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Agnes World (28 April 1995 – 20 August 2012) was an American-bred, Japanese-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire, best known for his performances over sprint distances in Europe. Bred in Kentucky, he was sold for over $1 million as a yearling and exported to Japan. As a juvenile in 1997 he won three of his four races including the Grade III Hakodate Futurity Stakes but was off the course for almost a year after sustaining an injury in early 1998. In 1999 he showed winning form over sprint distances in Japan before being sent to France where he won the Prix de l'Abbaye in October. He remained in training as a five-year-old and again showed his best form in Europe, becoming the first Japanese-trained horse to win a race in the United Kingdom when he won the July Cup. He was retired to stud at the end of the season and stood as a breeding stallion in Japan, Australia and the United Kingdom.
As a yearling, the colt was sent to the Keeneland July sale and was bought for $1,050,000 by Takao Watanabe. Agnes World auction history He was exported to Japan and sent into training with Hideyuki Mori. He was ridden in most of his races by Yutaka Take.
On his three-year-old debut, Agnes World finished second to Dantsu Sirius in the Grade III Nikkan Sports Sho Shinzan Kinen at Kyoto Racecourse in January, but was subsequently injured and missed the rest of the season.
After his wins at Kokura, Agnes World, accompanied by his stablemate Dojima Muteki, was sent to Europe to be prepared for a run in the Group races Prix de l'Abbaye at Longchamp Racecourse on 3 October. He entered the race without a prep race in Europe and was racing over 1000 metres, a distance he had never previously attempted. The Godolphin Racing colt Bertolini started favourite ahead of Sainte Marine (Prix du Gros Chêne) and Imperial Beauty (World Trophy) with the Japanese duo next in the betting on 6.8/1. The other runners included Keos (Prix de Ris-Orangis, Prix de Seine-et-Oise), Arkadian Hero (Mill Reef Stakes), Black Rock Desert (Prix de Saint-Georges), Mitcham (King's Stand Stakes), Averti (King George Stakes), Sampower Star (Duke of York Stakes) and Yorkies Boy (Palace House Stakes). Agnes World was always among the leaders and went to the front approaching the last 400 metres. He was driven out by Yutaka Take to win by a short neck from Imperial Beauty with Keos a length and half way in third place.
Agnes World returned to Japan for his last two races of 1999. At Kokura in November he recorded his first major win in Japan for sixteen months when he defeated Masa Lucky by half a length in the Grade II CBC Sho. On his final appearance of the season he contested the Sprinters Stakes in December and finished second, beaten a neck by the five-year-old Black Hawk.
In the summer of 2000, the horse was sent to Europe to contest two major sprint races in the United Kingdom. He was again accompanied by Dojima Muteki as well as Air Shakur who was being prepared for a run in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. At Royal Ascot on 20 June, a week after his arrival in Britain, he started a 16/1 outsider in a twenty-three runner field for the King's Stand Stakes and finished second, one and a half lengths behind Nuclear Debate. On 13 July at Newmarket Racecourse, Agnes World started 4/1 favourite for the July Cup over six furlongs. On the eve of the race Masa Matsuda, who had handled the horse's preparation was interviewed by The Guardian and said "at three and four years, he was good at home when he galloped, but when he got to the races he was like a child, because he was very nervous. All the time he was biting me or kicking me. But now he is like an adult. He is more relaxed when he goes racing, and is getting better all the time". Agnes World's main rivals in the betting were Lincoln Dancer (Sandy Lane Stakes), Primo Valentino (Middle Park Stakes), Lend A Hand (Gran Criterium, Hungerford Stakes, Duke of York Stakes), Monashee Mountain (Tetrarch Stakes) and Pipalong (Palace House Stakes). Yutaka Take tracked the leaders as Primo Valentino made the running before making his challenge in the last quarter mile. Lincoln Dancer took the lead a furlong out, but Agnes World overhauled the leader in the final strides to win by a short head, with Pipalong another short head away in third. His victory was the first Group One victory in Britain for a horse trained in Japan. Commenting through an interpreter, Take said "My horse felt good before the race so I felt confident. I always thought he would be good enough. It is a great pleasure for me to win and I am very happy". The JRA spokesman Yukio Nakayama said "It was 130 years ago that the British people introduced horseracing to Japan. We have imported many, many horses from here, and now we have won a race here".
Agnes World returned to Japan for the Sprinters' Stakes on 1 October in which he finished strongly to take second, one and a half lengths behind the front-running 257/1 outsider Daitaku Yamato. In November, the horse was sent to the United States to contest the Breeders' Cup Sprint at Churchill Downs. Racing on dirt for the first time since December 1997 he never looked likely to win and finished eighth of the fourteen runners behind Kona Gold.
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