Air Groove
Air Groove was a Japanese racehorse and broodmare.
She won the 1996 Yushun Himba after her mother, Dyna Carle, won it in 1983. In 1997, Air Groove won the Grade 1 Autumn Tenno Sho and became the first mare chosen for Japanese Horse of the Year in 26 years. She was nicknamed the Empress for how evenly she competed with male horses. Her other wins included the 1996 Tulip Sho, the 1997 Sapporo Kinen and Mermaid Stakes, and the 1998 Sapporo Kinen and Sankei Ōsaka Hai.
After retirement, she became a broodmare. Her foals included two G1 winners: Admire Groove and Rulership.
Racing career
Air Groove's first race was on October 29, 1995, at the Ichō Stakes, where she came in first.She came in 2nd place at the Grade 1 1995 Hanshin Sansai Himba Stakes. She started off the 1996 season with a win at the 1996 Tulip Sho in March. She then won the first of her multiple Grade-1 wins by winning the 1996 Yushun Himba.
Her next victory came almost a year later, when she captured the July 1997 Grade 3 Mermaid Stakes. This win sparked a three race win streak that saw her win the 1997 Sapporo Kinen and the 1997 Grade 1 Autumn Tenno Sho. She capped off the year with a 2nd place finish at the 1997 Japan Cup and the 3rd place Arima Kinen.
Her 1998 season was also very successful, as she either won or placed on the podium at 6 of her 7 races. She started off the year with a win at the April Sankei Ōsaka Hai, and came in 2nd at the June 1998 Naruo Kinen. She came in 3rd at the July 1998 Takarazuka Kinen and got the last win of her career at the August 1998 Sapporo Kinen. Her final race of her career was on December 27, 1998, when she came in 5th at the Arima Kinen.