Mr. C. B.

Mr. C. B.
ミスターシービー
Photo of a dark bay horse with very short mane mid gallop at a racecourse, wearing a cloth with number 1 on its side, ridden by a jockey in a white cap and a green shirt with yellow zig-zag
Mr. C. B. at the 1984 Japan Cup, ridden by Masato Yoshinaga [ja].
BreedThoroughbred
SireTosho Boy (JPN)
GrandsireTesco Boy (GB)
DamC.B. Queen (JPN)
DamsireTopyo (FR)
SexStallion
Foaled(1980-04-07)April 7, 1980
DiedDecember 15, 2000(2000-12-15) (aged 20)
CountryJapan
ColourDark Bay
BreederChigira Bokujo
OwnerMarunuma Onsen Hotel Co., Ltd.
Racing colors
TrainerYasuhisa Matsuyama
JockeyMasato Yoshinaga
Record15: 8-3-1
Earnings¥409,598,100
Major wins
Kyodo Tsushin Hai (1983)
Yayoi Sho (1983)
Tennō Shō (Autumn) (1984)
Japanese Classic Race wins:
Satsuki Sho (1983)
Tokyo Yushun (1983)
Kikuka Sho (1983)
Awards
3rd Japanese Triple Crown Champion (1983)
Japanese Horse of the Year (1983)
Honours
Japan Racing Association Hall of Fame (1986)

Mr. C. B. (Japanese: ミスターシービー, Hepburn: Misutā Shī Bī; 7 April 1980 – 15 December 2000) was a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse and stud. In 1983, he won the Japanese Triple Crown, becoming the third horse to do so after St Lite and Shinzan. In recognition of this feat and his other strong showings, Mr. C. B. was named Japanese Horse of the Year for 1983 by the JRA, and would later be inducted into the Japan Racing Association Hall of Fame in 1986. He was also the first Triple Crown winner to be ridden by the same jockey, Masato Yoshinaga, from his debut until his retirement.

Mr. C. B. died of laminitis on 15 December 2000.

Background

Mr. C. B. was a bay horse bred in Japan by Chigira Bokujo. He was sired by Tosho Boy, Satsuki Sho, Arima Kinen, Takarazuka Kinen and Takamatsunomiya Kinen winner. Tosho Boy was nicknamed "Pegasus" due to his racing performance. Tosho Boy is also an ancestor of Kikuka Sho winner Matikanefukukitaru and Singapore Airlines International Cup winner Cosmo Bulk. Mr C. B.'s mother, C. B. Queen, was also a successful racehorse who won races such as the Mainichi Okan and the Keio Hai Spring Cup. C. B. Queen and Tosho Boy both debuted in the same maiden race.

Mr C. B. was not given a unique name at birth and was known as "C. B. Queen 1" until a unique name was given. His initials "C. B." stand for Chigira Bokujō (lit. 'Chigira Farm'), his birthplace.Many of Tosho Boy's offspring had an unstable rear-oriented centre of gravity, however Mr C. B. had a solid waist and was known as "a horse that inherited only the good traits of Tosho Boy." He was the second "Mr. C. B." to be registered, the first being sired by Priory Park in 1934 at Chigira Bokujo. The first was unsuccessful in their bid to win the 1937 Japanese Derby, but saw moderate success in a later career in steeplechase.

After being weaned at Okamoto Farm, Mr C. B. was moved to Chigira Farm in Gunma Prefecture in March 1981. This farm was owned by C. B. Queen's owner and her breeder, and was where Mr. C. B. underwent training.

When he reached the age of 3, he was given the racing name "Mr. C. B.," and entered Matsuyama Yasuhisa's stable at the Miho Training Center in Ibaraki Prefecture. Initially, Mr C. B. was scheduled to be under the care of Matsuyama Yoshisaburo, who also looked after C. B. Queen, but it was changed to his son Yasuhisa.

