Product Code Database
foaled 11 March 2008 is a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. A specialist sprinter, he recorded his first important success in 2011 when he won the Grade 3 Keihan Hai at Kyoto Racecourse. In the following year he won once from his first four starts but then emerged as a world-class performer with wins in the Sprinters Stakes and the Hong Kong Sprint, becoming the first Japanese horse to win the latter race. Lord Kanaloa was even better in 2013, winning the Takamatsunomiya Kinen before stepping up in distance to take the Yasuda Kinen. In the autumn he repeated his wins in the Sprinters Stakes and the Hong Kong Sprint and ended the year rated as one of the best racehorses in the world.
In July 2008, Lord Kanaloa was sent to the JRHA Select Foal Sales but was not sold. Lord Kanaloa entered the ownership of the Lord Horse Club and was sent into training with Takayuki Yasuda. The horse is named after Kanaloa in Hawaiian mythology.
On 30 September at Nakayama, Lord Kanaloa contested the Grade 1 Sprinters Stakes in which he was opposed by Curren Chan, Epice Arome and Dream Valentino as well as the leading Hong Kong sprinters Lucky Nine and Little Bridge. The race was run in high winds caused by the approach of Typhoon Jelawat. Starting at odds of 17/5, Lord Kanaloa raced behind the leaders before making progress in the final quarter mile, taking the lead inside the last 100m and winning by three-quarters of a length from Curren Chan in a course record time of 1:06.7. On his final appearance of the season, Lord Kanaloa was sent to Sha Tin Racecourse on 9 December for the Hong Kong Sprint. The local runners included Lucky Nine, Flying Blue and Joy And Fun while the international challenge was augmented by Curren Chan and the Manikato Stakes winner Sea Siren from Australia. Lord Kanaloa was always among the leaders before taking the lead in the straight and drawing away to win by two and a half lengths from the locally trained gelding Cerise Cherry. No horses from Japan had won the Hong Kong Sprint before. After the race Yasuda said that Lord Kanaloa would be "a pioneer for Japanese sprinters" and could compete anywhere in the world.
On his return from the summer break, Lord Kanaloa returned to sprinting when he ran for the second time in the Centaur Stakes on 8 September. He started the 2/5 favourite but was beaten a neck by the four-year-old Hakusan Moon, to whom he was attempting to concede five pounds. On 29 September, Lord Kanaloa met Hakusan Moon at level weights in the Sprinters' Stakes and started the 30/100 favourite in a field which also included Majin Prosper and Grand Prix Boss. He won the race for a second time, beating Hakusan Moon by three quarters of a length with the 159/1 outsider Mayano Ryujin a neck away in third place. On 8 December, Lord Kanaloa ended his career as he attempted to repeat his 2012 success in the Hong Kong Sprint. He started the 11/8 favourite against the leading local sprinters Lucky Nine, Sterling City and Frederick Engels, with a strong European challenge headed by Sole Power and the Nunthorpe Stakes winner Jwala. Iwata restrained the horse in the early stages before making progress in the straight. He overtook Rich Tapestry 200m from the finish and accelerated clear of the field to win impressively by five lengths from Sole Power.
Following his win in the 2013 Hong Kong Sprint the Racing Post rated Lord Kanaloa the joint-third best racehorse of the year, behind Treve and Wise Dan, and level with Black Caviar and Toronado.
In January 2014 he was named Japanese Horse of the Year for 2013 (receiving 209 out of 280 votes), Japanese Champion Sprinter or Miler (receiving all 280 votes). He became the first sprinter/miler to receive Japanese Horse of the Year since Taiki Shuttle in 1998. However, he lost to Orfevre in JRA Award for Best Older Male Horse.
On 12 June 2018, Lord Kanaloa was inducted in the Japan Racing Association Hall of Fame.
| Foaled | Name | Sex | Major wins |
| 2015 | Almond Eye | f | Oka Sho, Yushun Himba, Shuka Sho, Japan Cup(twice), Dubai Turf, Tenno Sho (autumn, twice), Victoria Mile |
| 2015 | Stelvio | c | Mile Championship |
| 2015 | Danon Smash | c | Hong Kong Sprint, Takamatsunomiya Kinen |
| 2016 | First Force | c | Takamatsunomiya Kinen |
| 2016 | Red le Zele | c | JBC Sprint |
| 2016 | Saturnalia | c | Hopeful Stakes, Satsuki Sho |
| 2017 | Panthalassa | c | Dubai Turf, Saudi Cup |
| 2017 | Tagaloa | c | Blue Diamond Stakes |
| 2019 | Danon Scorpion | c | NHK Mile Cup |
| 2019 | Satono Reve | c | Takamatsunomiya Kinen |
| 2919 | Kana Tape | f | Sekiya Kinen |
| 2020 | Brede Weg | f | Queen Elizabeth II Cup |
| 2020 | Bellagio Opera | c | Ōsaka Hai (2024, 2025) |
| 2020 | Costa Nova | c | February Stakes |
|
|
