering the final straight, Sakura Star O started his spurt. With no one in his way, he became a cherry-blossom blizzard, giving those he passed only a fleeting pink blur. He stormed past the finish first; the runner-up, Gold City, was two lengths behind, and Material finished third.
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Sakura Star O kept his promise, making the ink-black cherry blossom bloom beneath Nakayama’s blue sky.
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Azuma was stunned. He had never ridden a horse with this much talent. At the award ceremony, he pointed to the sky, intimating Symboli Rudolf’s jockey and signaling a Triple Crown dream, while honoring Sakura Star O’s three “mothers”: Sakura Smile, Star Roch, and farm owner Syouzou Fujiwara.
“If my husband were here, I wonder how happy he would be,” Fujiwara's wife said through tears.
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After earning his first G1 win in only his second year as a trainer, and still stunned by Sakura Star O’s performance, Hirai quickly announced that Sakura Star O’s next start would be the prestigious Japanese Derby.
The entire Japanese racing community was buzzing, looking forward to his performance in one of Japan’s most prestigious races, but at that moment an unexpected setback struck again.
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After the race, Sakura Star O was diagnosed with desmitis, a verdict that nearly spelled the end of his career. He had to rest for at least four months and withdraw from the Japanese Derby, burying the dream of winning the same race as his father. Also, there was no guarantee he would return to the track with the same strength after treatment.
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But Sakura Star O wasn’t going to give up. He refused to let the people who had supported him down.
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As Merry Nice (メリーナイス) won the race by six lengths, Sakura Star O was receiving treatment, doing everything he could to heal as soon as possible. His trainer adopted hot-spring therapy for his legs. At first, hot spring water was shipped daily from Shimobe Onsen (下部温泉) in Yamanashi Prefecture to the Miho Training Center, a trip that took about twelve hours each day. Legend has it that Shimobe Onsen is where Takeda Shingen’s (武田 信玄) horses once healed their wounds. The trainer then massaged his legs twice a day for 15 minutes each time.
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After twenty days, he was transferred to a horse-dedicated hot spring facility in Iwaki, Fukushima, where he received more intensive treatment. During his pool exercise, staff noticed his post-exercise heart rate was lower than average, indicating cardiopulmonary capacity superior to most horses.
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Even so, that could not make up for the injury to his legs. It took him four months to recover from the injury, and he went back to Miho Training Center in mid-September. Allowing time to regain race sharpness, his trainer believed Sakura Star O could still make the final leg o see f the Triple Crown, the Kikuka Sho, and compete in this once-in-a-lifetime race.
But representative Yeon-Sik Jeon disagreed and insisted on skipping the race to give him more time to recover. Sakura Star O was like a son to him, and he would not allow any further risk.
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The dispute between trainer Hirai and representative Jeon lasted until ten days before the Kikuka Sho, during Sakura Star O’s final preparations. In the end, his jockey, Azuma, would decide whether his condition was good enough to run.
Showing decent performance in the training, though his legs were still slightly swollen, Sakura Star O convinced jockey Azuma that he was ready to handle the race, holding on to a one percent chance to make the cherry blossoms bloom among the maple leaves in the ancient capital.
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On November 8, 1987, the Kikuka Sho started with 18 contenders. With his leg clearly not fully recovered and the well-prepared Derby winner Merry Nice in the lineup, Sakura Star O went off as the ninth favorite, which is unusually low for a Satsuki Sho winner, but reasonable considering his condition.
Under bright sunshine, Merry Nice broke well and secured a good spot up front. Sakura Star O settled mid-pack, as he usually did. Azuma focused on two things at the start: Merry Nice’s position and Sakura Star O’s condition. He was ready to pull him up if anything felt off, but during the race Sakura Star O traveled smoothly, and Azuma’s concern soon turned into a desire to win.
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When entering the third corner, Merry Nice started his spurt first, seeing this, other horses followed up. But this was Sakura Star O's first long-distance race, if he moved too soon, he might run out of stamina in the final stage. Thus, jockey Azuma told him to wait, while navigating to the best spot to launch his sprint.
Entering the final straight, four horses were still ahead of him, including Merry Nice. Merry Nice had likely spent his stamina and began to fade, while Sakura Star O was traveling strongly and ready to strike. As soon as he launched his run, he was blocked by two rivals and nearly clipped heels.