Racing career

1982: two-year-old season

On 16 November 1982, Mr. C. B. made his debut in a maiden race at Tokyo Racecourse. Masato Yoshinaga, who had also been his dam’s regular jockey, was in the saddle, and Yoshinaga rode him consistently from then on until his retirement. In this debut race, he took the lead early and won convincingly by a margin of five lengths over the second-place finisher, securing his first victory. However, in his second race, the Kuromatsu Shō, he got off to a slow start and had to make up ground on the front-runners; he prevailed in a neck-and-neck battle with the frontrunners down the stretch to secure a narrow victory. Then, in the Hiiragi Shō, he ran at the end of the year, he thrashed violently inside the starting gate at the start and once again got off to a very slow start. Since he had expended a great deal of energy catching up to the front-runners in his previous race, Yoshinaga decided not to force the pace and instead adopted a strategy of biding his time from the rear. As a result, he fell a neck short of the front-runner, Umeno Shin O, and Mr. C.B. suffered his first defeat.

1983: three-year-old season

Mr. C. B. started the season early, placing first in the Kyodo Tsushin Hai at Tokyo on the 13th of February, and then winning the Hochi Hai Yayoi Sho, now the Yayoi Sho, in March. He followed on this success to challenge the first leg of the Japanese Triple Crown for Colts, the Satsuki Sho at 2000m. Due to heavy rain before the race, the turf was graded "soft," the lowest rating used by the JRA. Despite the poor condition being considered a disadvantage to a closer such as Mr. C. B., he started the race as the favorite. He rallied after a late start to win by half a length, taking the lead at the final corner.

Although the favorite for the second leg of the Triple Crown, the Tokyo Yushun or Japanese Derby, doubts emerged among commentators. His sire, Tosho Boy, had lost the 1976 Derby to the largely overshadowed Climb Kaiser. His dam, C. B. Queen, had placed third in the Japanese Oaks, the filly equivalent to the Derby, run over the same course. Mr. C. B.'s and Matsuyama's adopted tactics of closing from the back markers was also considered a poor approach for the Derby, with the standing belief of the "Derby Position" suggesting that winning horses had to be in the top 10 by the first corner to win. Starting from the 12th gate on a field of 21, Mr. C. B. entered the first corner close to the back of the pack after another late start, but made a run at the third corner, and took the lead down the final stretch to win by a length and 3/4. While moving through the pack, Matsuyama was judged to have caused an incident, colliding at the fourth corner with another runner and veering towards the rail while crossing the finish line. His maneuver was criticized by the Fuji TV commentator, Takeshi Moriyama, but defended by jockey Eiji Shimizu who was aboard Mejiro Mont Cenis. Matsuyama received a 4 day riding suspension, but Mr. C. B.'s race result was allowed to stand.

Mr. C. B. contracted an illness and was forced to rest for the summer, drawing concerns that he would be in worse form than his peers for the final crown, the 3000m Kikuka Sho. He missed his intended prep race, the St. Lite Kinen, and placed 4th in the Kyoto Shimbun Hai on October 23, losing to second favorite Katsuragi Ace.

Despite his lackluster performance in the Shimbun Hai, he entered as favorite for the Kikuka Sho on 13 November. Sent off as the first favorite at 2.8 odds, Mr. C. B. made a clean start out of the gate, before falling through the midpack to the back markers. Defying conventional tactics, he surged early with nearly 1600m to go on the Yodo Slope, a sustained 4m slope ahead of the 3rd corner, ignoring Yoshinaga's attempts to restrain his charge. He broke through the pack early, coming to the front of the field while exiting the final corner, and holding his lead down the 400m stretch to claim victory in the Kikuka Sho. His 3 length victory over Bingo Kanta made Mr. C. B. only the third to take the Triple Crown in JRA history, 19 years after Shinzan had achieved the title.

Stud record

Notable progeny

c = colt, f = filly, g = gelding

Foaled Name Sex Major Wins
1987 Yamanin Global c Daily Hai Nisai Stakes, Meguro Kinen, Copa Republica Argentina
1987 Meisho Vitoria g Stayers Stakes
1987 Sweet Mithuna f Queen Cup

An anthropomorphized version of Mr. C. B. appears as a character in the Japanese multimedia franchise Umamusume: Pretty Derby, voiced by Yurina Amami. She is a free-spirited, cheerful, and charismatic young woman who relishes in the freedom that comes with racing and utilizes unconventional tactics in harsh track conditions to her advantage. She was born to a trainer and trainee couple whose eloping resulted in a scandal, reflecting her real-world counterpart's foaling and controversy surrounding it. She is also a close friend and rival of Symboli Rudolf and Katsuragi Ace, and lives off-campus like Maruzensky. She makes an appearance as a supporting character in the spin-off series Umamusume: Cinderella Gray.

