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Special Week
Special Week (Japanese: スペシャルウィーク, 2 May 1995 – 27 April 2018) was a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. From 1997 to 1999, he won ten of his seventeen races including four at Grade I level. After winning his only start as a juvenile he emerged as a top-class performer in the following season: he won the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) and three other graded races as well as being placed in the Satsuki Sho, Kikuka Sho and the Japan Cup. He performed even better as a four-year-old in 1999, winning the Hanshin Daishoten, the spring and autumn editions of the Tenno Sho, and the Japan Cup. In the last-named race he defeated a strong international field including the winners of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and The Derby.
He later became a successful breeding stallion, siring the Japanese Horse of the Year Buena Vista.
Special Week was a brown horse with a white blaze standing 16.1¾ hands high, bred in Japan by Hidaka Taiyo Bokujo and sired by Sunday Silence. Special Week's dam Campaign Girl was an unraced daughter of Maruzensky and was a great-granddaughter of the leading Japanese broodmare Shiraoki. Campaign Girl died shortly after foaling Special Week and the colt had to be hand-fed by stable staff.
During his racing career the colt was owned by Hiroyoshi Usuda, trained by Toshiaki Shirai and ridden in most of his races by Yutaka Take.
On his only appearance as a two-year-old, Special Week ran in a maiden race over 1600 metres at Hanshin Racecourse on 19 November. He made a successful debut, beating thirteen opponents headed by Legacy Hunter.
Special Week began his second season by finishing second to Asahi Creek in the Shiraume Sho over 1600 metres at Kyoto Racecourse in January. In the following month was moved up in class and distance for the Grade III Kisaragi Sho over 1800 metres at the same course and recorded his first major win, beating Bold Emperor and thirteen others. In March he was stepped up again for the Grade II Hochi Hai Yayoi Sho (the major trial race for the Satsuki Sho) over 2000 metres at Nakayama Racecourse and won from Seiun Sky and King Halo. In the Satsuki Sho over the same course and distance on 19 April he was unable to reproduce his earlier form and finished third, beaten half a length and a length by Seiun Sky and King Halo. On 7 June, Special Week was one of a field of eighteen colts, also including Seiun Sky and King Halo, to contest the Tokyo Yushun over 2400 metres at Tokyo Racecourse. Special Week won by five lengths from Bold Emperor with Daiwa Superior taking third ahead of Seiun Sky.
After a four-month break, Special Week returned in October for the Grade II Kyoto Shimbun Hai over 2200 metres on 18 October and won from King Halo. On 8 November he faced King Halo, Bold Emperor, Seiun Sky and Daiwa Superior in the Grade I Kikuka Sho over 3000 metres at Kyoto Racecourse. He finished second of the eighteen runners behind Seiun Sky, who won in a course record time of 3:03.2. On his final start of the season Special Week was matched against older horses for the first time in the Japan Cup at Tokyo on 29 November. Ridden by Yukio Okabe, who was substituting for Take as he was serving a suspension at the time due to blocking other horses during Admire Vega's maiden race, the horse started the 2.3/1 favourite in a fifteen-runner field which included challengers from Germany, Canada, the United States and Britain. He was in sixth place entering the straight and made steady progress in the closing stages to finish third behind El Condor Pasa and Air Groove.
Special Week began his third season in the Grade II American Jockey Club Stakes at Nakayama on 24 January and won from Silent Hunter and Mejiro Steed. On 21 March at Hanshin he added another Grade II win when he defeated Mejiro Bright in the 3000 metre Hanshin Daishoten. The Grade I spring edition of the Tenno Sho over the same course and distance saw Special Week matched against eleven opponents including Mejiro Bright (winner of the race in 1998), Matikanefukukitaru, Seiun Sky, Stay Gold, Silk Justice (Arima Kinen). Special Week recorded his second Grade I win as he defeated Mejiro Bright by half a length with Seiun Sky two and a half lengths back in third. In the Takarazuka Kinen over 2200 metres at Hanshin on 11 July, his final start before the summer break, Special Week was matched against Grass Wonder a colt who had been the best of his generation in 1997 but missed most of the 1998 season before returning to win the Arima Kinen in December. Special Week was beaten three lengths into second place by Grass Wonder but finished seven lengths clear of the other ten runners.
