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Almond Eye (Japanese: アーモンドアイ, foaled 10 March 2015) is a champion Japanese Thoroughbred horse racing who won the Japanese Fillies' Triple Crown in 2018, and holds a world record over 2,400 meters on turf. She is also a two-time winner of the Japan Cup, breaking the record in the 2018 race and defeating two other undefeated Japan Triple Crown winners in the 2020 race. Almond Eye was the 2018 Japanese Horse of the Year, 2018 Best Three-Year-Old Filly, 2020 Japanese Horse of the Year, and 2020 Best Older Filly or Mare. She was the World Champion of 2020 in the TRC Global Horses Rankings, and is the highest earning racehorse in the world among the racehorses born in 2015. Her other notable wins include the Dubai Turf in 2019, the Tenno Sho in 2019 and 2020, and the Victoria Mile in 2020.
Almond Eye is from the first crop of foals sired by Lord Kanaloa, an outstanding sprinter-miler who was the 2013 Japanese Horse of the Year. Her dam Fusaichi Pandora was a top-class racemare who won the 2006 Queen Elizabeth II Cup. She was descendant of the influential American broodmare Best In Show, the ancestor of numerous major winners including El Gran Senor, Try My Best, Xaar, Jazil, Rags to Riches and Redoute's Choice.
Two month later at Tokyo Racecourse, she recorded her first success in a 1600 metres maiden race, winning by three Horse length from Cosmo Feerique.
On 20 May Almond Eye was stepped up in distance to contest the Yushun Himba over 2400 metres at Tokyo and started the 0.7/1 favourite ahead of Lucky Lilac, Lily Noble and Satono Walkure (Flora Stakes). Lemaire positioned the filly in mid division as the outsider Sayakachan set the pace, but then moved into contention entering the straight. Almond Eye produced a sustained run on the outside, took the lead approaching the last 200 metres and won by two lengths from Lily Noble. After the race Lemaire said "I had every confidence in her and race went perfectly for us. She was a little hyped up but we had a good start and in a good position. From there she settled in well and her turn of foot in the home straight was terrific. The stretch in distance was absolutely no problem for her. She is one special filly with great potentials and fit to face international competition if she has the chance".
On 25 November the filly was matched against male opposition to contest the 38th running of the Japan Cup over 2400 metres at Tokyo in which he was partnered Lemaire and started the odds-on favourite. In the build-up to the race Kunieda said "She did seem a bit lightheaded after the Shuka Sho and she ran a temperature for a bit but quickly recovered. She looks leaner than she did before her last race, but she’s relaxed and her responses are good". Her thirteen opponents included Cheval Grand (winner of the race in 2018), Satono Diamond, Satono Crown, Capri, Suave Richard and Kiseki (Kikuka Sho). After tracking the front-runners the filly turned into the straight in second place behind Kiseki, who had set a very strong pace. She moved up alongside Kiseki 200 metres from the finish and drew away in the closing stages to win by one and three quarter lengths with a gap of three and a half lengths back to Suave Richard in third. The winning time of 2:20.6 broke the existing race record by 1.5 seconds. Lemaire commented "Today I was a little bit anxious, but I think we saw the best Almond Eye in the race and it was a great show... This is a very special filly as I keep telling the press in Japan that she is “Perfect” –her ability, temperament, she can adapt and race from any position". The winning time of 2:20.6 is a world record over 2,400 meters on turf.
In January 2019, Almond Eye was unanimously voted Japanese Horse of the Year and Best Three-Year-Old Filly at the for 2018. In the 2018 World's Best Racehorse Rankings Almond Eye was rated the best three-year-old filly in the world (level with Alpha Centauri) and the eleventh best horse of any age or sex.
On her final run of the year Almond Eye started odds on favourite for the Arima Kinen over 2500 metres at Nakayama on 22 December. She raced towards the outside for most of the way and moved up to dispute the lead early in the straight but was soon under pressure and dropped out of contention to finish ninth behind Lys Gracieux. After the race Lemaire said "She was physically fit and in good condition but she couldn’t keep her calm before the crowd in the first lap and lost her rhythm. She was unable to relax and was tired".
