Blast Onepiece

Blast Onepiece
Blast Onepiece in March 2018
SireHarbinger
GrandsireDansili
DamTsurumaru Onepiece
DamsireKing Kamehameha
SexStallion
Foaled2 April 2015[1]
CountryJapan
ColourBay
BreederNorthern Farm
OwnerSilk Racing Co Ltd
TrainerMasahiro Otake
JockeyKenichi Ikezoe
Record18: 7-0-1[2]
Earnings¥572,356,000
Major wins
Mainichi Hai (2018)
Niigata Kinen (2018)
Arima Kinen (2018)
Sapporo Kinen (2019)
American Jockey Club Cup (2020)
Awards
JRA Award for Best Three-Year-Old Colt (2018)

Blast Onepiece, (Japanese: ブラストワンピース, foaled 2 April 2015) is a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse. After winning his only start as a two-year-old, he improved to become the best colt of his generation in Japan the following year. He recorded Grade 3 victories in the Mainichi Hai and the Niigata Kinen before ending his season with a win over a top-class field in the Arima Kinen. He won the Sapporo Kinen in 2019 and the American Jockey Club Cup in 2020.

Background

Blast Onepiece is a bay horse bred in Japan by Northern Farm. During his racing career he has been owned by Silk Racing Company and trained by Masahiro Otake. He is an unusually large Thoroughbred who has weighed between 520 kg and 550 kg for his track appearances.[3]

He was from the fourth crop of foals sired by Harbinger, a British horse who was rated the best racehorse in the world in 2010 when he won the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes by eleven lengths. Since retiring to stud in Japan his other foals have included Deirdre (Shuka Sho), Mozu Katchan (Queen Elizabeth II Cup) and Persian Knight (Mile Championship).[4][5] Blast Onepiece is the first foal of his dam Tsurumaru Onepiece who showed some racing ability, winning three of her 21 races between 2010 and 2014.[6] She was a distant descendant of the British broodmare Minaret (foaled 1948), the ancestor of many major winners including Indian Queen, See You Then and Sayyedati.[7]

Racing career

2017: two-year-old season

Blast Onepiece made his first and only appearance as a two-year-old in a contest for unraced juveniles over 1800 metres at Tokyo Racecourse on 19 November. He won by a length from Lord da Vinci.[3]

2018: three-year-old season

On his 2018 debut Blast Onepiece was stepped up in distance for a minor event over 2400 metres at Tokyo on 4 February and came home three and a half lengths clear of his thirteen opponents. The colt was ridden in all of his subsequent races that year by Kenichi Ikezoe.[3] On 24 March Blast Onepiece was stepped up in class for the Grade 3 Mainichi Hai at Hanshin Racecourse and started the 1.5/1 favourite in a field of ten. Racing on firm ground over 1800 metres he won by two lengths and a neck from Gibeon and Indy Champ.[8] The Grade 1 Tokyo Yushun over 2400 metres at Tokyo on 27 May saw the colt start the 3.6/1 second choice in the betting behind Danon Premium in an eighteen-runner-field. The race resulted in a blanket finish with Blast Onepiece (who recovered from interference in the straight) coming home fifth behind Wagnerian, Epoca d'Oro, Cosmic Force and Etario, beaten less than a length by the winner.

After a break of over three months Blast Onepiece returned for the Grade 3 Niigata Kinen over 2000 metres at Niigata Racecourse in which he was matched against older horses for the first time. He was made the odds-on favourite ahead of thirteen opponents and won by one and three quarter lengths from the five-year-old Maitres d'Art.[9] At Kyoto Racecourse on 21 October the colt started 2.4/1 favourite ahead of Etario and Epoca d'Oro for the Grade 1 Kikuka Sho over 3100 metres. In a slowly run race he came from well off the pace and made steady progress in the straight but failed to reach the leaders and finished fourth behind Fierement Etario and You Can Smile.[10] Following the race Masahiro Otake said that the slow pace had not suited his trainee but pointed out that the colt had recovered very quickly from the race and was suffering less back pain than usual.[11]

Blast Onepiece was one of sixteen horses invited to contest the 2500 metres Arima Kinen at Nakayama Racecourse on 23 December and was made the 7.9/1 third choice in the betting behind Rey de Oro and Kiseki. The other major winners in the race included Satono Diamond, Makahiki, Mozu Katchan (Queen Elizabeth II Cup), Oju Chosan (Nakayama Grand Jump), Mikki Rocket (Takarazuka Kinen) and Cheval Grand. After racing wide for most of the way, Blast Onepiece produced a sustained run in the straight, overtook the front-running Kiseki 100 metres from the finish and held off the late challenge of Rey de Oro to win by a neck.[12] After the race Ikezoe said "I was a bit worried of being caught between horses, so I settled him toward the outside. He ran well, and though we were closed in by the race favorite at the end, he held on really well. I've been telling everyone that he is a Grade 1 horse, and I'm happy that I was able to prove it".[13]

