Seeking the Pearl

Seeking the Pearl
シーキングザパール
Seeking The Pearl at the paddock during 1998 Mile Championship
SireSeeking the Gold
GrandsireMr. Prospector
DamPage Proof
DamsireSeattle Slew
SexMare
Foaled14 April 1994[1]
Died10 June 2005 (aged 11)
CountryUnited States
ColourBay
BreederLazy Lane Stables
OwnerTomoko Uenaka
→Masako Uenaka
→Jayeff B Stables
Racing colours
TrainerShozo Sasaki
→Hideyuki Mori
→Alan E. Goldberg
JockeyYutaka Take
→John R. Velazquez
→Mark T. Johnston
Record21: 8-2-3
Earnings487,860,000 JPY
JPN: 474,144,000 JPY
FR: 500,000 FF
USA: 18,774 USD
Major wins
Daily Hai Sansai Stakes (1996)
Nikkan Sports Sho Shinzan Kinen (1997)
Flower Cup (1997)
New Zealand Trophy Yonsai Stakes (1997)
NHK Mile Cup (1997)
Silk Road Stakes (1998)
Prix Maurice de Gheest (1998)

Seeking the Pearl (Japanese: シーキングザパール, Hepburn: Shiikingu Za Paaru; 14 April 1994 - 10 June 2005) was an American-bred, Japanese-trained thoroughbred race horse and broodmare. She won the NHK Mile Cup in 1997 and the Prix Maurice de Gheest in 1998. She is the first ever Japanese-trained horse to win an overseas G1 and also the first to win a French G1.[2]

Background

Seeking the Pearl was a bay mare bred by Lazy Lane Stables, founded by American banker, publisher and philanthropist; Joe L. Allbritton in Upperville, Virginia. She was sired by Seeking the Gold, who also sired Dubai Millenium, the 1999 Prix Jacques Le Marois, and 2000 Dubai World Cup winner. Her dam, Page Proof is an American-bred mare by the 1977 American Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew.

In July 1995, she was entered into the Keeneland July Select Yearling Sale,[3] where she was initially labeled as RNA (Reserve Not Attained), which means she went unsold. Following the auction, she was personally inspected by Masako Uenaka in her stall, where she saw the yearling poking her head outside her stall. Uenaka stated that "While most young horses look anxious, she seemed to be deep in thought. She looked very intelligent."[4] She also described this as a "fateful encounter" which ultimately convinced her to purchase the yearling for $185,000 USD.

Before transporting her to Japan, the filly was sent to Stone Farm in Paris, Kentucky where she spent four months undergoing development. During her time in the farm, her handles noted that she was "a strong and beautiful horse."[5]

In November 1995. she was transported to Japan and trained at Northern Farm in Hayakita, Hokkaido.[6] In May 1996, she entered the stable of Shozo Sasaki at the Ritto Training Center in Shiga Prefecture.[6]

Her name, Seeking the Pearl is a direct reference to her sire Seeking the Gold. The pearl in her name however came from Masako Uenaka's birthstone. Because of that, her daughter Tomoko Uenaka intended a double meaning. She interpreted the name to mean "the horse found you."[7]

Racing statistics

Seeking the Pearl won 8 out of 21 entries, including one overseas win. Placed second twice, and placed third thrice. This data is available is netkeiba, JBIS, IrishRacing, and Equibase. [8][9][10][11]

Date Racecourse Race Grade Distance

(Condition)

 Entry HN Odds

(Favoured)

