Narita Brian (, Hepburn: ; May 3, 1991 – September 27, 1998) was a Japanese racehorse. Until Special Week surpassed him in 1999, Narita Brian was Japan's top money earner.
Background
Narita Brian was a bay horse sired by the American-bred stallion Brian's Time, out of the mare Pacificus, a daughter of
Northern Dancer. He was a brother of
Biwa Hayahide, the Champion horse in Japan in 1993.
Racing career
Racing as a two-year-old in 1993, Narita Brian won the Asahi Hai Sansai Stakes at Nakayama Racecourse. In the following year he completed the Japanese Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing by winning the Satsuki Shō, Tokyo Yūshun and Kikuka Shō
before defeating older horses at the
Arima Kinen.
He stayed in training for a further two years, winning the Hanshin Daishōten in 1995 and 1996. In the latter year, he defeated the 1995 Japanese Horse of the Year Mayano Top Gun.
Awards and honours
Narita Brian received the
JRA Award for Best Two-Year-Old Colt in 1993. In 1994 he was voted the Best Three-year-old Colt and Japanese Horse of the Year in 1994. He was declared "Horse of the 20th century" in Japan. In 1998 he was elected to the JRA Hall of Fame.
A museum dedicated to Narita Brian named the was opened on his death anniversary in 2000, but was closed in 2008. The structure is now the Yushun Memorial Hall, with the exhibits' focus being more oriented around those of Oguri Cap.
Stud career
Narita Brian's most successful offspring was Daitaku Flag who was 4th in the Japanese 2000 Guineas. He died in 1998 because of a gastric rupture.
Pedigree
See also
-
List of leading Thoroughbred racehorses
-
List of racehorses
