Admire Groove

Admire Groove
アドマイヤグルーヴ
Admire Groove in 2004
BreedThoroughbred
SireSunday Silence
GrandsireHalo
DamAir Groove
DamsireTony Bin
SexMare
FoaledApril 30, 2000
DiedOctober 15, 2012(2012-10-15) (aged 12)
CountryJapan
ColourBay
BreederNorthern Farm
OwnerRiichi Kondo
Racing colours
TrainerMitsuru Hashida
JockeyYutaka Take
Record21: 8-1-3[1]
Earnings551,335,000 JPY
Major wins
Rose Stakes (2003)
Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2003, 2004)
Mermaid Stakes (2004)
Hanshin Himba Stakes (2005)
Awards
JRA Award for Best Older Filly or Mare (2004)

Admire Groove (Japanese: アドマイヤグルーヴ, Hepburn: Adomaiya Gurūvu; April 30, 2000 – October 15, 2012) was a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse, broodmare and the winner of the 2003 and 2004 Queen Elizabeth II Cup.[2][3]

Background

Admire Groove was foaled out of Air Groove, who was the 1997 Japanese Horse of the Year and won the Yushun Himba and Tenno Sho (Autumn) in her career.[4] Air Groove's dam, Dyna Carle also won the Yushun Himba back in 1983, making Admire Groove the third generation horse in line that managed to win Grade 1 races.[5] Her half-brothers through the dam were Rulership (2012 Queen Elizabeth II Cup) and Forgettable (2009 Stayers Stakes).[6] She was sired by the thirteen times leading sire in Japan and 1989 American double crown (Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes) winner, Sunday Silence.[7]

She was being auctioned at the 2000 summer select sales for foals at hip number 33.[8] The bid for her started at the 70,000,000 ¥ mark. In the end, she was sold for 241,500,000 ¥ to Riichi Kondo, which at that time was the highest price ever paid at the select sales and also the highest price ever for a filly.[9] Her name was chosen from fan votes in which the name Admire Groove won by landslide with 215 suggestions from the community.[10][11]

The name itself was a combination of a Kondo's preferred crown name for his stable (Admire) and also her mother's name (Groove).[12]

Racing career

Admire Groove won her very first race, on November 10, 2002, at Kyoto.[3] She also won her next two races at Hashin Racecourse, which included a win at the Wakaba Stakes.[2]

Admire Groove's first major win was at the Grade-2 Rose Stakes on September 21, 2003. She came close to capturing the October Shūka Sho just weeks later, but finished second behind the second favourite, Still in Love who sealed the triple tiara at the very same race.[13] She then picked up her first Grade-1 victory, by winning the 2003 Queen Elizabeth II Cup when she sneaked out with a nose margin over Still in Love.[3]

Admire Groove picked up another win, at the 2004 Mermaid Stakes, on July 11, 2004. In the second half of the year, she competed in the Tenno Sho (Autumn) where she finished in third place, behind Zenno Rob Roy and Dance in the Mood.[14] Then, she returned to the Queen Elizabeth II Cup in 2004, where she successfully defended her title. [3][10]

Admire Groove tried to repeat the feat again at the 2005 Queen Elizabeth II Cup, but finished in 3rd place. [3] On December 18, 2005, she grabbed her final win in her last race by winning the 2005 Hanshin Himba Stakes.[3] A retirement ceremony soon followed.[15]

Racing form

Admire Groove won eight races and placed in another four out of 21 starts. This data is available based on JBIS and netkeiba.[16][1]

Date Racecourse Race Grade Distance
(Condition)		 Entry HN Odds

(Favored)

 Finish Time Margins Jockey Winner

(Runner-up)

