Byzantine Dream
Byzantine Dream (Japanese: ビザンチンドリーム, foaled January 28, 2021) is a 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 | |
|---|---|
 Byzantine Dream at the 2024 Japanese Derby | |
| Breed | Thoroughbred |
| Sire | Epiphaneia |
| Grandsire | Symboli Kris S |
| Dam | Japoni Chara |
| Damsire | Jungle Pocket |
| Sex | Stallion |
| Foaled | January 28, 2021 |
| Country | Oficial flag of Japan|20px Japan |
| Colour | Chestnut |
| Breeder | Northern Farm |
| Owner | Kazumi Yoshida |
| Trainer | Tomokasu Sakaguchi |
| Record | 4 wins 11 starts[lower-alpha 1] |
| Earnings | 459,441,900JPY[lower-alpha 2] |
| Major wins | |
| Kisaragi Sho (GIII, 2024) Red Sea Turf Handicap (GII, 2025) Prix Foy (GII, 2025) | |
Byzantine Dream (Japanese: ビザンチンドリーム, foaled January 28, 2021) is a Japanese thoroughbred racehorse. His major wins include the 2024 Kisaragi Sho, the 2025 Red Sea Turf Handicap, and the 2025 Prix Foy.[1]
Background
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] Epiphanea'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]
Racing career
2023: two-year-old season
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 Bawuljan Murzabayev, and won over A Shin Bonaparte by three lengths. This was his first and only race as a two-year-old.[1]
2024: three-year-old season
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 bega 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 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]
_(G1,_3yo)_Turf_2400m_at_Tokyo_racecourse_(53746109267).jpg)
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 ran with a new partnership with jockey Junya 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 for the first time since the Kikuka Sho. Despite a race with frequent lead changes, he calmly made a late charge and finished fifth.
2025: four-year-old season
Byzantine Dream's four-year-old season began with the American Jockey Club Cup.[12] He ran 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 both the horse's and and jockey, Oisin Murphy's, first graded race victory.[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 charge, 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]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 https://en.netkeiba.com/db/horse/2021105587/
- ↑ "LONGINES WORLD'S BEST RACEHORSE RANKINGS 2014". International Federation of Horse Racing Authorities. Retrieved November 13, 2025.
- ↑ "Winners of the 2014 JRA Awards announced". japanracing.jp. Retrieved November 13, 2025.
- ↑ "Epiphaneia". Netkeiba. Retrieved November 13, 2025.
- ↑ "Japoni Chara". Netkeiba. Retrieved November 13, 2025.
- ↑ "競馬用語辞典" (in Japanese). Japan Racing Association. Retrieved November 13, 2025.CS1 maint: Unrecognized language (link)
- ↑ "ビザンチンドリームがデビュー２連勝で重賞初Ｖ 鞍上ピーヒュレクもJRA重賞初Ｖ／きさらぎ賞" (in 日本語). Nikkan Sports. Retrieved November 13, 2025.
- ↑ "【きさらぎ賞】ビザンチンドリームがレースレコードで重賞初勝利 ピーヒュレク騎手「信じて乗りました」" (in 日本語). Sanspo. Retrieved November 13, 2025.
- ↑ "【皐月賞】ビザンチンドリームは末脚不発１３着「もっと脚を使えた」ムルザバエフは４角の不利を悔やむ" (in 日本語). tospo-keiba.jp. Retrieved November 13, 2025.
- ↑ "【日本ダービー結果＆コメント】ダノンデサイルが３歳頂点 横山典「ちゃんと大事にしていれば馬は応えてくれる」" (in 日本語). tospo-keiba.jp. Retrieved November 13, 2025.
- ↑ "【神戸新聞杯】ビザンチンドリームは末脚伸ばすも馬場と展開向かず6着 幸英明騎手「次はもっとよくなる」" (in 日本語). Netkeiba. Retrieved November 13, 2025.
- ↑ "菊花賞５着ビザンチンドリーム始動 好走で初の海外遠征に弾み「ポテンシャルはある」／AJCC" (in 日本語). Nikkan Sports. Retrieved November 13, 2025.
- ↑ "ビザンチンドリームがレッドシーターフハンデキャップ、ウインマーベルが１３５１ターフスプリントの招待を受諾【次走報】" (in 日本語). tospo-keiba.jp. Retrieved November 13, 2025.
- ↑ "【レッドシーターフH】ビザンチンドリームが末脚一閃、コンティニュアスらを撃破" (in 日本語). jra-van.jp. Retrieved November 13, 2025.
- ↑ "【天皇賞・春】ビザンチンドリームは直線猛追も2着 シュタルケ騎手「悔しいです」" (in 日本語). sanspo. Retrieved November 13, 2025.
- ↑ "ビザンチンドリーム 凱旋門賞に挑戦 クロワデュノールと出国し前哨戦にフォワ賞" (in 日本語). Netkeiba. Retrieved November 13, 2025.
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