 Finish Time Winning

(Losing) Margin

 Jockey Winner (Runner-Up)
1996 – two-year-old season
20 Jul Kokura 2yo Newcomer 1200m (Firm) 8 5 1.2 (1) 1st 1:09.7 7 lengths Yutaka Take (Tenzan Osuzu)
1 Sep Nakayama Niigata Sansai Stakes 3 1200m (Firm) 12 12 2.3 (2) 3rd 1:10.8 (3+1⁄4 lengths) Yutaka Take Personality One
19 Oct Kyoto Daily Hai Sansai Stakes 2 1400m (Firm) 16 2 1.5 (1) 1st 1:21.3 5 lengths Yutaka Take (Mejiro Bright)
1 Dec Hanshin Hanshin Sansai Himba Stakes 1 1600m (Firm) 10 1 1.5 (1) 4th 1:35.3 (4+1⁄2 lengths) Yutaka Take Mejiro Dober
1997 – three-year-old season
15 Jan Kyoto Nikkan Sports Sho Shinzan Kinen 3 1600m (Firm) 12 11 2.0 (1) 1st 1:34.6 3 lengths Yutaka Take (Hokko Beauty)
15 Mar Nakayama Flower Cup 3 1800m (Good) 15 6 1.7 (1) 1st 1:51.6 1+3⁄4 lengths Yutaka Take (Hokko Beauty)
20 Apr Tokyo New Zealand Trophy Yonsai Stakes 2 1400m (Firm) 18 16 1.8 (1) 1st 1:21.1 1+1⁄2 lengths Yutaka Take (Brave Tender)
11 May Tokyo NHK Mile Cup 1 1600m (Firm) 18 13 2.0 (1) 1st 1:33.1 1+3⁄4 lengths Yutaka Take (Brave Tender)
21 Sep Hanshin Kansai Telecasting Corp. Sho Rose Stakes 2 2000m (Firm) 11 7 1.4 (1) 3rd 2:01.9 (2 lengths) Yutaka Take Kyoei March
1998 – four-year-old season
26 Apr Kyoto Silk Road Stakes 3 1200m (Firm) 12 1 6.5 (4) 1st 1:08.6 neck Yutaka Take (Masa Lucky)
24 May Chukyo Takamatsunomiya Kinen 1 1200m (Good) 16 5 2.6 (1) 4th 1:09.3 (1+1⁄4 lengths) Yutaka Take Shinko Forest
14 Jun Tokyo Yasuda Kinen 1 1600m (Heavy) 17 14 14.8 (4) 10th 1:39.2 (10+1⁄2 lengths) Yutaka Take Taiki Shuttle
9 Aug Deauville Prix Maurice de Gheest 1 1300m (Good to Firm) 12 3 9/1 (5) 1st R1:14.70 +1⁄2 length Yutaka Take (Jim and Tonic)
6 Sep Longchamp Prix du Moulin de Longchamp 1 1600m (Soft) 7 1 12/1 (5) 5th 1:43.3 (12 lengths) Yutaka Take Desert Prince
22 Nov Kyoto Mile Championship 1 1600m (Firm) 13 4 6.7 (2) 8th 1:34.3 (6+1⁄2 lengths) Hiroshi Kawachi Taiki Shuttle
20 Dec Nakayama Sprinters Stakes 1 1200m (Firm) 15 3 10.5 (2) 2nd 1:08.6 (head) Yutaka Take Meiner Love
1999 – five-year-old season
23 Jan Santa Anita Santa Monica Handicap 1 7f (Fast) 8 7 11.40/1 (6) 4th 1:23.25 (3 lengths) Yutaka Take Stop Traffic
23 May Chukyo Takamatsunomiya Kinen 1 1200m (Firm) 16 2 4.5 (1) 2nd 1:08.2 (1+1⁄4 lengths) Yutaka Take Masa Lucky
13 Jun Tokyo Yasuda Kinen 1 1600m (Firm) 14 1 11.4 (3) 3rd 1:33.7 (2+1⁄2 lengths) Yutaka Take Air Jihad
2 Oct Belmont Park Noble Damsel Stakes 3 1 mile (Good) 8 4 1.60 (1) 4th 1:34.5 (5+1⁄2 lengths) John R. Velazquez Khumba Mela
17 Oct Laurel Park Laurel Dash Stakes 3 6f (Firm) 10 9 2.00 (1) 7th 1:13.8 (5 lengths) Mark T. Johnston Grapeshot

Legend:
  Turf   Dirt

  • R indicated that it was a record finish time.