2002 – two-year-old season
Nov 10 Kyoto 2yo Newcomer 1,800 m (Firm) 14 13 1.2 (1) 1st 1:51.8 –0.2 Yutaka Take (Eishin Iidesan)
Dec 7 Hanshin Erica Sho ALW (1W) 2,000 m (Firm) 7 2 1.1 (1) 1st 2:03.0 –0.2 Yutaka Take (T M Gulch O)
2003 – three-year-old season
Mar 22 Hanshin Wakaba Stakes OP 2,000 m (Firm) 10 9 1.7 (1) 1st 2:03.1 0.0 Yutaka Take (Big Kong)
Apr 13 Hanshin Oka Sho 1 1,600 m (Firm) 17 14 3.5 (1) 3rd 1:34.2 0.3 Yutaka Take Still in Love
May 25 Tokyo Yushun Himba 1 2,400 m (Firm) 17 2 1.7 (1) 7th 2:28.2 0.7 Yutaka Take Still in Love
Sep 21 Hanshin Rose Stakes 2 2,000 m (Firm) 12 1 3.0 (2) 1st 2:01.5 –0.2 Yutaka Take (Yamakatsu Lily)
Oct 19 Kyoto Shuka Sho 1 2,000 m (Firm) 18 10 2.5 (1) 2nd 1:59.2 0.1 Yutaka Take Still in Love
Nov 16 Kyoto QEII Cup 1 2,200 m (Firm) 15 7 3.6 (2) 1st 2:11.8 0.0 Yutaka Take (Still in Love)
2004 – four-year-old season
Apr 4 Hanshin Sankei Osaka Hai 2 2,000 m (Good) 11 8 6.4 (3) 7th 2:00.1 0.5 Yutaka Take Neo Universe
May 24 Chukyo Kinko Sho 2 2,000 m (Firm) 12 4 6.1 (4) 5th 1:58.1 0.6 Yutaka Take Tap Dance City
Jul 11 Hanshin Mermaid Stakes 3 2,000 m (Firm) 10 9 1.5 (1) 1st 2:00.0 –0.5 Yutaka Take (Cheers Message)
Oct 10 Kyoto Kyoto Daishoten 2 2,400 m (Firm) 10 9 5.1 (2) 4th 2:25.9 0.7 Yutaka Take Narita Century
Oct 31 Tokyo Tenno Sho (Autumn) 1 2,000 m (Good) 17 8 17.0 (9) 3rd 1:59.3 0.4 Yutaka Take Zenno Rob Roy
Nov 14 Kyoto QEII Cup 1 2,200 m (Firm) 18 12 3.3 (2) 1st 2:13.6 –0.1 Yutaka Take (Osumi Haruka)
2005 – five-year-old season
Apr 3 Hanshin Sankei Osaka Hai 2 2,000 m (Firm) 9 3 3.9 (2) 4th 1:59.4 0.4 Yutaka Take Sunrise Pegasus
May 1 Kyoto Tenno Sho (Spring) 1 3,200 m (Firm) 18 3 10.8 (6) 11th 3:17.7 1.2 Yutaka Take Suzuka Mambo
May 28 Chukyo Kinko Sho 2 2,000 m (Firm) 10 1 5.2 (3) 4th 1:59.5 0.6 Yutaka Take Tap Dance City
Jun 26 Hanshin Takarazuka Kinen 1 2,200 m (Firm) 15 12 31.2 (8) 8th 2:12.7 1.2 Yutaka Take Sweep Tosho
Oct 30 Tokyo Tenno Sho (Autumn) 1 2,000 m (Firm) 18 17 96.0 (17) 17th 2:01.1 1.0 Hiroyuki Uemura Heavenly Romance
Nov 13 Kyoto QEII Cup 1 2,200 m (Firm) 18 3 11.1 (4) 3rd 2:13.0 0.5 Hiroyuki Uemura Sweep Tosho
Dec 18 Hanshin Hanshin Himba Stakes 2 1,600 m (Firm) 11 5 4.5 (2) 1st 1:34.5 –0.1 Yutaka Take (Meine Samantha)

Legend:
  Turf

Breeding career

Admire Groove's descendants include:[3][17]

c = colt, f = filly

Foaled Name Sex Major Wins
2007 Admire Temba f Moiwayama Tokubetsu
2008 Admire Sceptre f Hakushu Stakes, Applause Sho, Tokachidake Tokubetsu, Sapporo Sponichi Sho
2012 Duramente c Satsuki Shō, Tōkyō Yūshun, Nakayama Kinen

Death

On October 16, 2012, the JRA announced that Admire Groove had suddenly died the day prior at the Northern Farm, where she was a broodmare. It was only two days after her daughter Admire Sceptre won the Hakushu Stakes.[18][19]

An anthropomorphized version of Admire Groove appears in Umamusume: Pretty Derby, voiced by Hina Suzuki.[20]

