Mejiro Ryan

Mejiro Ryan was a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. He was a top competitor during his classic year and placed in the podium in each of them despite not winning any of them. This feat was the first time being done since in 1964. His biggest win is the 1991 Takarazuka Kinen. He also won Yayoi Sho and Kyoto Shimbun Hai in 1990 and ended his racing career by winning Nikkei Sho in 1992.

Background

Mejiro Ryan was foaled out of Mejiro Chaser, who won three races in 26 starts. He was sired by, the winner of Arima Kinen in 1981 and Tenno Sho in 1983. Amber Shadai himself was sired by Northern Taste, the leading sire in Japan for ten years between 1982 until 1992.
His name was a combination of the crown name "Mejiro" from Mejiro Stud with Nolan Ryan, A baseball hall of famer pitcher with the most strikeouts in Major League Baseball history.

Racing career

Two-year-old season (1989)

Mejiro Ryan made his debut on July 9. The debut happened in a 1200 metres turf race in Hakodate. He struggled in this debut and could not keep running in a straight line despite finishing second on this day. His next race also not giving a fruitful return as he finished sixth and injured for next two months due to Periostitis. He came back on 29 October in a 1400 metres maiden turf race at Kyoto. Riding by Norihiro Yokoyama this time, his attitude of veering off course does not change, finishing in third this time.
From this point, Yokoyama became his main jockey. This worked out well for him as he won his next race by staying behind early on and surging late near the end. The jockey was switched again in the next race and he ended up finished in fifth before he went back to Yokoyama for his career's sixth race. With the same strategy as his first win, he got his second career win by overtook all his competitors in the final straight. Two wins in six races form managed to convince the owner to register him for The Classics.

Three-year-old season (1990)

The first race of the season would be the Yayoi Sho on March 4. The race was held on a poor track due to the rain previous day. His biggest rival for the race would be Ines Fujin, the one horse who just won the Asahi Hai Sansai Stakes and also the previous year best two-year-old colt. Ines Fujin, who is a well known front runner started at the front in the beginning whilst Mejiro Ryan stayed comfortable on the back. In the straight, Ines Fujin avoided the rough inside track and tried to move out to the outside. Meanwhile, Mejiro Ryan made a run on the inside, breaking away from the pack and passing Ines Fujin from the inside with 200 metres remaining to take the lead. He proceeded to sprint in the final straight, passing Tsurumaru Mimata O and took his first graded stakes win. This win qualified him for the big race, the Satsuki Sho. In that race, Mejiro Ryan waited from the inside for majority of the race but unlike previous race, he could not catching up Ines Fujin who ran early and also the winner, Haku Taisei who positioned really well in the final phase. He ended up finishing third that day one of three quarters behind those two
Onto the next classic, Haku Taisei ran away early but Ines Fujin manage to surpass him for the lead whilst Mejiro Ryan just stayed mostly at the back. While Ines Fujin ran at a medium pace, Mejiro Ryan moved to the outside from the third corner and began to close the gap. He accelerated more at the final straight but ended up short at the line by one and a half lengths behind the winner, Ines Fujin himself. This derby famously known as the race that had the most attendance in the Tokyo stands, racking up on 196,517 people watching the scenes. Then, he took the summer break and scheduled to return on the Hakodate Kinen but he ended up twisting his legs which extended his rest period. The next race he joined was the Kyoto Shimbun Hai, a trial race for Kikuka Sho.This race turned out well for him as He was in the middle of the pack from the start, and showed a finishing kick from the outside, overtook all his competitors and winning his second graded race. A columnist, Shunji Nagai described Mejiro Ryan's race as "he surpassed his competitors with an impression that he still has more power inside him" as the horse itself setting up the record on that day.
He gained an automatic berth to Kikuka Sho with this win. The subsequent injuries for both Haku Taisei and Ines Fujin making Mejiro Ryan as the favourite to take this one. In this race, he will face Mejiro McQueen, his stablemate for the first time. As usual, He started from the back of the pack but advanced a bit more to the middle as the race progress. At the second lap, He moved outside to pursue an advantage and chasing down Mejiro McQueen but gassed out in the end, finishing in third more than two and a half lengths behind Mejiro McQueen and White Stone. Mejiro Ryan became the first horse to finish in top three for all three classic races without winning either of them since Umeno Chikara in 1964. In the Arima Kinen vote, Mejiro Ryan gained 116,982 total votes and placed fourth in the standings which qualified him for that season ending race. When the race began, Osaichi George took charge early on and setting a very slow pace for the early phase. In the final corner, Oguri Cap who is in his final race surged forward and overtook Osaichi George. Mejiro Ryan and White Stone chased Oguri Cap but neither could catch him as they were three and half lengths behind. White Stone and Mejiro Ryan fought for the second place in which Mejiro Ryan snatched it by a neck. Yokoyama who was his main jockey reminisced, "I thought I could make a clear pass, but Oguri's stamina was superior."