Breeding career and death

After retirement, she became a broodmare at Claiborne Farm in Kentucky, and on her first season she was covered by Storm Cat and gave birth to Seeking the Dia, who won 5 graded stakes races and placed second in 9 different grade 1 races in Japan before becoming a successful sire in Chile. She would also go on to foal Dive (by Storm Cat) and Seeknfind (by Giant's Causeway) as a broodmare.[12] Seeknfind would go on to foal Apollo Ti Amo, who won the Best Older Horse Award from Kochi Racecourse in 2023.[13]

On June 10, 2005, Seeking the Pearl was found dead in her pasture at Lane's End Farm. The exact cause of her death was unknown but her connections said that she "showed no signs of injury or struggle, indicating her death had been sudden, perhaps caused by lightning."[14] She was pregnant with a foal of Giant's Causeway when she died.[14]

An anthropomorphic version of Seeking the Pearl appears in Umamusume: Pretty Derby and is voiced by Ayaka Fukuhara.[15]

Pedigree

Pedigree of Seeking the Pearl (USA), dark bay mare 1994[1]
Sire
Seeking the Gold (USA)
1985		 Mr. Prospector (USA)
1970		 Raise a Native (USA)
1961		 Native Dancer (USA)
1950
Raise You (USA)
1946
Gold Digger (USA)
1962		 Nashua (USA)
1952
Sequence (USA)
1946
Con Game (USA)
1974		 Buckpasser (USA)
1963		 Tom Fool (USA)
1949
Busanda (USA)
1947
Broadway (USA)
1959		 Hasty Road (USA)
1951
Flitabout (USA)
1945
Dam
Page Proof (USA)
1988
F.no: 17-b[16]		 Seattle Slew (USA)
1974		 Bold Reasoning (USA)
1968		 Boldnesian (USA)
1963
Reason to Earn (USA)
1963
My Charmer (USA)
1969		 Poker (USA)
1963
Fair Charmer (USA)
1959
Barb's Bold (USA)
1978		 Bold Forbes (USA)
1973		 Irish Castle (USA)
1967
Comely Nell (USA)
1962
Goofed (USA)
1960		 Court Martial (GB)
1942
Barra II (FR)
1950

References

  1. 1 2 "Seeking the Pearl pedigree". Equineline. 2012-05-08. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
  2. ↑ "Maurice de Gheest History: The longest sprint". France Galop. 4 August 2024. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
  3. ↑ "1995 July Keeneland Select Yearling Sale". Bloodhorse. Blood-Horse LLC. Retrieved 21 July 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  4. ↑ Yūshun (May 1997 Issue). Japan Racing Association Public Relations Center. 1997. p. 141.
  5. ↑ Thoroughbred Editorial Department (1998). Shocking Sunday Silence. ASCII. p. 11. ISBN 4757202946.
  6. 1 2 Weekly 100 Famous Racehorses Vol. 76: Seeking the Pearl. Sankei Shimbun Co., Ltd. p. 11.
  7. ↑ Yūshun (May 1997 Issue). Japan Racing Association Public Relations Center. 1997. p. 144.
  8. ↑ "Seeking the Pearl race record - netkeiba". Netkeiba. NET DREAMERS, Co., Ltd. Retrieved 21 July 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  9. ↑ "Seeking the Pearl race record - JBIS". JBIS. Japan Bloodhorse Breeders' Association. Retrieved 21 July 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  10. ↑ "Seeking the Pearl race record (France) - irishracing". irishracing. Retrieved 21 July 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  11. ↑ "Seeking the Pearl race record - Equibase". Equibase. Equibase Company LLC. Retrieved 21 July 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  12. ↑ "Family | Seeking the Pearl(USA)". JBIS-Search. Retrieved 2026-08-13.
  13. ↑ "令和5年高知けいば優秀馬の表彰について". www.keiba.or.jp. 2024-01-31. Retrieved 2026-08-13.
  14. 1 2 Oakford, Glenye (2005-06-13). "Seeking the Pearl found dead". Daily Racing Form. Archived from the original on 2016-03-06. Retrieved 2026-08-13.
  15. ↑ "シーキングザパール｜ウマ娘 プリティーダービー 公式ポータルサイト｜Cygames". umamusume.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 2026-07-21.
  16. 1 2 "Five-generation Pedigree Table | Pedigree | Seeking the Pearl (USA)". www.jbis.jp. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
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