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Even so, he refused to give in. He quickly spotted a narrow gap as the outside horse lost momentum and drove through. As if shaking off the shadow cast before him, he kept accelerating, and no one could catch him. At last:
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「菊の季節にサクラが満開！」
"Sakura in full bloom during the season of chrysanthemums!"
--Kiyoshi Sugimoto (杉本 清), announcer from Kansai Television
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After 202 days of rest, and having overcome a devastating injury, Sakura Star O brought the ink-black sakura back to the ancient capital in the season of chrysanthemums, completing the Double Crown. Many called it a miracle, but it was the result of the perseverance and faith of Sakura Star O himself and those closest to him.
As more people came to adore the ink-black sakura, some truly unexpected new problems arose.
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Border of Life ボーダーオブライフ
浮世と見るも山と見るも、唯其人の心にあり。非情無心の草木の花に浮世のとがはあらじ。
To see the world as transient,
or to see it as serene—
it is only the heart that makes the difference.
The trees and grasses,
without desire or mind,
bear no guilt of this fleeting world in their flowers.
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世阿弥 能《西行桜》
Zeami, Noh "Saigyō Zakura"
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Given Sakura Star O’s condition, his next start was initially planned for the Tenno Sho Spring next year, allowing enough time for his leg to fully heal.
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Finding out that Sakura Star O was going to skip the following two big races, especially the Arima Kinen, the entire Japanese horse racing community fell into deep disappointment.
With the previous generation’s leading horses failing to impress, fans were eager for a new star. Sakura Star O received the most votes in the Arima Kinen fan poll despite being only three years old. At the time, even JRA officials approached trainer Hirai and representative Jeon to persuade them to enter him in the Arima Kinen.
This time, trainer Hirai opposed the idea, believing it would pose a serious risk to Sakura Star O’s health. Representative Jeon, under pressure from officials, other owners, and the public, tried to change his mind, a reversal of their roles before the Kikuka Sho.
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At last, though being really reluctant, trainer Hirai still started to prepare Sakura Star O to the Arima Kinen. Maybe knowing his own body wasn't fully recovered, Sakura Star O didn’t seem eager to run and even loafed a little in early training. But as Arima Kinen drew near, perhaps wanting to honor his fans’ wishes, his legs were healing well, and his performance had improved. Though still feeling uneasy, Hirai sent him to face the test at Nakayama.
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On December 27, 1987, the Dream Race, Arima Kinen (This video may contain disturbing footage), began under blue skies, but it soon took an unusual turn. Moments after the start, Merry Nice, the third favorite, unseated his rider and was disqualified. The crowd was stunned, yet the race continued.
This time, Sakura Star O chose a spot in the inner side of the pack, and after reaching the third corner, he started to speed up a little bit to weave his way out. At that moment, misfortune once struck the already ill-fated horse.
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*Crack!*
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Perhaps tripped by a pothole on the track, Sakura Star O started to limp and his stride turned uneven, quickly losing momentum, though Azuma could feel he did not want to stop. When he finally pulled up, Azuma dismounted and faced a terrifying sight: Sakura Star O’s left foreleg was completely snapped below the fetlock. The dream race had become a nightmare for him.
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Trainer Hirai and representative Jeon rushed to Sakura Star O in tears, only to sink further into despair on hearing the doctor’s verdict: “Partial rupture of the left fore suspensory ligament, with fetlock joint dislocation.” The only way to spare him from further pain was euthanasia.
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Although he knew, from the Ten Point incident, that trying to save a horse with such a grave injury can cause great suffering, representative Jeon still insist on saving his life, no matter how much it cost, holding on to a one percent chance of recovery.
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"Because he is like my son."
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Resurrection Butterfly 反魂蝶
仏には桜の花を奉れ 我が後の世を人とぶらはば
Should anyone remember me
in the world after I am gone,
let them offer cherry blossoms
to the Buddha,
nothing more is needed.
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00078 西行法師《山家集》
Saigyō Hōshi, “Sankashū”
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After returning to Miho Training Center, his trainer and the owner group quickly assembled a medical team dedicated to his care. His condition improved slightly after the fracture was stabilized and treated. If all went well, he might even stand at stud and pass that hope on to his offspring.
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Paper cranes, amulets, and letters from fans across Japan were sent to Sakura Star O’s stable, wishing him good luck, and he was chosen as the 1987 Horse of the Year. But such honors meant little to a horse standing at the border of life and death.
Sakura Star O’s weight fell day by day, and his condition worsened again. Laminitis then developed in his other forefoot, which meant his time was running out.
