Kikoshi: An Ordinary Life Under North Flight’s Light

IRL Horses

Who is Kikoshi (キコウシ), you might ask. But if I mention the names of his parents, you might have a slightly clearer idea. He was the first foal of North Flight (ノースフライト), the Mile Queen of the 1990s.

Unlike his younger sister Vermeer Blue (フェルメールブルー), who was the grandmother of Dateno Shogun (ダテノショウグン), the nearly undefeated runner in Oi, and his younger brother Miscast (ミスキャスト), who became a stallion and sired the 2012 G1 Tenno Sho Spring winner Beat Black (ビートブラック), Kikoshi himself did not achieve notable results in his racing career, let alone become a stallion.

The main reason I chose to tell his story this time is that I wanted to offer a glimpse into the life of a horse with ordinary racing results, and to imagine what such a journey might have felt like, as most racehorses spend their lives far from the spotlight.

Now, let’s take a look at the journey of this young noble!

Pushing Back

November 20, 1994, after ending her final dance with Sakura Bakushin O (サクラバクシンオー) in a record-breaking victory, North Flight returned to Taihoku Farm (大北牧場), where she was born, to begin her second career as a broodmare.

And for the Mile Queen, it was important for the farm to find a stallion that suited her pedigree and her name.

At last, they turned to Northern Taste, a Canadian-bred stallion who had sired countless graded race winners in Japan since 1977 and was one of the most prominent sires at the time.

And on March 28, 1996, the once Mile Queen on turf had become a mother, giving birth to a cute bay foal with a small mark on his nose.

Upon hearing the news, many of her fans traveled all the way to Taihoku Farm just to see their beloved queen and her young noble heir.

Even television crews came to film North Flight and her son, and postcards of them grazing peacefully were made and sold.

One of his fans even created a website dedicated to updating the foal’s latest news, and it remains active to this day. In the early 2000s, it was quite uncommon for someone to put so much effort into introducing a horse.

From the very beginning, the young foal was in the spotlight, drawing the attention of countless fans of his mother.

And the foal not only carried high expectations among fans, but also earned a strong reputation among the farm staff.

They described him as an energetic foal with a small but well-balanced body and strong legs, although he could sometimes become aggressive and bite people.

In November 1997, he was transferred to Northern Farm Kuko (ノーザンファーム空港牧場) for further training. By that time, he had become more mature and easier to train. His weight was increasing, his movement was improving, and his body was both flexible and strong. Though still a little restless, he was seen as a diamond in the rough.

During his training, his ownership was decided. Taihoku Farm chose to continue supporting the prince’s career and sent him to Turfight Club (ターファイトクラブ), a racing club backed by over 50 breeding farms across southern Hokkaido, including Taihoku Farm itself.

His name was also decided: Kikoshi (キコウシ), a name that literally means "young nobleman". Though quite straightforward, it clearly reflected the high hopes the club had for the foal.

His trainer was assigned afterward, and it was none other than Keiji Katou (加藤敬二), the same trainer who had trained his mother, North Flight, in the hope that he could carry on her brilliance on the racecourse.

A Bumpy Climb

Due to issues with his radial periosteum and respiratory problems during training, Kikoshi’s debut was delayed. On July 11, 1999, he finally stepped onto Hanshin Racecourse to make the first start of his career. However, the race was open to both maidens and horses still seeking their first win.

Thus, despite the great fame he inherited from his mother and having the legendary jockey Yutaka Take (武豊) in the saddle, Kikoshi went off as the second favorite in the field.

Perhaps because it was his first race, he missed the start and seemed unsure of what to do next. It was not until the final straight that he finally reignited his fighting spirit and showed the others a remarkable burst of speed, though he ultimately managed to finish only sixth.

In his next race in Kokura three weeks later, he drew an inside gate, had a poor start, got boxed in, and took a lot of sand right in his face, finishing near the back of the field in the end.

Three weeks later, he headed to Sapporo Racecourse to run in a 1,700-meter dirt race.

This time, although his start was still not impressive, he finally found his rhythm around the final turn, accelerating like a plane gaining lift and breaking free from the pack before surging across the finish line first. In that moment, he convinced his fans that he truly possessed the power inherited from his parents.

After his hard-earned victory, his trainer chose to focus on developing his abilities, balancing training with periods of free grazing to help him grow.

