Star Anise (horse)

Star Anise
スターアニス
Star Anise after winning the Oka Sho
SireDrefong[1]
GrandsireGio Ponti
DamEpice Arome[1]
DamsireDaiwa Major[1]
SexFilly[1]
Foaled (2023-02-04) 4 February 2023[1]
CountryJapan[1]
ColourChestnut[1]
BreederNorthern Farm[1]
OwnerKatsumi Yoshida[1]
TrainerTomokazu Takano[1]
Record6 : 3-1-0
Earnings253,027,000 JPY
Major wins
Hanshin Juvenile Fillies (2025)
Japanese Classic Tiara Race wins:
Oka Sho (2026)
Honours
JRA Award for Best Two-Year-Old Filly (2025)[2]
Last updated on 12 April, 2026

Star Anise (Japanese: スターアニス foaled 4 February 2023) is an active Japanese filly thoroughbred racehorse.[3] She was awarded the JRA Award for Best Two-Year-Old Filly in 2025.[2]

She is named after the spice of the same name.[3]

Background

Star Anise is a filly foaled by Epice Arome, who won the Kokura Nisai Stakes in 2011 and the 2012 Centaur Stakes,[4] who was covered by Drefong, who won the 2016 Breeders' Cup Sprint. She was bred in Japan by Northern Farm.

She is owned by Katsumi Yoshida and trained by Tomokazu Takano.[3]

Racing Career

2025: Two-year-old season

Star Anise after winning the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies


Jockeyed by Kohei Matsuyama, she made her debut at a debut race for 2 year olds in 29 June held at Kokura Racecourse.[4] She ran in the rear of the pack for most of the race before trying to push up in the home stretch, but finished fifth.[5] She then won her next race, a maiden race held at Kokura Racecourse on 12 July, where she quickly overtook the likes of Tamamo Icarus and Diamond Knot and won by 7 lengths.[6]

On 31 August, she ran in her first graded race, the Chukyo Nisai Stakes at Chukyo racecourse, where she entered the race as the favourite but finished 2nd behind Candide after Candide passed her just before the wire.[7]

She raced her final race in 2025, the Grade I Hanshin Juvenile Fillies for two year old fillies.[8] During the race the horse showed signs of being rushed early on, but Matsuyama managed to calm her down before placing themselves in the middle of the pack. On the final stretch, Star Anise surged forward and took the lead, winning her first graded race.[9][10]

Having won 2 races, most notably the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies, Star Anise was named the Best Two-Year-Old Filly in the 2025 JRA Award.[2]

2026: Three-year-old season

Star Anise (horse number #15) on the final stretch of the Oka Sho

Star Anise started her classic season by heading straight to the Oka Sho (Japanese 1,000 Guineas).[11] She was the favourite to win the race. After leaving the gate, she was placed in middle pack until the last corner, and on the home straight she found a clear opening and made her move to overtake the pack, winning her second Grade I race and the first leg of the Japanese Triple Tiara.[12] This was the second Oka Sho win for jockey Kohei Matsuyama, the first being his ride on Daring Tact in 2020, who said after the race, "I'm absolutely thrilled. It was a very competitive field, but as the champion two-year-old, I knew she couldn't lose. I went into the race determined to win, and right now, I just feel relieved."[13]

On 15 April, Star Anise's owner announced that she will aim for the Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks), the second leg of the Japanese Triple Tiara.[14] In spite of concerns over whether she can make the distance, owing to how both her sire and dam were winners of sprint graded races,[15] she was nonetheless the most favored to win. During the Yushun Himba, she ran among the pack for the majority of the race, but she was unable to take the lead and finished at 12th place. Trainer Takano reflected that "it was a pace she's never experienced before. The jockey tried to relax her, but she was far too rushed to do anything about it".[16]

Racing statistics

The following racing form is based on information available on netkeiba.com and JBIS-Search.[17][18]

Date Track Race Grade Distance Entry Odds
(Favored)		 Finish Time Jockey Winner
(Runner-up)
2025 – two-year-old season
29 June Kokura 2-yo debut 1.200 meters 10 5.7 (3rd) 5th 1:10.2 Kohei Matsuyama Coral Reef
12 July Kokura 2-yo maiden 1.200 meters 10 6.2 (4th) 1st 1:08.0 Kohei Matsuyama (Tamamo Icarus)
31 Aug Chukyo Chukyo Nisai Stakes G3 1.400 meters 13 1.7 (1st) 2nd 1:19.4 Kohei Matsuyama Candide
29 June Hanshin Hanshin Juvenile Fillies G1 1.600 meters 18 5.0 (2nd) 1st 1:32.6 Kohei Matsuyama (Garavogue)
2026 – three-year-old season
12 Apr Hanshin Oka Sho G1 1.600 meters 18 2.9 (1st) 1st 1:31.5 Kohei Matsuyama (Garavogue)
24 May Tokyo Yushun Himba G1 2.400 meters 18 3.0 (1st) 12th 2:26.4 Kohei Matsuyama Juryoku Pierrot