Racing statistics

Mr. C. B. recorded a total of 8 wins for 15 starts, including one graded win, the G1 Autumn Tenno Sho. His Classic Triple Crown victories, achieved 19 years after the previous champion Shinzan, were part of the "eight major races", the classification for the most prestigious races in Japan before the introduction of the grading system in 1984. Retroactively applying the grades his races received in 1984, Mr. C. B. would hold the equivalent of 6 graded wins, including 4 Grade or Group 1 victories.

All information is publicly available on JBIS and Netkeiba.

Mr. C. B. race record
Date Age Track Name Grade Distance Finished Time Jockey Winner (2nd Place)
6 Nov 1982 2 Tokyo 3 yo Debut 1600m 1st 1:38.5 Masato Yoshinaga (Hirataka Eiko)
4 Dec 1982 2 Nakayama Kuromatsu Sho 1600m 1st 1:36.3 Masato Yoshinaga (Yu Fubuki)
25 Dec 1982 2 Nakayama Hiiragi Sho 1800m 2nd 1:50.4 Masato Yoshinaga Umeno Shin O
13 Feb 1983 3 Tokyo Kyodo Tsushin Hai 1800m 1st 1:49.5 Masato Yoshinaga (Umeno Shin O)
6 Mar 1983 3 Nakayama Hochi Hai Yayoi Sho 1800m 1st 1:50.2 Masato Yoshinaga (Speed Tri)
17 Apr 1983 3 Nakayama Satsuki Sho 八 2000m 1st 2:08.3 Masato Yoshinaga (Mejiro Mont Cenis)
29 May 1983 3 Tokyo Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) 八 2400m 1st 2:29.5 Masato Yoshinaga (Mejiro Mont Cenis)
23 Oct 1983 3 Kyoto Kyoto Shimbun Hai 2000m 4th 2:03.2 Masato Yoshinaga Katsuragi Ace
13 Nov 1983 3 Kyoto Kikuka Sho 八 3000m 1st 3:08.1 Masato Yoshinaga (Bingo Kanta)
7 Oct 1984 4 Tokyo Mainichi Okan G2 1800m 2nd 1:47.5 Masato Yoshinaga Katsuragi Ace
28 Oct 1984 4 Tokyo Tenno Sho (Autumn) G1 2000m 1st 1:59.3 Masato Yoshinaga (Tudenham King)
25 Nov 1984 4 Tokyo Japan Cup G1 2400m 10th 2:28.2 Masato Yoshinaga Katsuragi Ace
23 Dec 1984 4 Nakayama Arima Kinen G1 2500m 3rd 2:33.3 Masato Yoshinaga Symboli Rudolf
31 Mar 1985 5 Hanshin Sankei Osaka Hai G2 2000m 2nd 2:01.4 Masato Yoshinaga State Jaguar
29 Apr 1985 5 Kyoto Tenno Sho (Spring) G1 3200m 5th 3:22.3 Masato Yoshinaga Symboli Rudolf

Pedigree

Pedigree of Mr. C. B. (JPN), bay stallion 1980
Sire
Tosho Boy		 Tesco Boy Princely Gift Nasrullah
Blue Gem
Suncourt Hyperion
Inquisition
Social Butterfly Your Host Alibhai
Boudoir
Wisteria Easton
Blue Cyprus
Dam
C.B. Queen		 Topyo Fine Top Fine Art
Toupie
Deliriosa Delirium
La Fougueuse
Meido Admiral Byrd Nearco
Woodlark
Meiwa Gay Time
Chill Wind

Notes

  1. ↑ Until 2001, Japanese horseracing used the kazoedoshi counting system where horses are considered one at birth and become one year older each New Year.
  2. ↑ Denotes a race belonging to the "Eight Great Races" (Hachidaikyousou), considered the most prestigious races in Japan, proceeding the introduction of the graded system in 1984.