Pedigree

Pedigree of Admire Groove (JPN), 2000[21]
Sire
Sunday Silence (USA)
b. 1986		 Halo (USA)
b. 1969		 Hail to Reason Turn-To
Nothirdchance
Cosmah Cosmic Bomb
Almahmoud
Wishing Well (USA)
b. 1975		 Understanding Promised Land
Pretty Ways
Mountain Flower Montparnasse
Edelweiss
Dam
Air Groove (JPN)
b. 1993		 Tony Bin (IRE)
b. 1983		 Kampala Kalamoun
State Pension
Severn Bridge Hornbeam
Priddy Fair
Dyna Carle (JPN)
b. 1980		 Northern Taste Northern Dancer
Lady Victoria
Shadai Feather Guersant
Peroxide

References

  1. 1 2 "Admire Groove Race Record and Form | Horse Profile". netkeiba. NET DREAMERS, Co., Ltd. Retrieved 28 March 2026.
  2. 1 2 "Admire Groove". Retrieved 21 November 2019.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Admire Groove". Retrieved 21 November 2019.
  4. ↑ "Air Groove | Horse Profile, Pedigree, Form, Race Record". netkeiba. NET DREAMERS, Co., Ltd. Retrieved 28 March 2026.
  5. ↑ "Dyna Carle | Horse Profile, Pedigree, Form, Race Record". netkeiba. NET DREAMERS, Co., Ltd. Retrieved 28 March 2026.
  6. ↑ "Admire Groove | Horse Profile, Pedigree, Form, Race Record". netkeiba. NET DREAMERS, Co., Ltd. Retrieved 28 March 2026.
  7. ↑ "Record | Stallion Reports | Sunday Silence(USA)". www.jbis.jp. Japan Bloodhorse Breeders' Association. Retrieved 28 March 2026.
  8. ↑ "2000 Select Sale: Foals". www.jbis.jp. Japan Bloodhorse Breeders' Association. Retrieved 28 March 2026.
  9. ↑ "追悼～アドマイヤグルーヴ" [In Memory of Admire Groove]. uma-furusato.com. 19 October 2012. Retrieved 28 March 2026.
  10. 1 2 "平成15年（2003年） 第28回エリザベス女王杯（GI） アドマイヤグルーヴ VS スティルインラブ 三冠女王に譲れぬ勝利" [2003 (Heisei 15): 28th Queen Elizabeth II Cup (GI) - Admire Groove vs. Still in Love - A victory that the Triple Crown champion could not concede.]. Japanese Racing Association (in Japanese). 10 November 2007. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 28 March 2026.
  11. ↑ "Horse Related News". Weekly Gallop (in Japanese). Vol. 10. Sankei Shimbun. 23 September 2022. p. 181.
  12. ↑ "アドマイヤグルーヴ(JPN)" [Admire Groove (JPN)]. www.studbook.jp (in Japanese). Japan Studbook International. Archived from the original on 8 October 2025. Retrieved 28 March 2026.
  13. ↑ "Shuka Sho (G1) Full Result | R11". netkeiba. NET DREAMERS, Co., Ltd. 19 October 2003. Retrieved 28 March 2026.
  14. ↑ "Tenno Sho (Autumn) (G1) Full Result | R11". netkeiba. NET DREAMERS, Co., Ltd. 31 October 2004. Retrieved 28 March 2026.
  15. ↑ "アドマイヤグルーヴ、有終の美飾る" (in Japanese). 競馬ブック. Archived from the original on 2006-06-28. Retrieved 2023-04-23.
  16. ↑ "Admire Groove (JPN) | Race Record". jbis.jp. Japan Bloodhorse Breeders' Association. Retrieved 28 March 2026.
  17. ↑ "Admire Groove(JPN) | Broodmare Record". www.jbis.jp. Retrieved 2023-04-23.
  18. ↑ "エリザベス女王杯連覇 アドマイヤグルーヴ急死 - スポニチ Sponichi Annex ギャンブル". スポニチ Sponichi Annex (in Japanese). 2012-10-16. Archived from the original on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2023-04-23.
  19. ↑ "アドマイヤグルーヴ急死". netkeiba.com (in Japanese). 2012-10-16. Retrieved 2023-04-23.
  20. ↑ "シーザリオ|ウマ娘 プリティーダービー 公式ポータルサイト|Cygames". ウマ娘 プリティーダービー 公式ポータルサイト (in Japanese). Retrieved 2025-12-12.
  21. ↑ "Admire Groove". Retrieved 21 November 2019.
This page is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.