Four-year-old season (1991)

Mejiro Ryan started his season in Nakayama Kinen on March 10. He started well but failed to maintain his tempo in a slow pace set up by the eventual winner, Yukino Sunrise and placed second. He hit a fever this time but regardless, he would compete in the Tenno Sho on April 28. By this time, Mejiro Ryan alongside Mejiro McQueen and White Stone were recognised as the successor of the Heisei "Three Strong" when all three of them were put in the same bracket and having single digit odds in this race. He managed to get a good start from the inside gate at the beginning and positioned himself at the back like usual business. Another Mejiro's horse, Mejiro Palmer surged forward to take the lead in early phase. At the third corner on the final lap, Mejiro McQueen surpass Mejiro Palmer to take the lead and subsequently win the race, while Mejiro Ryan was unable to break away from the pack and fell behind to fourth place.
His next race was the Takarazuka Kinen, which was held at Kyoto over Hanshin due to the later renovation. This time, Mejiro McQueen was the favourite ahead of Mejiro Ryan and White Stone. In this race, Mejiro Ryan started fast. At the first lap, he ran in the middle of the pack. Between the first and second corners, he made contact with other horses and showed signs of speeding up. Yokoyama who noticed this, didn't interfere and allowed him to do so. He proceeded to overtake Iide Saturn, who was leading the pack, and White Stone, who was in second place, on the downhill slope at the third corner, and passed them to come through the final corner on the lead. Then, he avoided the rough inside of the track on and ran outside, pulling away from the rest of the pack on the final straight. He crossed the finish line in first place beating Mejiro McQueen who was closing in from the outside by a length and a half. This occasion marking his first G1 victory in his sixth attempts. The one-two finish between Ryan and McQueen is a repeat of 1971 race when Mejiro Musashi beat Mejiro Asama to the line. His jockey, Yokoyama left the arena after his winning run, he took off his helmet and bowed to the stands as the sign of respect and honour as his father, Tomio Yokoyama was the one who jockeyed Mejiro Musashi on that similar win twenty years prior.
Mejiro Ryan spent his summer time resting and preparing at Hakodate but he developed mild leg discomfort and tendonitis on his front right leg. He placed fourth in the fan poll at the end of the year, receiving 114,216 votes. This poll qualified him for another try in the Arima Kinen this year but he ended up in the race on a disappointing 12th-place finish.

Five-year-old season (1992)

In January, He returned and competed in the American Jockey Club Cup. He did not ran well here and finished in sixth place out of eleven runners. Two months later, he ran in the Nikkei Sho. The ground was poor and heavy but he manage to start well, moving up and chasing, and snatch the lead at the final corner. In the straight, he chose the inside lane, where track conditions are generally considered poor, and pulled away from others to win the races two and a half lengths ahead of the rest. This marked his fourth graded stakes win and his first win in three races.
His tendonitis injury recurred after the race and he forced to rest again. The team aimed him for the Tenno Sho but his condition was not good enough. Due to the concern of this recurring injury, the team decided to retire him from racing. His retirement ceremony occurred on October 25.

Racing form

Mejiro Ryan won seven races out of 19 starts. The data available is based on JBIS and netkeiba. All the races were on a turf.

indicates a finish with a record time
Stud record and death

Since Mejiro Ryan was owned by, a farm with both breeding and racing business at that time, he stayed mostly in that farm as a stud. He was a successful stud, siring five times G1 winner and 1998 Tenno Sho winner. He retired as a stud in 2007.
When Mejiro Ranch closed in 2011, took control of his well-being as a retired horse. Mejiro Ryan died due to old age on 17 March 2016.

Notable progeny

The data below is based on JBIS Stallion Reports.
c = colt, f = filly, g = gelding
bold = grade 1 stakes

Foaled	Name	Sex	Major Wins
1994	Mejiro Dober	f	Hanshin Sansai Himba Stakes, Yushun Himba, Shuka Sho, Queen Elizabeth II Cup, Sankei Sho All Comers, Fuchu Himba Stakes
1994	Mejiro Bright	c	Radio Tampa Hai Sansai Stakes, Kyodo News Service Hai Yonsai Stakes, Sports Nippon Sho Stayers Stakes, American Jockey Club Cup, Tenno Sho, Hanshin Daishoten, Nikkei Shinshun Hai
1994	Air Guts	c	Radio Tampa Sho
1996	Mejiro Ronzan	c	Tokyo High Jump, Tokyo Autumn Jump
1997	Toho Dream	c	Sankei Osaka Hai
1997	Win Blaze	c	Kabutoyama Kinen, Fukushima Kinen, Naruo Kinen
2001	Mejiro Basinger	f	Niigata Jump Stakes
2002	Skip Jack	g	Keio Hai Nisai Stakes
2005		c	Sekiya Kinen