References

  1. ↑ "Tosho Boy". JBIS. Archived from the original on 12 September 2025. Retrieved 24 September 2025.
  2. ↑ "Matikanefukukitaru". JBIS. Archived from the original on 11 September 2025. Retrieved 24 September 2025.
  3. ↑ "Cosmo Bulk". JBIS. Retrieved 24 September 2025.
  4. ↑ "C. B. Queen". JBIS. Archived from the original on 14 June 2025. Retrieved 24 September 2025.
  5. ↑ Kimura 1994, p. 70.
  6. ↑ "サラブレッドがつなぐ夢（サラブレッドの一生紹介）". JRA70周年特設サイト｜JRA (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 30 May 2026. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  7. ↑ Kimura 1994, pp. 70–71.
  8. ↑ サラブレッド血統大系vol.5 [Thoroughbred Bloodline System Vol. 5] (in Japanese). 株式会社サラブレッド血統センタ. 28 April 2005. p. 746.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: year (link)
  9. 1 2 Kimura 1994, p. 71.
  10. ↑ Koei 1995, p. 19.
  11. 1 2 Koei 1995, p. 82.
  12. ↑ "JRAホームページ｜データファイル｜競走成績データ". www.jra.go.jp. Retrieved 9 November 2026.
  13. 1 2 3 4 Ezura, Koya (April 2012). "ミスターシービー". 優駿 (in Japanese). Japan Racing Public Relations Center. Retrieved 9 November 2026.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  14. 1 2 江面弘也 (2017). 名馬を読む [Stories of Legendary Racehorses] (in Japanese). Japan: Sankesha. ISBN 4908655073.
  15. ↑ "JRAホームページ｜データファイル｜競走成績データ". www.jra.go.jp. Retrieved 9 November 2026.
  16. ↑ "京都新聞杯 レース結果 | 1983年10月23日 京都11R". netkeiba (in Japanese). Retrieved 9 November 2026.
  17. ↑ "菊花賞(OP)｜1983年11月13日 | 競馬データベース - netkeiba". db.netkeiba.com. Retrieved 10 November 2026.
  18. ↑ "JRAホームページ｜データファイル｜競走成績データ". www.jra.go.jp. Retrieved 9 November 2026.
  19. ↑ "Yamanin Global | Horse Profile, Pedigree, Form, Race Record". netkeiba. Retrieved 4 August 2025.
  20. ↑ "Meisho Vitoria Race Record and Form | Horse Profile". netkeiba. Archived from the original on 27 December 2025. Retrieved 4 August 2025.
  21. ↑ "Sweet Mithuna(JPN) | JBIS-Search". www.jbis.jp. Archived from the original on 27 December 2025. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
  22. ↑ "ミスターシービー｜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). Archived from the original on 10 December 2025. Retrieved 1 December 2025.
  23. ↑ TIMES編集部, ABEMA (8 December 2025). "アニメ『ウマ娘 シンデレラグレイ』声優・キャラクター一覧｜全キャスト79人を網羅＆随時更新 | アニメニュース | アニメフリークス". ANIME FREAKS (in Japanese). Retrieved 8 October 2026.
  24. ↑ Morgan., David (20 August 2024). "Ozeki's York Adventure Stirs Memories Of Mr. C.B." Idol Horse. Archived from the original on 20 August 2024. Retrieved 24 October 2026.
  25. ↑ "Mr. C. B. | Horse Profile, Pedigree, Form, Race Record". netkeiba. Retrieved 14 May 2026.
  26. ↑ "Mr. C.B.(JPN) | JBIS-Search". www.jbis.jp. Retrieved 14 May 2026.
  27. ↑ 2001年から年齢表記を変更 [Age Notation to Change Starting in 2001]. netkeiba (in Japanese). 18 January 2000. Archived from the original on 7 April 2026. Retrieved 7 April 2026.
  28. ↑ 八大競走と年度代表馬 [The Eight Major Races and Horse of the Year]. netkeiba (in Japanese). 24 December 2012. Archived from the original on 24 October 2026. Retrieved 6 October 2026.
  29. ↑ "Mr. C. B. pedigree". equineline.com.

Bibliography

  • Kimura, Koji (1994). 馬の王、騎手の詩 [The King of Horses, the Poem of the Jockey] (in Japanese). Takarashimasha. ISBN 978-4-7966-0872-5.
  • Ichimaru, Hiroshi (1994). サラブレッド怪物伝説―スーパーホース激走カタログ101 [The Legend of the Thoroughbred Monster - Super Horse Racing Catalog 101]. Kosaido Bunko - Human Select (in Japanese). Kosaido Publishing. ISBN 978-4-331-65202-2.
  • 名馬列伝 ミスターシービー [Biographies of Famous Horses: Mr. C. B.]. Biographies of Famous Horses (in Japanese). Koei Publishing Department. 1995. ISBN 978-4-877-19186-3.