Daiwa Scarlet (ダイワスカーレット) Happy Birthday 🎀 - May 13th
1977 – Arima Kinen: Ten Point vs. Tosho Boy
1996 – Hanshin Daishoten: Narita Brian vs. Mayano Top Gun
1999 – Arima Kinen: Grass Wonder vs. Special Week
2020 – Japan Cup: Almond Eye vs. Contrail vs. Daring Tact
There is no doubt that all of these were legendary showdowns for the ages, forever etched into racing history.
And of course, there have been many other great rivalries beyond the ones listed above.
But when it comes to rival showdowns, there is one race that I personally feel absolutely must be mentioned above all others.
Vodka vs. Daiwa Scarlet.
A 2000-meter showdown decided by just 2 centimeters — often regarded as the greatest horse race in Japanese racing history.
— 2008 Tenno Sho (Autumn)
— November 2, 2008 (Sunday).
Under clear autumn skies at Fuchu’s Tokyo Racecourse, a dream showdown finally became reality.
A spectacular field of 17 horses assembled, including five G1 winners led by Vodka and Daiwa Scarlet, while every other entrant was also a graded stakes winner. More than 120,000 racing fans gathered to witness what promised to be a historic battle.
The favorite was jockey Yutaka Take aboard Vodka at 2.7 odds.
Although she had finished second in her previous start, the Mainichi Okan, many believed that racing on the lead had helped her relax mentally, while her proven record at Tokyo — including victories in the Japanese Derby and Yasuda Kinen — ultimately became the deciding factors in her evaluation. And naturally, plenty of support likely came from fans backing Yutaka Take himself as well.
The second favorite was Katsumi Ando with Daiwa Scarlet at 3.6 odds.
Though Daiwa Scarlet held the edge over Vodka in their head-to-head rivalry, concerns remained over her return from injury and the fact that it would be her first time racing at Tokyo Racecourse, factors that likely created the final gap in odds between the two rivals.
The third favorite was Hirofumi Shii aboard Deep Sky at 4.1 odds.
Still only a three-year-old, he entered the race after consecutive victories in the NHK Mile Cup and the Japanese Derby, and had also won the Kobe Shimbun Hai in his seasonal return. He was widely regarded as talented enough to challenge the older horses on equal terms.
Those three were the only runners with single-digit win odds.
Combined with the legendary rivalry between Vodka and Daiwa Scarlet, the presence of the top three-year-old Deep Sky gave the race the atmosphere of a three-way clash between elite champions. As for the writer, rather than focusing on profit, they simply wanted to savor the spectacle created by these three great horses, and bought a wide bet covering the “Big Three.”
Behind them came a strong supporting cast of older male horses, including Dream Journey (ridden by Kenichi Ikezoe), who had regained the aura of a former two-year-old champion after consecutive wins in the Kokura Kinen and Asahi Challenge Cup; Tosca Torte (ridden by Christophe Lemaire), fresh off victory in the Sapporo Kinen and showing signs of reaching full maturity; and Asakusa Kings (ridden by Yusuke Fujioka), the Kikuka Sho winner who had also finished second to Vodka in the Derby.
At last, the long-awaited post parade began.
And the moment the familiar “Great Equus March” echoed throughout the racecourse, the excitement in the stands instantly reached another level.
Deep Sky shone brilliantly with his chestnut coat as he warmed up along the inner rail, carrying himself with all the dignity expected of a Derby winner.
Returning from a layoff, Daiwa Scarlet entered the track looking slightly fired up, yet the power of her physique and the lightness of her stride gave no sense of concern whatsoever about her condition.
And then came Vodka. She slowly walked along the outer rail, almost as if Yutaka Take were proudly presenting her imposing figure to the spectators in the grandstand. And the moment she began to gallop, a tremendous roar erupted from the crowd in her direction.
Incidentally, whenever Vodka raced at Tokyo Racecourse, she would always walk all the way toward the grandstand side before beginning her warm-up canter at a slow pace.
Whether this was meant as fan service or whether there was some deeper intention behind it remains unknown to this day. But one thing is certain: every fan who saw Vodka at Tokyo Racecourse back then was overwhelmed by her sheer presence and aura.
With the post parade complete, the fanfare finally rang out across the course.
The moment of the start had arrived.
“The horse is in the best condition she has ever been in.”
Those words revealed the confidence Yutaka Take had in his partner Vodka, who until then had never finished outside the top two at Fuchu.
