Costa Nova (horse)
| Costa Nova コスタノヴァ[1] | |
|---|---|
Costa Nova at the Applause Sho parade ring (2023) | |
| Sire | Lord Kanaloa[1] |
| Grandsire | King Kamehameha[1] |
| Dam | Colorful Blossom[1] |
| Damsire | Heart's Cry[1] |
| Sex | Colt[1] |
| Foaled | April 3, 2020[1] Abira, Hokkaido |
| Country | Japan[1] |
| Color | Bay[1] |
| Breeder | Northern Farm[1] |
| Owner | Katsumi Yoshida[1] |
| Trainer | Tetsuya Kimura[1] |
| Record | 14: 8-2-1-3[1] |
| Earnings | 426,545,000 JPY[1] |
| Major wins | |
| February Stakes (2025, 2026) Negishi Stakes (2025) | |
| Last updated on February 23, 2026 | |
Costa Nova (Japanese: コスタノヴァ) is an active Japanese racehorse.[1]
Racing career
2022 and 2023: two and three-year-old seasons
Costa Nova made his racing debut on December 25, 2022,in a two-year-old maiden race at Nakayama Racecourse, but finished a disappointing 11th. At age three, he switched to dirt racing and quickly found success, winning his first race of the season. Over the course of 2023, he competed in four races and won three of them, and finished secon in his only loss.
2024: four-year-old season
Costa Nova began the year strongly, winning the Hakurei Stakes on February 4 and earning promotion to the open class.[2] Racing strategically throughout the season, he captured his first open-class victory three months later in the Keyaki Stakes.[3] His first major stakes appearance came in August at the Cluster Cup, his debut over the 1200-meter distance, where he entered as the second favorite but finished sixth.[4] He was scheduled to contest the Musashino Stakes in November but was forced to withdraw due to persistent swelling beneath his left eye.[5]
2025: five-year-old season
Costa Nova started his five-year-old campaign in the Negishi Stakes on February 2.[6] Launching a powerful move down the stretch, he surged clear to win by four lengths over Lord Fons, securing his first major race victory.[6] Just three weeks later, on February 23, he stepped up to compete in his first Grade I race, the February Stakes. With jockey Rachel King taking over the reins (replacing Takeshi Yokoyama, who had ridden him in the Negishi Stakes but had chosen to ride Emperor Wakea), he seized the lead early and held off a fierce late challenge from Sunrise Zipangu to claim victory. Rachel King became the first female jockey in Japan Racing Association history to win a flat GI race.[7]
2026: six-year-old season
The first goal of the year for Costa Nova this time is to defend his title in the February Stakes.[8] On the race day, Costa Nova loomed at the back in the early to mid race. On the final uphill stretch, He moved to outside and joined a four-horse rally to the line with Brian Sense, W Heart Bond and Wilson Tesoro. He got better acceleration than his contention and took the lead on final 100 m to win the race.[9] Christophe Lemaire who jockeying him since the last autumn said that Costa Nova win attributed to his ability to positioned himself calmly behind Wilson Tesoro and shifted to the outside for the stretch drive to the wire.[10][11] This win earned him a "Win and You're In" spot on the Breeders' Cup Classic for this year.[11]
Namesake
The horse is named after the Portuguese resort spot of the same name.[12]
Racing statistics
Below data is based on data available on JBIS Search, and netkeiba.[13][14]
| Date | Track | Race | Grade | Distance (Condition) | Entry | HN | Odds (Favored) | Finish | Time | Margins | Jockey | Winner (Runner-up) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 – two-year-old season | ||||||||||||
| Dec 25 | Nakayama | 2YO Maiden Race | / | 1,600m (Firm) | 16 | 4 | 11.9 (4th) | 11th | 1:38.2 | 2.2 | Tom Marquand | Perifania |
| 2023 – three-year-old season | ||||||||||||
| Mar 11 | Nakayama | 3YO Maiden Race | / | 1,800m (Fast) | 16 | 6 | 19.1 (4th) | 1st | 1:53.7 | -0.8 | Makoto Sugihara | (Gran Sabana) |
| Jun 4 | Tokyo | 3YO+ Allowance | 1 win | 1,600m (Good) | 16 | 12 | 4.7 (3rd) | 1st | 1:35.1 | -0.1 | Christophe Lemaire | (Blazest) |
| Sep 3 | Niigata | Ryotsuwan Tokubetsu | 2 win | 1,800m (Fast) | 15 | 6 | 2.0 (1st) | 2nd | 1:52.5 | 0.1 | Christophe Lemaire | Taisei Episode |