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By April, as the cherry blossoms bloomed, Sakura Star O underwent surgery that could decide his fate. Surgeons tried to further repair his leg, but the attempt ultimately failed, since horses must keep moving to stay healthy.
After the surgery, his condition worsened, and Sakura Star O began refusing treatment, even got angry when his groom approached, something that had never happened before. It was as if he did not want anyone to see how weak and irreversibly changed he had become, nor to make anyone sad again. The whole stable felt like a family with a gravely ill child, no one could sleep or eat well.
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In early May, as cherry blossom petals began to fall, trainer Sakai visited Sakura Star O with trainer Hirai. By then he weighed only about 250 kilograms and looked like the walking dead. The description was not even accurate, since he could barely stand. His condition was so poor that trainer Sakai begged Hirai to end his suffer.
That heartfelt request shattered Hirai’s last hope of saving Sakura Star O. He knew his death was inevitable, but he simply did not want to face it. He then went to speak with everyone who had been close to Sakura Star O, including representative Jeon, and this time no one objected. At that point, continuing treatment was a torment for Sakura Star O and for those who loved him.
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On May 12, 1988, after everyone he loved had gathered at his stall, Sakura Star O tried to stand and show his best one last time, but he could not. The final injection ended his 137 days of suffering, beneath a cherry-blossom blizzard.
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His funeral was held at the Miho Training Center on May 18. He was then laid to rest in a grave beside Fujiwara Farm, where he was born. His mane was preserved beneath the Hayagriva at Miho and at Tokyo Racecourse.
In the funeral, his trainer had a genuine wish, hoping that Sakura Star O didn’t need to run again in the other world, so the harness and hood that he once used were not buried with him. And maybe, just maybe, that is one reason his name has not appeared in the Umamusume franchise, even though the owner granted permission for several other “Sakura Clan” horses.
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Ghost Lead ゴーストリード
散る花を惜しむ心やとどまりて また来ん春の種になるべき
My heart that grieves
the blossoms as they fall—
perhaps it stays behind,
to be the seed
of yet another spring.
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00127 西行法師《山家集》
Saigyō Hōshi, “Sankashū”
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And that was Sakura Star O’s story, an ink-black cherry blossom born of sorrow, carrying the hopes of his era and ultimately becoming a cherry-blossom blizzard. The ink-black sakura may never bloom again, but its fallen blossoms have become the nourishment that helps new cherry trees bloom more beautifully than ever.
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May 29, 1988, few weeks after Sakura Star O's funeral, the sakura went in full bloom at the Tokyo Racecourse again, when Sakura Chiyono O (サクラチヨノオー) surpassed Mejiro Ardan (メジロアルダン) and won the Japanese Derby in record time, the race that the most luckiest horse would win, and the very one Sakura Star O never got the chance to run. Representative Jeon said he felt as if Sakura Star O were pushing him when Sakura Chiyono O accelerated and surged past Mejiro Ardan again.
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On April 21, 1996, another “Sakura Clan” horse who had overcome fractures in both forelegs stepped onto Kyoto Racecourse and fulfilled the dream Sakura Star O could not: winning the Tenno Sho Spring. He then even went on to claim another dream Sakura Star O left behind: winning the Arima Kinen.
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「またサクラが満開になる京都競馬場！サクラが満開だ！サクラローレル！」
"Sakura in full bloom again at Kyoto Racecourse! Sakura in full bloom! Sakura Laurel!"
--Kiyoshi Sugimoto (杉本 清), announcer from Kansai Television
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Yes, that horse was Sakura Laurel (サクラローレル), the protagonist of Uma Musume Pretty Derby: Star Blossom, another cherry-blossom spirit, bright and fragile, yet his story had a different ending from Sakura Star O’s.
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天に舞え、墨染の桜。
May you dance freely in the beautiful sky, ink-black cherry blossom.
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My past work:
Spring Song: Curren Chan's "Big Bro" In Real Life
Kiseki: A Trail of Miracles and Its Followers
Hana’s Goal: Make the Flowers of Happiness Bloom Down Under
Orewa Matteruze: Smile, Because I’m Here!
Egao o Misete: Please Keep Smiling, Even After I’m Gone
Resistencia’s Weight-Check Series: 1,231 Days of a Cameraman’s Love Story
Sushi Train: Horse with a Bizarre Name and a Big Dream
Offside Trap: The Winner on the Glorious but Silent Sunday
Posted Nov 18, 2025, 12:04 PM UTC