From September 1999, he returned to Northern Farm Kuko and resumed training. Although he developed a hoof abscess during that time, it was treated quickly and did not cause major setbacks. In December 1999, he was sent to the Yamamoto Training Center (山元トレーニングセンター) in Miyagi Prefecture for more intensive training.

Doesn’t that timing and location seem familiar?

Running into Turbulence

At midnight on February 11, 2000, staff at the Yamamoto Training Center spotted massive smoke and flames bursting from one of the stables. Because the building was made of wood, there was no way for them to put out the fire on their own. They immediately called emergency services and rushed to rescue the horses inside.

Despite their efforts, only seven horses were saved, while one managed to escape on her own. In the end, 22 horses lost their lives in this catastrophic fire, including the graded race winner Egao o Misete (エガオヲミセテ).

And Kikoshi was among the eight who survived from the burning stable. But after enduring that hellish scene, he did not stop. Instead, he returned to training the very next day, carrying the weight of that survival and refusing to let it be in vain.

Six months after the fire, he finally made his return to the racecourse, this time over 1,700 meters on the dirt at Chukyo. Perhaps he had not fully recovered from the long period of training and rest, as he finished second.

To make matters worse, his old injury in his radial periosteum relapsed, which may have affected his performance in his next two races. He was then forced to rest again, not only due to the recurring injury but also because of a newly developed skin issue.

On February 17, 2001, despite not being fully prepared, Kikoshi’s trainer still sent him to race over 1,700 meters on the dirt at Kyoto. In the race, he became overexcited and failed to show his strength in the closing stages, finishing sixth.

Afterward, he was diagnosed with a partial periosteal detachment of the radial bone in his left foreleg and was advised to rest for at least three months.

It was truly a disastrous year for the young nobleman, but things were about to turn around, at least for a while.

Surfing the Airstream

On December 8, 2001, when he was almost six years old, he had finally recovered from his injury and was well prepared for his next race at Hanshin. He performed well in that race, settling into a good stalking position and only being overtaken at the very end to finish second.

His jockey in that race, Yutaka Take, also gave him good remarks, noting that his temperament had become much more settled.

One month later, carrying the renewed hopes of his fans, he finally ended a nearly two-and-a-half-year wait for victory in an 1,800-meter dirt race at Kyoto, charging past his rivals in the final strides to win as the favorite.

He then followed up with a runner-up finish and two more victories, restoring hope among his trainer, owner, and fans.

As his fans finally witnessed the prince’s comeback, the hopes placed on him grew stronger than ever, especially as his younger brother, Miscast, was also performing well in his own career, winning an open-class race and finishing third in a graded race.

With expectations soaring and a winning streak behind him, he entered his next race full of momentum. However, he may have become overexcited, running out of fuel at the critical moment and ultimately finishing third.

In his following race, it was as if fate had something else in store. One of his horseshoes came off during the race, leaving him unable to respond properly to his jockey’s instructions, and he finished near the back of the field despite being the favorite. Thankfully, the lost horseshoe did not result in any injury.

Then, his next race was in Hakodate, and coincidentally, his brother Miscast was also set to run there on the same day, though in an earlier race. The two traveled to Hakodate together in the same truck and practiced side by side, hoping to push each other to greater heights.

But things did not turn out as expected. On that day, his brother disappointed his fans by finishing near the back of the field despite being the favorite, while Kikoshi himself was once again badly boxed in and unable to show his true ability, ultimately finishing seventh as the second favorite.

Running Out of Fuel

After the race, the patience of his fans began to run out. Gradually, the attention drawn by his mother’s name began to wear off, and what remained was the harsh reality of results.

His next race was the Minami Hokkaido Tokubetsu, run over 2,600 meters on turf at Hakodate. This was his first time racing on turf. His trainer made this decision in the hope of exploring new possibilities, as the turf at Hakodate that week was soft enough and it seemed to be the right moment to try something different rather than keeping him on the dirt mile path.

This time, he was only the sixth favorite, and the turf and longer distance quickly proved too much for him, as he eventually finished twelfth.

After this attempt, Kikoshi was visibly tired. Considering his condition, his trainer decided to give him a break. That rest period, including retraining, lasted nearly ten months.