In January 2019 Blast Onepiece was named Best Three-Year-Old Colt at the JRA Awards for 2018 taking 114 of the 276 votes.[14] In the 2018 World's Best Racehorse Rankings Blast Onepiece was rated the third best three-year-old colt in the world behind Roaring Lion and Justify and the twentieth best horse of any age or sex.[15]

2019: four-year-old season

On his first run of 2019 Blast Onepiece was made the 2.2/1 favourite for the Grade 1 Osaka Hai over 2000 metres at Hanshin on 31 March. After racing towards the rear of the field he was forced wide on the final turn and finished sixth of the fourteen runners behind Al Ain, Kiseki, Wagnerian, Makahiki and Air Windsor. The colt was dropped back to Grade 2 class for the Meguro Kinen over 2500 metres at Tokyo in May but despite starting favourite he came home eighth behind the six-year-old Look Twice. On 18 August Blast Onepiece contested the 2000 metre Sapporo Kinen and went off the 3.7/1 third choice in the betting behind Fierement and Wagnerian. Ridden by Yuga Kawada he was restrained in the early stages before staying on strongly in the straight and despite briefly struggling to obtain a clear passage he ran down Sungrazer in the final strides to win by a neck.[16]

In the autumn of 2019 Blast Onepiece was sent to race in Europe and on 6 October he started a 58/1 outsider for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe over 2400. Racing on very soft ground he was never in serious contention and came home eleventh of the twelve runners behind Waldgeist.

2020: five-year-old season

Blast Onepiece began his fourth campaign in the Grade 2 American Jockey Club Cup over 2200 metres at Nakayama on 26 January. Starting the 2/1 favourite in a twelve-runner field he settled behind the leaders as Stiffelio set the pace before moving into contention on the final turn, overtaking Stay Foolish in the last 200 metres and winning by one and a quarter lengths. On 5 April, in his second attempt to win the Osaka Hai the horse started third choice in the betting but after moving into a promising position approaching the last turn he was unable to make any progress in the straight and came home seventh, beaten just over three lengths by the winner Lucky Lilac.[17] In the 28 June Takarazuka Kinen at Hansin, he ran poorly and finished sixteenth of the eighteen starters behind Chrono Genesis.[18]

After the summer break, Blast Onepiece returned to the track for the autumn edition of the Tenno Sho at Tokyo on 1 November and came home eleventh behind Almond Eye, beaten more than ten lengths by the winner.[19] He ended his season by attempting to repeat his 2018 success in the Arima Kinen but after racing in second place until halfway he began to struggle badly and was pulled up after reportedly suffering from atrial fibrillation.[20]

2021: six-year-old season

He recuperated well and return on the Naruo Kinen in June. Otake noted that Blast Onepiece early training caused him difficulties in breathing but it went better as the days past where his breathing return to normal in the ECG test.[21] His performance on the race was very promising as he finished in third place three quarters of a length behind the winner, Unicorn Lion.[22] Otake said despite the slow pace for the overall pack, Blast Onepiece responded well and took advantage on his position during the race.[23]

The next race he ran in would be the Sapporo Kinen. He would be ridden with the same jockey back in Naruo Kinen which was Yasunari Iwata.[24] In this race, Blast Onepiece stayed behind at the earlier phase. Then, he accelerate to the front on the 1000 metres mark. He also transitioned to the outside track at the third corner in order to surpass the leading pack. Unfortunately, Sodashi matched his pace and over took him for the lead and won the race.[25] Meanwhile, Blast Onepiece gassed out, slowed down in the final straight and finished in fifth-place.[26]

This race turned out to be his last career race as he suffered an injury to his right front fetlock. He retired from racing and assigned to be a riding horse at the Northern Horse Park in Tomakomai, Hokkaido.[27] Blast Onepiece became the first Arima Kinen's stallion that did not went to a stud duty since his sire, Harbinger is still in high-demand in that area (with the slight exception of Ten Point who succumbed to his injuries).[28] His main jockey, Ikezoe blamed himself in his inability to carry him for more titles than the Arima Kinen which caused him unable to be a stud.[28]

Racing form

Blast Onepiece won seven races in 18 starts. This data is based on JBIS, netkeiba and racingpost.[3][2][29]