“I want to prove our strength in a race where the strongest horses gather.”
Intent on finally settling matters with a longtime rival, Katsumi Ando had personally ridden and conditioned Daiwa Scarlet from a month and a half before the race, carefully preparing her body for the decisive showdown.
“Given his ideal distance and suitability for the course, we chose to challenge the older horses.”
That year’s Derby winner, Deep Sky, became the first postwar Japanese Derby champion to bypass the Kikuka Sho and willingly throw himself into the harsh battle against older competition.
And on his back was Hirofumi Shii — the jockey who once knew the feeling of riding the strongest queen herself.
At 3:40 p.m., right on schedule, the fanfare echoed across the course, and the curtain rose on the titanic battle to come.
Aside from Dream Journey breaking slightly slowly, the field left the gates on nearly even terms.
From the very start, however, Daiwa Scarlet unleashed her trademark front-running charge, surging immediately to the lead with overwhelming speed. Meanwhile, both Vodka and Deep Sky showed signs of pulling slightly just after the break, eager to run freely. But the two Derby-winning jockeys aboard them tightened their reins with composure, carefully guiding their mounts into midfield without dulling their competitive spirit.
Then, approaching the backstretch, the race suddenly exploded into motion.
Olivier Peslier aboard Tosen Captain — a stablemate of Vodka — launched an aggressive attack on the leading Daiwa Scarlet.
For a moment, it even looked as though he might seize the lead outright.
But Daiwa Scarlet refused to yield.
The fierce battle between the two leaders intensified, neither willing to surrender the front position. Before anyone realized it, the 1000-meter split had flashed up in a blistering 58.7 seconds.
It was a pace comparable to the brutal tempo set by Silence Suzuka in the Tenno Sho won by Air Groove — an undeniably destructive pace for the two horses battling on the front end.
Sure enough, by the fourth corner, Tosen Captain was already beginning to weaken, his momentum fading as his legs gave way beneath him.
Meanwhile, the patiently ridden Vodka and Deep Sky were traveling beautifully.
Still full of power and perfectly poised to unleash their true ability, they swung wide into Tokyo’s famous 525.9-meter home straight.
Approaching the 400-meter marker, while the other front-runners were already beginning to fade, Daiwa Scarlet was somehow still in front.
Until that point, Katsumi Ando had barely moved a muscle, but now his hands finally urged her forward — the signal to go had been given.
And from the outside came the two strongest challengers.
Their momentum was clearly different. As Vodka and Deep Sky launched their long-awaited attacks, it seemed Daiwa Scarlet would be swallowed up immediately and begin to fall away—
—or at least, that was how it was supposed to happen.
The moment Ando glanced to his right and delivered one fierce crack of the whip, Daiwa Scarlet appeared to reignite her fighting spirit at the sight of her lifelong rival drawing alongside her.
She refused to yield. She began digging in once more.
The ease that Vodka and Deep Sky seemed to possess moments earlier suddenly vanished, while the remaining distance to the finish line grew shorter and shorter.
Even passing the 200-meter marker, Daiwa Scarlet was still somehow in front.
But inside the final 100 meters, her legs finally began to tire.
Then, from far behind, Company and Air Shady unleashed terrifying late charges.
Their closing speed was so explosive it looked as though they might devour Daiwa Scarlet whole and crash directly into the battle for victory itself. At that moment, it honestly seemed to me that even third place might be impossible for her to hold.
And then the television camera zoomed in.
What I saw was unbelievable.
Daiwa Scarlet’s head was still there — slightly in front along the inside rail.
Meanwhile, Deep Sky in the center had begun to lag behind by the slightest margin.
And from the outside, only Vodka remained, relentlessly reaching for Daiwa Scarlet’s neck.
For just a few fleeting seconds, the two mares waged a savage duel.
To prove that I am stronger.
To prove that I am number one.
Though Daiwa Scarlet’s lead had almost vanished, the gap refused to close completely.
Yet stride by stride, inch by inch, Vodka continued cutting into it.
Their fiery, desperate struggle carried on without resolution as both horses hit the finish line together, noses aligned.
“A tremendous photo finish!” screamed announcer Katsuo Aoshima.
“Who do you think has won this?” asked announcer Shinji Kobayashi as the crowd held its breath.
The final time: 1:57.2.
It was a ferocious battle that shattered the previous race record from 2003 — the year Lohengrin and Go Steady tore through the race at a suicidal pace — by an astonishing 0.8 seconds.
