Sakae Kunieda
Kunieda at his retirement ceremony (2026, Nakayama Racecourse) | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Native name | 国枝栄 |
| Born | April 14, 1955 Kitagata, Gifu, Japan |
| Occupation | Horse trainer |
| Horse racing career | |
| Sport | Horse racing |
| Career wins | 1123 (JRA) |
| Significant horses | |
| Almond Eye, Akaitorino Musume, Apapane, Black Hawk, Circle of Life, Danon Platina, Matsurida Gogh, Meiner Kitz, Pink Cameo, Stellenbosch | |
Sakae Kunieda (国枝栄; born 14 April 1955, in Kitagata, Gifu) is a retired Japanese horse trainer. Dubbed "the Kunieda of fillies", he is most known for winning 12 Grade I races for fillies and mares, as well as training two Triple Tiara winners; Apapane in 2010 and Almond Eye in 2018.[1][2][3]
Career
Kunieda grew interest in horse racing when during middle school, having a friend who was also in to the sport. During high school, he grew to desire wanting to take up a job related to horses, choosing to enroll in the Cooperative Department of Veterinary Medicine of the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, where he would join the university's equestrian club.[4]
Kunieda would join Akiyoshi Yamazaki's stable in 1978 as an assistant trainer after he was introduced to the trainer by Yu Takahashi, who he had known from his equestrain activities.[4][5] He would earn his trainer license in 1989 and open his stable at Miho Training Center the following year.[4]
Kunieda would have his first graded race win with Black Hawk, when they won the 1998 Lord Derby Challenge Trophy.[6] The two would also have their first Grade I race victory when they won the 1999 Sprinters Stakes.[6]
In 2010, Kunieda won the Triple Tiara (Oka Sho, Yushun Himba, and Shūka Sho) with Apapane.[7]
In 2018, Kunieda became the first trainer in Japan to win either the Triple Crown or Tiara multiple times when he won the Triple Tiara with Almond Eye.[8]
On 2 July 2022, Kunieda became the 15th trainer in JRA history, and the only active JRA horse trainer, to win his 1,000th race.[9][10]
On 13 April 2025, Kunieda became the 10th trainer in JRA history to win his 1,100th race. The horse that he won the race with, Bird Watcher, was foaled by Apapane.[11]
Kunieda retired on 3 March 2026, as he would reach the retirement age of 70 that year.[12]
Major wins
- Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes - (1) - Danon Platina (2014)
- Arima Kinen - (1) - Matsurida Gogh (2007)
- Hanshin Juvenile Fillies - (2) - Apapane (2009), Circle of Life (2021)
- Japan Cup - (2) - Almond Eye (2018, 2020)
- NHK Mile Cup - (1) - Pink Cameo (2007)
- Oka Sho - (3) - Apapane (2010), Almond Eye (2018), Akaitorino Musume (2021), Stellenbosch (2024)
- Shūka Sho - (3) - Apapane (2010), Almond Eye (2018), Akaitorino Musume (2021)
- Sprinters Stakes - (1) - Black Hawk (1999)
- Tennō Shō (Spring) - (1) - Meiner Kitz (2009)
- Tennō Shō (Autumn) - (2) - Almond Eye (2019, 2020)
- Victoria Mile - (2) - Apapane (2011), Almond Eye (2020)
- Yasuda Kinen - (1) - Black Hawk (2001)
- Yushun Himba - (2) - Apapane (2010), Almond Eye (2018)
- Dubai Turf - (1) - Almond Eye (2019)
Personal life
Two of his sons, Jun and Sho, worked as grooms at his father's stable.[13]
References
- ^ "国枝調教師、史上初の２頭目「牝馬３冠」". Gifu Shimbun (in Japanese). 19 October 2018. Archived from the original on 1 March 2019. Retrieved 2 March 2026.
- ^ "【秋華賞】５年連続連対へ！〝牝馬の国枝〟が送り出すエリカヴィータ「春以上の状態だね」". 東スポ競馬 (in Japanese). 12 October 2022. Retrieved 2 March 2026.
- ^ "【阪神JF・記者の特注馬】「アパパネと遜色ない」国枝栄調教師が明かしたヒズマスターピースへの信頼とその裏付け". 東スポ競馬 (in Japanese). 11 December 2025. Retrieved 2 March 2026.
- ^ a b c 仕事を選ぶ: 先輩が語る働く現場64 (in Japanese). The Asahi Gakusei Shimbun. 26 March 2014. pp. 112–115. ISBN 9784907150259.
- ^ "現役最多勝調教師・国枝栄氏が振り返る、調教助手になるまで 選んだ道、出会った人…「私はとても運が強い」". NEWSポストセブン (in Japanese). 12 July 2025. Retrieved 2 March 2026.
- ^ a b Tone, Yoshiro (17 February 2026). "【フェブラリーＳ】国枝師ラストＧ１ シックスペンスで有終Ｖだ ＪＲＡ全平地Ｇ１出走コンプリートへ". デイリースポーツ online (in Japanese). Retrieved 2 March 2026.
- ^ "【秋華賞】（京都）～アパパネが史上３頭目の牝馬三冠達成". ラジオNIKKEI (in Japanese). 17 October 2010. Retrieved 2 March 2026.
- ^ "【秋華賞】国枝調教師、アーモンドアイで史上初同一厩舎２頭目の牝馬３冠達成に「ホッとしたよ」". スポーツ報知 (in Japanese). 15 October 2018. Retrieved 2 March 2026.
- ^ "国枝栄調教師がJRA通算1000勝を達成". netkeiba (in Japanese). 2 July 2022. Retrieved 2 March 2026.
- ^ Inoue, Yoshikiyo (3 July 2022). "国枝栄師、現役唯一のJRA1000勝 藤沢和雄元調教師からも祝福の言葉". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). Retrieved 2 March 2026.
- ^ "国枝栄調教師がJRA通算1100勝、厩舎ゆかりの馬で達成「みんなで力を合わせて」／福島7R". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). 13 April 2025. Retrieved 2 March 2026.
- ^ "調教師7名・騎手2名が引退". Japan Racing Association (in Japanese). 2 March 2026. Archived from the original on 14 February 2026. Retrieved 2 March 2026.
- ^ Satoshi, Hiramatsu (17 May 2024). "オークス、ダービーに有力馬を送り込む国枝栄調教師と、共に戦う２人の子息の物語". Yahoo!ニュース (in Japanese). Retrieved 2 March 2026.