Pedigree

Pedigree of Star Anise (JPN), chestnut filly, 2023[19][20]
Sire
Drefong (USA)
2013		 Gio Ponti (USA)
2005		 Tale of the Cat (USA) Storm Cat (USA)
Yam (USA)
Cipeta Springs (USA) Alydar (USA)
Salt Spring (ARG)
Eltimaas (USA)
2007		 Ghostzapper (USA) Awesome Again (CAN)
Baby Zip (USA)
Najecam (USA) Trempolino(USA)
Sue Warner(USA)
Dam
Epice Arome (JPN)
2009		 Daiwa Major (JPN)
2001		 Sunday Silence (USA) Halo (USA)
Wishing Well (USA)
Scarlet Bouquet (JPN) Northern Taste (CAN)
Scarlet Ink (USA)
Ratafia (USA)
1999		 Cozzene (USA) Caro (IRE)
Ride the Trails (USA)
Sakura Fabulous (GB) Fabulous Dancer (USA)
Lola Lola (FR)

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "netkeiba - Star Anise". Retrieved 12 April 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 "2025 JRA Awards". Retrieved 12 April 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 "競走馬情報　JRA". Japan Racing Association (in Japanese). Retrieved 2026-04-12.
  4. 1 2 "【ＰＯＧ】母は重賞２勝 スターアニスが２９日小倉６Ｒで初陣 松山弘平騎手「力強い走り」". スポーツ報知 (in Japanese). 2025-06-26. Retrieved 2026-04-12.
  5. ↑ "【メイクデビュー】（小倉６Ｒ）コラルリーフが追い比べから抜け出して初陣を飾る". ラジオNIKKEI (in Japanese). 2025-06-29. Retrieved 2026-04-12.
  6. ↑ "【２歳未勝利】（小倉１Ｒ）スターアニスが７馬身差の圧勝". ラジオNIKKEI (in Japanese). 2025-07-12. Retrieved 2026-04-12.
  7. ↑ "【中京２歳Ｓ】断然人気スターアニスはクビ差２着惜敗 勝利に足りなかったのは「距離」かそれとも…". 東スポ競馬 (in Japanese). 2025-08-31. Retrieved 2026-04-12.
  8. ↑ "【注目馬動向】中京２歳Ｓ２着のスターアニスは阪神ＪＦに直行する方向". スポーツ報知 (in Japanese). 2025-09-19. Retrieved 2026-04-12.
  9. ↑ "【阪神JF】スターアニスが中団から堂々抜け出し2歳女王！". サンスポZBAT! (in Japanese). 2025-12-14. Retrieved 2026-04-12.
  10. ↑ "【阪神JF】スターアニス直線堂々と抜け出し２歳女王、松山騎手「とにかく無事に」桜花賞を視野 - ２歳馬特集". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). 2025-12-14. Retrieved 2026-04-12.
  11. ↑ "【POG調査隊】阪神JFを制したスターアニスは桜花賞へ直行". 競馬予想のウマニティ (in Japanese). 2026-03-18. Retrieved 2026-04-12.
  12. ↑ "【桜花賞】強い２歳女王 １番人気スターアニスがまず１冠 松山弘平騎手「本当に負けられない戦いでした」". UMATOKU (in Japanese). Hochi Shimbun. 2026-04-12. Retrieved 2026-04-12.
  13. ↑ ""I knew she couldn't lose," Star Anise powers to wictory in G1 Oka Sho | Horse Racing News". netkeiba. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
  14. ↑ "桜花賞馬スターアニスはオークスを目指す　社台グループオーナーズが発表". スポニチ競馬 (Suponichi Keiba). Sports Nippon. 2026-04-15. Retrieved 2026-04-17.
  15. ↑ Naniwada, Tadao (2026-05-18). "【オークス】スターアニスに距離の壁はあるのか？ 高野調教師が懸念を一蹴「血統ばかりクローズアップされますが…」". 東スポ競馬 (in Japanese). Retrieved 2026-08-10.
  16. ↑ Keita, Tachikawa (2026-05-25). "【オークス・1番人気なぜ負けた】スターアニスまさかの12着…松山弘平「距離は持つと思っていた」". 東スポ競馬 (in Japanese). Retrieved 2026-08-10.
  17. ↑ "Star Anise Race Record and Form". netkeiba. Retrieved 2026-04-12.
  18. ↑ "Race Records | Star Anise(JPN)". JBIS-Search. Retrieved 2026-04-12.
  19. ↑ "Star Anise pedigree". Retrieved 12 April 2026.
  20. ↑ "PEDIGREE (5-GEN)". Retrieved 2026-04-12.
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