Mejiro Palmer
Mejiro Palmer was a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. He was known as the fifth horse in history to win both grand prix races, the Takarazuka Kinen and Arima Kinen in the same season. He was also known as the first Japanese horse to win a G1 race after switching back from steeplechase race to flat race. Together alongside Mejiro Ryan and Mejiro McQueen who were born in 1987, they were known as the flower class of 62.
Background
Mejiro Palmer was foaled out of Mejiro Fantasy who won one races out of four starts. Mejiro Fantasy's dam, Princess Lyphard was full sister to the sire Mogami, so she was expected to have good bloodlines. His sire, Mejiro Eagle won seven races in 19 starts in which his major win came in the 1978 Kyoto Shimbun Hai. He also finished in third place behind Inter Gushiken in 1978 Kikuka Sho. All of Mejiro Eagles' victory came in his trademark runaway front-running style, which being passed on into Mejiro Palmer himself.His name came from the crown name of Mejiro Stud - Mejiro and Arnold Palmer, an American golfer.
Racing career
Early seasons (1989 – 1991)
He made his debut on August 12, 1989, in Hakodate Racecourse. He finished the race at second place six lengths behind the winner, Zogebune Megami. He then placed second place again for his second start before winning his third maiden race. He maintained his winning streak at the Cosmos Sho before losing in the next two races. Unfortunately, he suffered a fracture in his left hind leg after the latter races and was placed on a long break of more than six months. When he made a comeback in the next season, he was placed in a semi-open class due to lack of prize money won. Since returning in June 1990, he would had a losing streak of 11 straight races up for a year. During that time, he raced in two graded races which were the Hakodate Kinen in which he finished seventh and the 1991 Tenno Sho (Spring) where he finished down in thirteenth-place.Mejiro Palmer's performance became better as he snatched a win in the Tokachidake Tokubetsu in June 22. Riding this momentum, he entered the Sapporo Kinen, favored as the fourth favorite by his light 51 kg handicap. Despite getting a slow start, he took the lead in the second corner and led the pack alone. He then held off G1 regulars such as Mogami Champion and Kamino Cresse who were chasing him hard in the straight to finish the race first. This marked his first graded race victory in the summer of his fifth year. Then, he returned to slump again as he was failing to run well in the next three races including a last place finish in the Kyoto Daishoten. This streak prompting the trainers to switch him into the steeplechase race. He passed the test in a record time for the switching program. This switch was working as he won his maiden steeplechase race and placed second on the next one. When the second race concluded, Okubo who was his trainer felt in doubt that his jumping was too low from the hurdles. This suspicion was right as his legs were swollen and there were abrasions all over the place despite the good result. Okubo then cancelled the plan for Mejiro Palmer to became a steeplechase horserace and re-adjusted him to the flat races after a period of rest.
Five-year-old season (1992)
He started the season in the Coral Stakes on March 29 where he ended up in fourth place. For the next race, Mejiro Palmer was first time being paired with his main jockey, Taisei Yamada who was a budding 21-years-old young man at that time. In the Tenno Sho (Spring), Mejiro Palmer did his trademark runaway but gassed near the end and finished in seventh-place behind Mejiro McQueen. On May 17, he ran in the Niigata Daishoten. He took the lead from the start, held off the pack, stretched his legs in the straight and won by four lengths to claim his second graded race win. Okubo who was flattered by this win registered him for the Takarazuka Kinen as his win in the Niigata Daishoten earned him the recommended slot despite not qualified by the voting.The 1992 Takarazuka Kinen was supposed to be the battleground between Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen but both were dismissed due to injuries. The entries for this Takarazuka Kinen was thin as there were only 2 G1 winners present which were Daiyusaku and Daitaku Helios. Majiro Palmer sat at ninth favourite whilst the major favourite for the race was Kamino Cresse. When the gates opened, Mejiro Palmer started from gate 12 which was the second outermost gate, took the lead and held off Daitaku Helios who was trying to take the lead from the inside. Daitaku Helios did not push too hard on that and Mejiro Palmer was able to break away alone. Daitaku Helios and Kamino Cresse tried to catch Mejiro Palmer at the second half of the race but cannot surpass him. Instead, Mr. Spain overtook the gassed Daitaku Helios on the final phase for the podium and albeit Mejiro Palmer lost the pace at the end straight, he held on to win his first G1 race by three lengths over Kamino Cresse. His jockey, Yamada quoted after the race that the horse already losing momentum at the third corner and declining after the fourth but he never looked back and kept on going for the win.
