Liberty Island (horse)

Liberty Island（リバティアイランド; February 2, 2020 - ）is a Japanese thoroughbred racehorse.

She became the Japanese Triple Tiara winner of 2023. Her name is derived from the island of the same name in New York Harbor, where the Statue of Liberty is built on (as her mother is named "").

Her major victories include the 2022 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies, the 2023 Oka Sho, Yushun Himba, and Shuka Sho. She was awarded the JRA Award for Best Two-Year-Old Filly for 2022 and the JRA Award for Best Three-Year-Old Filly for 2023.

2022: Two-year old
She made her debut at a 2-year-old debut race at Niigata Racecourse on July 30, 2022, at a distance of 1,600 meters. With Yuga Kawada as her jockey, she was favored at 2/1. She moved up from 7th place to beat Cruzeiro do Sul by 0.5 seconds, or three lengths. She ran the last three furlongs in 31.4 seconds (≒68.8 km/h). This was the same record pace that Ruggero set in May of that year in the Idaten Stakes, setting a tied record. After the race, Kawada commented, "Things went just like during training. She is a horse that I look forward to growing up."

It was briefly reported that she would race in the Niigata Nisai Stakes due to be held on August 28, but instead headed to the GIII Artemis Stakes. Starting from post position #3, she was favored with odds of 1.4. During the race, she ran among the pack and tried to go in the outside but was blocked and was unable to escape. At the end, she tried to catch up to on the outside but lost by a neck. She was sent to the GI Hanshin Juvenile Fillies held on December 11 for her 3rd race, where she faced off Artemis Stakes winner Ravel and winner  as well as Sapporo Nisai Stakes winner 　and Doe Eyes, who was in second place of that same race. She was again the favorite, with odds of 2.6. Liberty Island was at 9th place and ran the first 800 meters at a pace of 45.2 seconds before advancing from the outside at the final stretch, passing the other horses at a pace of 35.5seconds for the last three furlongs, winning her first Grade I race with a 2-and-a-half length lead against second place Shinryokuka. This was the first time Kawada won the race, and this victory made him the third jockey to win all three of the GI races for two-year olds (the other two being the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes and the Hopeful Stakes). After the race, Kawada commented, "I felt that she was not going to lose" and "between the paddock and the back of the gate, she focused even more, and she was looking even better. She showed such a great race, that I really don't have much to say about it."

2023: Three-year old season
On January 10, the JRA Award was announced, and Liberty Island was voted Best Two-Year-Old Filly with all 288 votes voting for her. On January 20, her owner, Sunday Racing, announced on their website that she would head straight to the Oka Sho, the first leg of the Japanese Triple Tiara that would be held on April 9 as her first race of the season.

As previously announced, Liberty Island was entered in to the Oka Sho. She was once again the most favored with an odds of 1.6 in spite of the four months long break, as well as facing off other contenders such as Tulip Sho winner, Fillies' Revue winner , Kona Coast, Perifania, and Harper. The horse had a minor setback at the gate, forcing her to race at the rear of the pack, with her still being at around the 16th place at the 4th corner. However, after going to the outside she ran at a pace of 32.9 seconds at the last 3 furlongs, catching Kona Coast and Perifania and winning the race. Kawada became the 6th jockey to win the race two years in a row, as he had won the last Oka Sho with Stars On Earth. This victory was also the first classic victory for Liberty Island's trainer,.

The JRA had implemented jockey cameras from spring of that year. At the Oka Sho, a camera was mounted on Kawada's helmet, and the filmed video was uploaded to YouTube on their official channel. The video, which contained moments of Kawada talking to his horse gently, became viral, being viewed over 200,000 times in the first 3 hours, and becoming a trending topic on Twitter.