| Nov 26 | Tokyo | Applause Sho | 2 Win | 1,600m (Fast) | 16 | 10 | 2.2 (1st) | 1st | 1:36.3 | -0.2 | Christophe Lemaire | (Daishin Pisces) |
| 2024 – four-year-old season | ||||||||||||
| Feb 4 | Tokyo | Hakurei Stakes | 3 Win | 1,600m (Fast) | 16 | 5 | 1.5 (1st) | 1st | 1:36.5 | -0.4 | Christophe Lemaire | (Exult) |
| May 25 | Tokyo | Keyaki Stakes | OP | 1,400m (Fast) | 16 | 7 | 3.5 (2nd) | 1st | 1:21.9 | -0.2 | Christophe Lemaire | (Emperor Wakea) |
| Aug 14 | Morioka | Cluster Cup | L (JpnIII) | 1,200m (Sloppy) | 13 | 12 | 2.2 (2nd) | 6th | 1:10.9 | 0.9 | Christophe Lemaire | Don Frankie |
| 2025 – five-year-old season | ||||||||||||
| Feb 2 | Tokyo | Negishi Stakes | GIII | 1,400m (Good) | 16 | 9 | 4.6 (2nd) | 1st | 1:22.6 | -0.7 | Takeshi Yokoyama | (Lord Fons) |
| Feb 23 | Tokyo | February Stakes | GI | 1,600m (Fast) | 16 | 9 | 4.3 (2nd) | 1st | 1:35.5 | -0.2 | Rachel King | (Sunrise Zipangu) |
| May 5 | Funabashi | Kashiwa Kinen | L (JpnI) | 1,600m (Fast) | 10 | 7 | 1.5 (1st) | 3rd | 1:39.3 | 0.1 | Damian Lane | Shamal |
| Jun 25 | Urawa | Sakitama Hai | L (JpnI) | 1,400m (Muddy) | 12 | 3 | 3.1 (2nd) | 11th | 1:25.8 | 2.6 | Christophe Lemaire | Shamal |
| Nov 15 | Tokyo | Musashino Stakes | GIII | 1,600m (Fast) | 16 | 4 | 2.8 (1st) | 2nd | 1:35.8 | 0,6 | Christophe Lemaire | Luxor Cafe |
| 2026 – six-year-old season | ||||||||||||
| Feb 22 | Tokyo | February Stakes | GI | 1,600m (Fast) | 16 | 12 | 3.4 (2nd) | 1st | 1:35.4 | -0.1 | Christophe Lemaire | (Wilson Tesoro) |
Legend:
Dirt
Turf
Pedigree
| Sire Lord Kanaloa 2008 Bay |
King Kamehameha 2001 Bay |
Kingmambo | Mr. Prospector |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miesque | |||
| Manfath | Last Tycoon | ||
| Pilot Bird | |||
| Lady Blossom 1996 Bay |
Storm Cat | Storm Bird | |
| Terlingua | |||
| Saratoga Dew | Cormorant | ||
| Super Luna | |||
| Dam Colorful Blossom 2010 Bay |
Heart's Cry 2001 Bay |
Sunday Silence | Halo |
| Wishing Well | |||
| Irish Dance | Tony Bin | ||
| Buper Dance | |||
| Tropical Blossom 1998 Bay |
Thunder Gulch | Gulch | |
| Line of Thunder | |||
| Barbara Sue | Big Spruce | ||
| Maytide |
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "Costa Nova(JPN)". JBIS-Search. Retrieved 2025-12-28.
- ^ "【白嶺Ｓ】（東京）コスタノヴァが人気に応えて勝利". ラジオNIKKEI (in Japanese). 2024-02-04. Retrieved 2025-12-28.
- ^ "【東京１１Ｒ・欅Ｓ】コスタノヴァ出遅れ何の３連勝でオープンも突破 ルメール騎手「だんだん良くなってきた」". UMATOKU (in Japanese). Hochi Shimbun. 2024-05-25. Retrieved 2025-12-28.
- ^ "【盛岡・クラスターC結果】ドンフランキーが逃げ切って重賞3勝目を挙げる". netkeiba (in Japanese). 2024-08-14. Retrieved 2025-12-28.
- ^ "コスタノヴァが武蔵野Ｓを回避 左目の下の腫れが治まらないため". スポーツ報知 (in Japanese). 2024-11-07. Retrieved 2025-12-28.
- ^ a b "【根岸Ｓ】コスタノヴァが４馬身差圧倒で重賞初Ｖ 横山武史騎手「ルメールさんが馬をうまくつくり上げてくれた」". UMATOKU (in Japanese). Hochi Shimbun. 2025-02-02. Retrieved 2025-12-28.
- ^ "【フェブラリーS】レイチェル・キング騎乗 コスタノヴァがV…女性ジョッキー初のJRA平地G1制覇". 競馬のおはなし (in Japanese). 2025-02-23. Retrieved 2025-12-29.
- ^ "Defending champion Costa Nova sharp in final trackwork with Christophe Lemaire for G1 February Stakes". netkeiba. NET DREAMERS, Co., Ltd. 20 February 2026. Retrieved 23 February 2026.
- ^ "Costa Nova Earns Repeat Victory in the February Stakes". japan-forward.com. Japan Forward Association Inc. 22 February 2026. Retrieved 23 February 2026.
- ^ Takahashi, Masakazu (22 February 2026). "'He can go anywhere' - back-to-back February Stakes wins for Lord Kanaloa's Costa Nova". www.racingpost.com. Spotlight Sports Group. Retrieved 23 February 2026.
- ^ a b Kieckhefer, Bob (22 February 2026). "Costa Nova Gets BC Classic Bid with February Stakes Win". www.bloodhorse.com. Blood-Horse LLC. Retrieved 23 February 2026.
- ^ "コスタノヴァ". Japan Racing Association (in Japanese). Retrieved 2025-12-29.
- ^ "Race Records | Costa Nova(JPN) | JBIS-Search". www.jbis.jp. Retrieved 2025-12-28.
- ^ "Costa Nova Race Record and Form | Horse Profile". netkeiba. Retrieved 2025-12-28.
- ^ "Five-generation Pedigree Table". JBIS-Search. Retrieved 2025-12-29.
- ^ "コスタノヴァ - 競走馬詳細 - UMATOKU". 馬トク (in Japanese). Hochi Shimbun. Retrieved 2025-12-29.