He was rested at the Mejiro Stud the whole summer and started his autumn campaign in the Kyoto Daishoten. Yamada was injured from falling the previous day of the race but he opted in for the race. As usual, Mejiro Palmer surged early for the lead but sooner get caught on the final corner and finished in ninth. The next race would be the Autumn Tenno Sho but without his normal jockey as he was not fully healed, which he was replaced by Shinji Fujita. In this race, he was in a battle with Daitaku Helios from the start. Although he ran the first 1000 meters at a high pace of 57.5 seconds, he lost momentum in the straight and fell back to 17th place. Okubo skipped the Japan Cup due to poor performances in the previous two races and opted for the Arima Kinen instead. In the voting list, Mejiro Palmer was not qualified for the race but as he was the reigning Takarazuka Kinen winner, he was being recommended and accepted to join the race. Yamada would came back for the reins on the race day.
Unlike back in Takarazuka Kinen, the field for the 1992 Arima Kinen was full of great horses. With the likes of Tokai Teio, Rice Shower, Nice Nature, Hishi Masaru, Legacy World, White Stone, Leo Durban, Let's Go Tarquin and Daitaku Helios joining in, Mejiro Palmer only managed to be the 15th favourite to win the race at 49.4 odds. This field did not fazed Yamada and Mejiro Palmer as they boldly took the lead, while Daitaku Helios, seemingly overwhelmed by his momentum was held back by his jockey and dropped to second place. These two horses would held on to the lead that went on up to 15 lengths over the other competitors. At the final corner, Mejiro Palmer managed to overtook the gassed out Daitaku Helios for the lead and ran as fast as he could to the line as he also losing pace. Legacy World surged from the back pack and almost caught Mejiro Palmer on the line as the later manage to held on by a nose margin. With this win, Mejiro Palmer snatched both grand prix races and became the fifth horse since Inari One back in 1989 season to accomplish it. Yamada reminisced after the win, "Even when Daitaku Helios came at me on the home stretch, I was able to release the bit myself and maintain the horse's pace without getting caught. Palmer held on well until the end. He really did his best."
Mejiro Palmer won three races out of seven starts in 1992. He was awarded with the JRA Award for Best Older Male Horse and for best home-bred sire. He was also the runner-up to Mihono Bourbon on the Japanese Horse of the Year award.
Later seasons (1993 – 1994)
In the beginning of new season, Mejiro Palmer ran in the Hanshin Daishoten. When the race started, He asserted his lead and made a solo breakaway. The horses behind him closed in on him in the third corner of the second lap. In the straight, he was locked in a close race with Takeno Velvet, Nice Nature, and others. Yamada waited for the horses behind to close in before ordering Mejiro Palmer to make a sprint. He overtook Takeno Velvet and Nice Nature and crossed the finish line by half a length. This win would eventually turned out to be the last win of his career.In the upcoming Spring Tenno Sho, Mejiro Palmer ran away at the start like usual. In the third corner of the second lap, Rice Shower and Mejiro McQueen came alongside him on the uphill slope, but he was overtaken in the straight, but he continued to hang on. Both of the horses battling it out to the line while Mejiro Palmer finished in third behind those two. For the rest of the year, he competed in five graded races and finished outside of podiums in all of them. He shown signs of recovery in the beginning of 1994 season when he placed second in the Nikkei Shinshun Hai, two lengths behind Monsieur Siecle. However, he was diagnosed with flexor tendonitis in his left foreleg injury after the race. This injury eventually led to his retirement due to his age. He was retired and deregistered from racing on September 22, 1994.
Racing form
Mejiro Palmer won nine races out of 38 starts. This data is available in JBIS and netkeiba.Legend:
- indicated that it was a record time finish
Stud record and death
Mejiro Palmer started his stud duty at Arrow Stud in Hokkaido. He retired as a stud in 2002 and moved back to the Mejiro Farm. Overall he managed to breed with 102 mares and produced 62 foals from 1995 until 2002. His best progeny was Mejiro Raiden who won the JG2 race, Kyoto High Jump.On April 7, 2012, Mejiro Palmer died due to sudden heart attack.