On 7 June at Tokyo Almond Eye started the 0.3/1 favourite as she made her second attempt to win the Yasuda Kinen. She started slowly before making up ground rapidly in the straight but never looked likely to threaten the winner Gran Alegria and was beaten two and a half lengths into second place. After the race Lemaire said "We had a poor break but I think we recovered well and made a smooth and strong bid turning for home with Gran Alegria in aim. She showed her good turn of foot but she could have done better. The winner was just so strong, it wasn’t our day."
After the summer break Almond Eye returned to the track for the autumn edition of the Tenno Sho at Tokyo on 1 November and started the 0.4/1 favourite ahead of Chrono Genesis in a twelve-runner field which also included Fierement, Win Bright, Blast Onepiece, Danon Premium, Kiseki and the Nakayama Kinen winner Danon Kingly. Almond Eye settled in fourth place as Danon Premium set the pace from Daiwa Cagney and Kiseki. She moved into second place in the straight, overhauled Danon Premium inside the last 200 meters and held off the late challenges of Fierement and Chrono Genesis to win by half a length and a neck. Her victory made her the first horse to win eight Grade 1 races in Japan. A "slightly teary" Lemaire commented: "Today, the mare was relaxed before the start and we were able to break well. She showed a great turn of foot in the straight but ran out of steam a bit climbing the hill. The others were gaining on us but she didn't give up. I have to admit, to win the eighth Grade 1 title was a big pressure, but she didn't let us down—her performance was awesome."
Four weeks after her win in the Tenno Sho, Almond Eye ended her track career with an attempt to win a second Japan Cup in a race which saw her matched against the outstanding undefeated three-year-olds Contrail and Daring Tact, respectively winners of the Japanese Triple Crown and the Japanese Fillies Triple Crown. The other twelve contenders included Glory Vase, Curren Bouquetd'or (runner-up in the race in 2019), Kiseki, World Premiere, Makahiki and the French challenger Way To Paris (winner of the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud). Starting the 1.2/1 favourite Almond Eye settled in third place as Kiseki set the pace and built up a huge lead which he maintained into the straight. The mare launched a strong run down the centre of the track, overtook Kiseki approaching the last 100 metres and kept on well to win by one and a quarter lengths from Contrail with Daring Tact, Curren Bouquetd'or and Glory Vase close behind in third, fourth and fifth. After the race Kunieda said "We were worried about the rough going near the rails, but Christophe did a good job in finding a good path... all we wanted was for her to come back safe and sound. The victory is such a bonus, we couldn’t be happier. She has given us so much excitement and joy and it has been fulfilling to be a part of her career" while Lemaire commented "Since this was her final start, it was very special for me and I'm thrilled we were able to win... She was relaxed in the gate, broke smoothly and was able to sit in a good position... The pace was just right for her and she responded well in the stretch. The others closing in on us didn't worry me at all. Almond Eye is a perfect mare and doesn’t have any weak points."
On December 19, Almond Eye was honoured in a retirement ceremony at Nakayama Racecourse in which she paraded in front of 2,500 fans who had been awarded tickets in a lottery. In address to the crowd Lemaire said "Today, we are here to celebrate the retirement of the fantastic mare who rewrote the history of Japanese horse racing. Almond Eye has been special from the beginning. With her shape, running form, fighting spirit, and unusual ability, her fame has attracted horse racing fans all over the world, not just in Japan." Kunieda addressed the mare directly saying "Almond Eye, good work. Thank you for making such a great achievement and leaving a pleasant memory. After you will go back to the farm and have a child, I want to train him or her in my yard, so please give birth to good children."
In January 2021, Almond Eye was voted Japanese Horse of the Year and Best Older Filly or Mare at the for 2020. Almond Eye is the World Champion of 2020 in the TRC Global Horses Rankings.
In June 2023, Almond Eye was inducted in to the JRA Hall of Fame on her second year of eligibility. This was after failing to be inducted the year prior, which sparked controversy among fans and horse racing journalists over the selection process of the Hall of Fame.
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