During those ten months, much had changed. People moved on, turning their attention to new rising stars rather than waiting for a fading light to return.

Even the website that had once updated his latest news quietly fell silent.

On May 25, 2003, he finally returned to the racecourse, running over 1,700 meters on the dirt at Chukyo. By that time, Kikoshi was already seven years old, yet his owner and trainer still held on to that fading light, refusing to give up.

However, the perseverance they showed did not pay off, as he finished twelfth as the eighth favorite.

They continued to send him into race after race, trying to prove that the once-young noble could still shine on the racetrack. However, the results were far from promising. Though he sometimes showed flashes of his ability in the end, finishing second or third, most of the time he simply kept losing, and with each defeat, his popularity faded further.

On November 20, 2005, after his 26th defeat since his last victory more than three years earlier, his owner finally decided to retire him. By that time, he was already nine years old.

There were no crowds, no headlines, and no one waiting to witness his final moment. The young nobleman who had once been surrounded by attention stepped away from the racecourse quietly.

And of course, he did not prove himself capable of passing on his ability to the next generation, as illness troubled him during his prime, and he never became a stallion.

What lay ahead for him was uncertain.

Island Hopper

In the end, perhaps it was his mother who saved him. After retirement, he was transferred to Hanshin Racecourse, where he became a lead horse.

The once young noble finally stood before people once more. But even then, it was never clear how many came to see him, and how many came chasing the light that had always belonged to his mother North Flight.

After six years as a guiding star, leading young horses onto the track like a runway of their own, Kikoshi took his final bow and left Hanshin Racecourse in 2012. By then, a plan for his third career was already in place.

His next destination was still in Osaka, but this time at a university. No, he was not going to pursue a PhD. Instead, he was set to become an equestrian horse at the Osaka Prefecture University Equestrian Club (大阪府立大学馬術部).

As soon as he arrived at the club, he was given a new name, Nami-Itsuki (浪樹), as well as a nickname, "Kiko-chan", and began a new chapter of his life as a show jumping and dressage horse.

During his two-year stay there, he achieved fairly decent results in competitions, and he was warmly cared for by the enthusiastic college students, regardless of whether they knew he was the offspring of the great North Flight and Northern Taste.

Here are some posts of him and the members of the Osaka Prefecture University Equestrian Club at the time.

And his photo when he first arrived there.

In 2014, he left the university and crossed the sea... well I mean the Seto Inland Sea (瀬戸内海), to a riding club in Matsuyama City, Ehime Prefecture.

According to a comment on Kikoshi’s page on Netkeiba, although he was easy to ride and could jump fences without hesitation, he still had a habit of biting people when being washed. It seemed that his personality hadn't really changed since he was a foal.

Here is a photo of him from his time at the riding club.

Reaching the Destination

As time slowly passed, in 2025, I came across a postcard of him and his mother in a shop during my visit to Osaka. A year later, on another trip, I even found his betting ticket. And now, I find myself looking back on his life, tracing the path he once walked.

Perhaps it was fate that guided me to learn the story of this rather unknown horse, who never truly shone beside his mother.

It is a pity that I could not find any further trace of him after he was sent to Matsuyama. And since his name and birth date no longer appear in the database of riding horses in Japan, I can only assume that he may have already passed away.

Still, I would say he was rather fortunate, as much of his story remains on the internet despite his limited fame and the long passage of time since his racing career. After all, not many horses without notable results have so much information still available to be found.

Even so, it took me quite some time to piece together those fragments of information. And perhaps, from time to time, when you see North Flight in her Umamusume form, you might also remember Kikoshi, one of her precious son.
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My past work:

The Call That Made the 2013 Japanese Derby Unforgettable (ft. Epiphaneia, Logotype, Kizuna… and a Dog?)

Stories of Soma Nomaoi Horses After the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake

Queen Spumante: Let the Hidden Star Shine Across the Sky!

T M Precure: Let the Light Shatter the Impossible!

The Versailles Kingdom: A Story of Versailles Resort Farm and Rose Kingdom

Sanei Thank You: The Sorrow Known Only By Jizō

The Root of the Undefeated Triple Tiara: Daring Tact’s Journey to Her Debut

African Gold: In Search of the Golden Eggs

Meiner Fanrong: A Never-Ending Dice Journey

Oguri Roman: A Silver Bloom in the Shadow