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Special Week
Special Week (Japanese: スペシャルウィーク, 2 May 1995 – 27 April 2018) was a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. From 1997 to 1999, he won ten of his seventeen races including four at Grade I level. After winning his only start as a juvenile he emerged as a top-class performer in the following season: he won the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) and three other graded races as well as being placed in the Satsuki Sho, Kikuka Sho and the Japan Cup. He performed even better as a four-year-old in 1999, winning the Hanshin Daishoten, the spring and autumn editions of the Tenno Sho, and the Japan Cup. In the last-named race he defeated a strong international field including the winners of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and The Derby.
He later became a successful breeding stallion, siring the Japanese Horse of the Year Buena Vista.
Special Week was a brown horse with a white blaze standing 16.1¾ hands high, bred in Japan by Hidaka Taiyo Bokujo and sired by Sunday Silence. Special Week's dam Campaign Girl was an unraced daughter of Maruzensky and was a great-granddaughter of the leading Japanese broodmare Shiraoki. Campaign Girl died shortly after foaling Special Week and the colt had to be hand-fed by stable staff.
During his racing career the colt was owned by Hiroyoshi Usuda, trained by Toshiaki Shirai and ridden in most of his races by Yutaka Take.
On his only appearance as a two-year-old, Special Week ran in a maiden race over 1600 metres at Hanshin Racecourse on 19 November. He made a successful debut, beating thirteen opponents headed by Legacy Hunter.
Special Week began his second season by finishing second to Asahi Creek in the Shiraume Sho over 1600 metres at Kyoto Racecourse in January. In the following month was moved up in class and distance for the Grade III Kisaragi Sho over 1800 metres at the same course and recorded his first major win, beating Bold Emperor and thirteen others. In March he was stepped up again for the Grade II Hochi Hai Yayoi Sho (the major trial race for the Satsuki Sho) over 2000 metres at Nakayama Racecourse and won from Seiun Sky and King Halo. In the Satsuki Sho over the same course and distance on 19 April he was unable to reproduce his earlier form and finished third, beaten half a length and a length by Seiun Sky and King Halo. On 7 June, Special Week was one of a field of eighteen colts, also including Seiun Sky and King Halo, to contest the Tokyo Yushun over 2400 metres at Tokyo Racecourse. Special Week won by five lengths from Bold Emperor with Daiwa Superior taking third ahead of Seiun Sky.
After a four-month break, Special Week returned in October for the Grade II Kyoto Shimbun Hai over 2200 metres on 18 October and won from King Halo. On 8 November he faced King Halo, Bold Emperor, Seiun Sky and Daiwa Superior in the Grade I Kikuka Sho over 3000 metres at Kyoto Racecourse. He finished second of the eighteen runners behind Seiun Sky, who won in a course record time of 3:03.2. On his final start of the season Special Week was matched against older horses for the first time in the Japan Cup at Tokyo on 29 November. Ridden by Yukio Okabe, who was substituting for Take as he was serving a suspension at the time due to blocking other horses during Admire Vega's maiden race, the horse started the 2.3/1 favourite in a fifteen-runner field which included challengers from Germany, Canada, the United States and Britain. He was in sixth place entering the straight and made steady progress in the closing stages to finish third behind El Condor Pasa and Air Groove.
Special Week began his third season in the Grade II American Jockey Club Stakes at Nakayama on 24 January and won from Silent Hunter and Mejiro Steed. On 21 March at Hanshin he added another Grade II win when he defeated Mejiro Bright in the 3000 metre Hanshin Daishoten. The Grade I spring edition of the Tenno Sho over the same course and distance saw Special Week matched against eleven opponents including Mejiro Bright (winner of the race in 1998), Matikanefukukitaru, Seiun Sky, Stay Gold, Silk Justice (Arima Kinen). Special Week recorded his second Grade I win as he defeated Mejiro Bright by half a length with Seiun Sky two and a half lengths back in third. In the Takarazuka Kinen over 2200 metres at Hanshin on 11 July, his final start before the summer break, Special Week was matched against Grass Wonder a colt who had been the best of his generation in 1997 but missed most of the 1998 season before returning to win the Arima Kinen in December. Special Week was beaten three lengths into second place by Grass Wonder but finished seven lengths clear of the other ten runners.