Date Track Race Grade Distance
(Condition) 		Entry HN Odds
(Favored) 		Finish Time Margins Jockey Winner
(Runner-up)
2017 – two-year-old season
Nov 17 Tokyo 2yo Newcomer 1,800 m (Firm) 14 7 12.2 (5) 1st 1:51.4 –0.2 Kenichi Ikezoe (Lord Da Vinci)
2018 – three-year-old season
Feb 4 Tokyo Yurikamome Sho ALW (1W) 2,400 m (Good) 14 12 3.3 (2) 1st 2:27.6 –0.7 Kenichi Ikezoe (Drake)
Mar 24 Hanshin Mainichi Hai 3 1,800 m (Firm) 10 1 2.5 (1) 1st 1:46.5 –0.3 Kenichi Ikezoe (Gibeon)
May 27 Tokyo Tokyo Yushun 1 2,400 m (Firm) 18 8 4.6 (2) 5th 2:23.8 0.2 Kenichi Ikezoe Wagnerian
Sep 2 Niigata Niigata Kinen 3 2,000 m (Firm) 13 1 1.8 (1) 1st 1:57.5 –0.3 Kenichi Ikezoe (Maitres d'Art)
Oct 21 Kyoto Kikuka Sho 1 3,000 m (Firm) 18 3 3.4 (1) 4th 3:06.5 0.4 Kenichi Ikezoe Fierement
Dec 23 Nakayama Arima Kinen 1 2,500 m (Good) 16 8 8.9 (3) 1st 2:32.2 0.0 Kenichi Ikezoe (Rey de Oro)
2019 – four-year-old season
Mar 31 Hanshin Osaka Hai 1 2,000 m (Firm) 14 7 3.2 (1) 6th 2:01.3 0.3 Kenichi Ikezoe Al Ain
May 26 Tokyo Meguro Kinen 2 2,500 m (Firm) 13 6 2.2 (1) 8th 2:29.1 0.9 Kenichi Ikezoe Look Twice
Aug 18 Sapporo Sapporo Kinen 2 2,000 m (Firm) 14 1 4.7 (3) 1st 2:00.1 0.0 Yuga Kawada (Sungrazer)
Oct 6 Longchamp Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe 1 2,400 m (Soft) 12 5 18.1 (5) 11th 2:38.6 6.6 Yuga Kawada Waldgeist
2020 – five-year-old season
Jan 26 Tokyo American Jockey Club Cup 2 2,200 m (Good) 12 11 3.0 (1) 1st 2:15.0 –0.2 Yuga Kawada (Stay Foolish)
Apr 5 Hanshin Osaka Hai 1 2,000 m (Firm) 12 3 4.3 (3) 7th 1:59.0 0.6 Yuga Kawada Lucky Lilac
Jun 28 Hanshin Takarazuka Kinen 1 2,200 m (Good) 18 18 9.9 (4) 16th 2:18.0 4.5 Yuga Kawada Chrono Genesis
Nov 1 Tokyo Tenno Sho (Autumn) 1 2,000 m (Firm) 12 1 32.3 (7) 11th 1:59.5 1.7 Kenichi Ikezoe Almond Eye
Dec 27 Nakayama Arima Kinen 1 2,500 m (Firm) 16 2 33.1 (9) DNF – – Takeshi Yokoyama Chrono Genesis
2021 – six-year-old season
Jun 5 Chukyo Naruo Kinen 3 2,000 m (Firm) 13 1 8.1 (5) 3rd 2:01.4 0.7 Yasunari Iwata Unicorn Lion
Aug 22 Sapporo Sapporo Kinen 2 2,000 m (Firm) 13 12 12.3 (3) 5th 2:00.0 0.5 Yasunari Iwata Sodashi

Legend:
  Turf

Pedigree

Pedigree of Blast Onepiece (JPN), bay colt 2015[1]
Sire
Harbinger (GB)
2006 		Dansili
1996 		Danehill (USA) Danzig
Razyana
Hasili (IRE) Kahyasi
Kerali (GB)
Penang Pearl (FR)
1996 		Bering (GB) Arctic Tern (USA)
Beaune (FR)
Guapa (GB) Shareef Dancer (USA)
Sauceboat
Dam
Tsurumaru Onepiece (JPN)
2008 		King Kamehameha
2001 		Kingmambo (USA) Mr. Prospector
Miesque
Manfath (IRE) Last Tycoon
Pilot Bird (GB)
Tsurumaru Glamor
1999 		Fuji Kiseki Sunday Silence (USA)
Millracer (USA)
Elatis (USA) El Gran Senor
Summer Review (Family 9-c)[7]

