Byzantine Dream

Byzantine Dream (Japanese: ビザンチンドリーム, foaled January 28, 2021) is an active Japanese thoroughbred racehorse. His major wins include the 2024 Kisaragi Sho, the 2025 Red Sea Turf Handicap, and the 2025 Prix Foy.^[1]

Byzantine Dream's sire is Epiphanea, who won the 2013 Kikuka Sho and the 2014 Japan Cup. Epiphanea came second in the 2014 World's Best Racehorse Rankings^[2] and JRA Award for Best Older Male Horse, being beaten by 2014 Autumn Tenno Sho winner Just A Way.^[3] Epiphaneia's pedigree includes many famous Japanese racehorses such as Symboli Kris S, Special Week and Maruzensky, and American and Canadian horses such as Sunday Silence, Hail to Reason and Northern Dancer.^[4]

Byzantine Dream's dam, Japoni Chara, did not have a notable racing career, however her sire was 2001 Japanese Derby and Japan Cup winner Jungle Pocket.^[5]

On December 2, 2023, Byzantine Dream made his debut in the a race for 2-year-old maiden horses over 2000 metres on turf at Hanshin Racecourse. He was ridden by jockey Bauyrzhan Murzabayev, and won over A Shin Bonaparte by three lengths. This was his first and only race as a two-year-old.^[1]

Byzantine Dream's three-year-old season began with his first graded race in the GIII Kisaragi Sho. He had a slow start, tracked in second-to-last place during the race, and in the stretch, he responded to encouragement from the jockey's whip and began to accelerate.^[6] The race ended with a three-way photo finish between Shivers, Water Licht and Byzantine Dream. It was deliberated that Byzantine Dream had won by a nose, marking both the horse's and jockey, René Piechulek's, first JRA graded race victory.^[7] This also marked the first JRA flat graded race victory for trainer Tomoyasu Sakaguchi.^[8]

With the momentum of being undefeated in two races, he ran in the Satsuki Sho, but a slow start and setbacks in the straight caused him to finish 13th.^[9] In the following Tokyo Yushun, he raced with a new partnership with jockey Atsuya Nishimura. However, he ended up in last place, finishing 17th.^[10]

After taking a break from late May to September, he ran in the Kobe Shimbun Hai on 22 September. He boldly tried to make a move from the outside, but the slightly heavy track and slow pace worked against him, and he finished sixth.^[11] In the following Kikuka Sho, he ran with Andreas Starke as his jockey. Despite a race with frequent lead changes, he calmly made a late charge and finished fifth.

Byzantine Dream's four-year-old season began with the American Jockey Club Cup.^[12] He ran in combination with jockey Aurélien Lemaitre, and despite making a determined effort to catch up from the rear, he finished in sixth place.

Byzantine Dream next competed in the Red Sea Turf Handicap on Saudi Cup Day, having accepted the invitation.^[13] He was ridden by Oisin Murphy. He had a good start from the widest gate, stayed back during the race, and gradually advanced from the fourth corner. Around 200 meters from the finish, he took the lead and won decisively, holding off the challengers, marking his second graded race victory and his third career win, the first since last year's Kisaragi Sho.^[14]

On May 4th, he ran in the Tenno Sho (Spring) with Starke for the first time since the Kikuka Sho. During the race, he stayed in the middle-to-rear of the pack and, in the final straight, swung to the outside to make a late surge, but fell just short in second place, a head behind Hedentor who had broken away earlier.^[15]

On June 28, Byzantine Dream's trainer Sakaguchi, announced that they would challenge the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe to be held at Longchamp Racecourse on October 5, and also announced that the horse would run in the Prix Foy at the same racecourse on September 7 as a prep race.^[16]

On September 7 he ran in the Prix Foy with Oisin Murphy. Among the nine horses in the race were strong competitors such as Sosie, who had won the Prix Ganay and Prix d'Ispahan earlier that year, Los Angeles, last year's Irish Derby winner, and Iridessa, who has previously won this race twice and finished second and third once each. Byzantine Dream was ranked as the sixth favourite out of nine. At the start, he rose slightly and fell behind, settling toward the inside at the rear. He strategically advanced from sixth place, and in the final straight, he smoothly moved up from the inside, overcoming the battle with Sottsass, and won by a half-length. This marked his second overseas GI victory after the Red Sea Turf Handicap. Moreover, as a result of this win, he jumped to third favourite in the bookmakers' pre-sale odds for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe with odds of around 10 to 1.^[17]

The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe is considered as one of the world's most prestigious horse races. Factors that can make it challenging for Japanese-trained horses in this race, besides the level of competition, include the track conditions, which differ in nature from those in Japan, the demanding weight assignments, crowded fields, and the elevation changes.^[18]

On the day of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, Byzantine Dream started slowly with Oisin Murphy as his jockey. Throughout the race, he maintained his usual style of staying towards the rear until the final stretch, and came fifth, being narrowly defeated by Sosie and Giavellotto.^[19]

Byzantine Dream is scheduled to run in the G2 Amir Trophy in Doha.^[20] On the race day, the horse who was jockeyed by Cristian Demuro, dwelt the start and race majorly at the back of the pack. He edged to the left to get the outside track on the final spurt but failed to made an impression, finished in seventh-place at the line.^[21]

Data sourced from Netkeiba^[1] and JBIS.^[22] All data as of February 14, 2026.

• Byzantine Dream is inbred to Sunday Silence 4 x 4, meaning that he appears twice in the fourth generation of Byzantine Dream's pedigree.
• Byzantine Dream is also inbred to Northern Dancer 5 x 5, meaning he appears twice in the fifth generation of Byzantine Dream's pedigree.