After dismounting, jockey Ando said, “I don’t think we lost.”
Meanwhile, jockey Yutaka Take walked toward the weighing room with a serious expression.
And on the whiteboard, “7” was written at the top and “14” below it, but this was only a provisional notation—simply listed in running order—and the spectators on-site were well aware that it did not represent the official, confirmed finishing order.
About ten minutes later, when the numbers 7 and 14 were erased from the whiteboard, a huge cheer erupted from the crowd. Shortly afterward, “14” was written at the top and “7” below it, and soon the numbers were illuminated on the official results board as the final order was confirmed. The scene cut to Yutaka Take pumping his fist inside the weighing room.
The result that was later confirmed showed a margin of just 2 cm (0.02 m). Over the course of 2000 meters, an almost infinitesimal difference—one part in one hundred thousand—had determined glory and defeat.
Vodka and her connections, including Yutaka Take, returned through the underground passage. As they made their way from the winner’s circle toward the presentation ceremony, Take raised both arms toward the stands on the turf and led a triumphant threefold cheer.
Many racing fans were completely captivated—spellbound by Vodka and Yutaka Take in a moment that would be remembered as one of the greatest in racing history.
Both Shūgorō Izaki and Yukio Okabe, the commentators for Fuji TV, offered their praise, but what stood out most was Shuho Kashiwagi on the wide-angle broadcast.
Kashiwagi, who is usually known for his sharp and critical evaluations, was seen smiling throughout as he reviewed the race, ultimately describing it as “the greatest race in the history of Japanese horse racing.”
After that, Vodka and Daiwa Scarlet would never meet again on the track.
Vodka went on to dominate the Victoria Mile with a commanding victory, then in the Yasuda Kinen she once again broke through what had seemed like an impassable wall to defeat Deep Sky. Later, in the Japan Cup, she survived yet another fierce battle—this time against Oken Bruce Lee—to claim another memorable triumph.
Meanwhile, Daiwa Scarlet achieved a historic victory in the Arima Kinen, becoming the first filly in 37 years to win the race. However, shortly afterward, she was diagnosed with a tendon injury and officially retired from racing.
At the turn of the year, in 2010, Vodka returned once again on foreign soil in Dubai, but finished 8th in a trial race. After the race, a nasal hemorrhage was discovered, and she was forced to abandon any further challenges, leading to the announcement of her retirement.
Thus, the racing careers of the two legendary fillies came to a close.
Their head-to-head record ultimately ended at three wins for Daiwa Scarlet (Sakura Sho, Shuka Sho, and the Arima Kinen where she finished 2nd while Vodka placed 11th), and two wins for Vodka (Tulip Sho and Tenno Sho [Autumn]).
Even today, the debate among fans over which of the two was stronger has never truly settled—and likely never will.
For example, the debate among horse racing fans over the greatest filly of all time shows no sign of ever reaching a conclusion. Even in Uma Musume Pretty Derby—which has greatly expanded the sport’s fanbase in recent years—the two continue to be portrayed as rivals, still locked in fierce competition and constantly pushing each other to the limit.
The 2 cm margin over 2000 meters in the 2008 Tenno Sho (Autumn) ultimately decided victory and defeat in a dramatic and decisive way. However, the rivalry between Vodka and Daiwa Scarlet continues to live on forever in the hearts of fans.
With a personality that is overly serious, she obediently participates in training sessions and races. She especially dislikes being in the starting gate, and she often completely forgets the race procedure and running strategy, instead sprinting with all her strength.
Katsumi Ando: “Smart horses don’t go all out from the start, but Daiwa Scarlet is an idiot.”
She cares deeply about her foals, showing great affection and being especially protective of them. However, as she aged and her mindset changed, she gradually shifted toward a more laissez-faire, hands-off approach.
She has a very good relationship with Curren Chan, and the two are often seen leisurely grazing together while turned out at pasture.
Looking back at Daiwa Scarlet’s record—12 starts with 8 wins and 4 second-place finishes—although her 4 G1 victories are fewer than Vodka’s, she never once finished outside the top two in her entire career. This is an astonishing achievement even for a male horse, let alone a filly.
She is also the only filly in history to have accomplished this feat over more than 10 starts. No matter the track or distance, she demonstrated exceptional versatility and dominance. Whether she is called a “genius” or the “perfect lady,” both titles are more than well deserved.