References

  1. ^ a b "Blast Onepiece pedigree". Equineline.
  2. ^ a b "Blast Onepiece Race Record and Form | Horse Profile". netkeiba. NET DREAMERS, Co., Ltd. Retrieved 13 February 2026.
  3. ^ a b c d "Race Records:Lifetime Starts – Blast Onepiece". JBIS.
  4. ^ "Harbinger – Progeny". Racing Post.
  5. ^ O'Donoghue, Ollie (23 December 2013). "Blast Onepiece Fourth Top-Level Winner for Harbinger". The Blood-Horse.
  6. ^ "Tsurumaru Onepiece summary". JBIS.
  7. ^ a b "Crab Mare – Family 9-c". Thoroughbred Bloodlines. Archived from the original on 17 January 2015. Retrieved 7 June 2015.
  8. ^ "Mainichi Hai result". Racing Post. 24 March 2018.
  9. ^ "Niigata Kinen result". Racing Post. 2 September 2018.
  10. ^ "Kikuka Sho result". Racing Post. 21 October 2018.
  11. ^ "Arima Kinen – Comments from runners' connections". Horse Racing in Japan. 21 December 2018.
  12. ^ "Arima Kinen result". Racing Post. 23 December 2018.
  13. ^ Kieckhefer, Bob (23 December 2013). "Blast Onepiece Outduels Elders in Arima Kinen". The Blood-Horse.
  14. ^ "2019.01.09 Winners of the 2018 JRA Awards announced". Horse Racing in Japan. 9 January 2019.
  15. ^ "The 2018 World Thoroughbred Rankings". International Federation of Horse Racing Authorities. Retrieved 2019-01-23.
  16. ^ "Sapporo Kinen result". Racing Post. 18 August 2019.
  17. ^ "Matured Lucky Lilac Finishes Strongly to Win Osaka Hai". Horse Racing in Japan. 5 April 2020.
  18. ^ "Second Pick Chrono Genesis Claims This Year's Takarazuka Kinen in Sweeping Victory". Horse Racing in Japan. 28 June 2020.
  19. ^ "Almond Eye Captures Eighth G1 Turf Victory in Tenno Sho (Autumn)". Horse Racing in Japan. 1 November 2020.
  20. ^ "2020.12.27 Chrono Genesis Fullfills Expectations in Grand Prix Arima Kinen". Horse Racing in Japan. 27 December 2020.
  21. ^ "【鳴尾記念】ブラストワンピース復帰へ不安なし 岩田康と新コンビで臨む | 競馬ニュース" [[Naruo Kinen] No worries about Blast Onepiece's return, competing with new pairing with Yasunari Iwata]. netkeiba (in Japanese). NET DREAMERS, Co., Ltd. 2 June 2021. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  22. ^ "【鳴尾記念結果】8番人気ユニコーンライオンが逃げ切り重賞初V | 競馬ニュース" [[Naruo Kinen Results] 8th favorite Unicorn Lion escapes and wins his first major race]. netkeiba (in Japanese). NET DREAMERS, Co., Ltd. 5 June 2021. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  23. ^ "【鳴尾記念レース後コメント】ユニコーンライオン坂井瑠星騎手ら | 競馬ニュース" [[Comments after the Naruo Memorial Race] Unicorn Lion jockey Rusei Sakai and others]. netkeiba (in Japanese). NET DREAMERS, Co., Ltd. 5 June 2021. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  24. ^ "【札幌記念】ブラストワンピース復活へ軽快/馬三郎のつぶやき | 競馬ニュース" [[Sapporo Memorial] Blast One Piece is back on track / Basanro's Tweet]. netkeiba (in Japanese). NET DREAMERS, Co., Ltd. 5 August 2021. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  25. ^ "【勝負の分かれ目 札幌記念】ソダシが危なげないレースで「復権」 | 競馬ニュース" [[Sapporo Memorial: Turning Point] Sodashi makes a comeback with a safe race]. netkeiba (in Japanese). NET DREAMERS, Co., Ltd. 22 August 2021. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  26. ^ "Sapporo Kinen (G2) Full Result | R11". netkeiba. NET DREAMERS, Co., Ltd. 22 August 2021. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  27. ^ "１８年有馬記念馬ブラストワンピースが引退 ノーザンホースパークで乗馬に | 競馬ニュース" [2018 Arima Kinen winner Blast Onepiece retires and goes for a ride at Northern Horse Park]. netkeiba (in Japanese). NET DREAMERS, Co., Ltd. 19 January 2022. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  28. ^ a b Shimada, Akihiro (12 February 2022). "有馬記念の覇者が"乗馬"に…ブラストワンピースはなぜ種牡馬になれなかったのか？ 血統専門家「タイトルがもうひとつあれば…」（島田明宏）" [Arima Kinen winner turns to horse riding... Why couldn't Blast Onepiece become a stallion? Pedigree expert: "If only he had one more title..."]. Number Web - ナンバー (in Japanese). Bungeishunju Ltd. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  29. ^ "Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (Group 1) (3yo+) (Grande Course) (Turf)". racingpost.com. 6 October 2019. Retrieved 13 February 2026.
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