The horse was briefly sent to pasture before returning to the stable on April 29 in preparation for her next race, the Yushun Himba. The horse was entered on to the race as planned with an odds of 1.4, making her by far the most favored. She entered the starting gate calmly and made a good start. Rather than racing from the back of the pack like her previous race, she raced from the forward. She placed herself at around 6th place at around the 1000 meter mark, which was covered in exactly one minute. As the horse entered the final corner the horse started to push forward, After passing Ravel at around the 200 meter mark, she lengthened her lead further, passing the finishing line with a 6 lengths lead against Harper and Dura. This lead was the largest gap at the Yushun Himba since 1984, when races were first graded, surpassing the 5 lengths lead that Gentildonna set in 2012.

Her 3rd GI victory marked the 2nd year in a row where two of the Triple Tiaras were won by the same horse, and 17th ever in history. She also became the 13th horse for a horse named Best Two-Year-Old Filly to win the Yushun Himba. For Kawada, this was the second time he won the race since Gentildonna. This also became the first GI race Nakauchida won where the race held at a distance of over 2,000 meters. After the race, Kawada told reporters that "he was able to race at a good rhythm" and that he "was glad that the horse became a Double Crown horse, and also proud that he was able to show the horse being strong."

On May 25, the JRA announced the rating for the Yushun Himba. Liberty Island earned 120 pounds, which made her the highest rated in Yushun Himba history; with other Yushun Himba winners such as Gentildonna, Soul Stirring, Almond Eye, and Stars on Earth only earning 115. The following day, Liberty Island was sent to pasture at. It was also announced that the horse, rather than sending her to a trial race, would instead be going straight to the Shuka Sho in fall, with the intention of making her the first Triple Tiara winner since Daring Tact from 2020.

On October 15, she was entered in to the Shuka Sho as previously announced, with the odds at 1.1, making her by far the most favored to win. After making a good start, she placed herself in te middle of the pack. At around the 3rd corner she moved to the outside of the pack and started to make her move, and after taking the lead at the 4th corner she crossed the finish line without letting any other horse contest the lead; making her the 7th horse ever to win the Japanese Triple Tiara, and the first time since Daring Tact in 2020.

It was later announced that her next race would be the Japan Cup. It was also announced that as a second option, the horse was also pre-registered for the Hong Kong Cup.

At the Japan Cup, she was the second most favored to win behind Equinox. After making a good start, she placed herself at around 4th or 5th place behind the front, while keeping a similar pace behind Equinox. After entering the final stretch she pushed herself up and came up to 2nd at around the 150 meter mark, but was unable to catch up to Equinox, who had won against her by 4 lengths. This marked her first defeat since the Artemis Stakes, and the first defeat at a Grade 1 race. After the race, Kawada commented, "we gave all that we could and she made an excellent performance, but the best horse in the world was indeed the best, and was very strong. I do think it was a good experience for Liberty Island, and would be a good learning point going forward." Liberty Island's trainer, Nakauchida, also commented "I have no regrets entering this horse in this race. There's nothing pessimistic from her race. She raced well accordingly to how the race went. I believe perhaps Liberty gave it her best shot for the first time." After the race, Shunsuke Yoshida of Sunday Racing, the owner of Liberty Island, stated that she would not be entered in to the Arima Kinen and spend the rest of the year off the races.

Racing statistics
The below data is based on information available on JBIS Search, netkeiba.com, and Emirates Racing Authority.

Pedigree

 * Liberty Island's dam, Yankee Rose, is an Australian racehorse who won the Spring Champion Stakes and the Sires' Produce Stakes.
 * Liberty Island's great granddam's half-brother is Biko Pegasus, who won the Keisei Stakes and Centaur Stakes. Their half sister, Valira, is the granddam of CBC Sho winner Symboli Gran.
 * Liberty Island's ancestors, Try My Best and El Gran Senor, are full brothers (sire: Northern Dancer, dam: Sex Appeal), making them technically an inbreed of 5x4. She also has an imbreed of Mr. Prospector by 4x5 and Hail To Reason by 5x5.