Mick Fire (male, 6, Watanabe Kazuo stable), a horse affiliated with Tokyo City Keiba (TCK), will retire from racing after his run in the Santa Anita Trophy (SIII) on Wednesday, July 22, where he finished 12th as the 8th favorite in a 15-horse field. After retiring, he is set to stand at stud at Rex Stud. To honor his achievement as the last horse to complete an unbeaten Minami-Kanto Classic Triple Crown, TCK will hold a retirement ceremony for him at Oi Racecourse on Wednesday, October 7.
Mick Fire's Racing Record (as of Wednesday, September 2)
- Sex/Age: Male, 6 years old
- Pedigree: Sire: Sinister Minister / Dam: Mariage / Damsire: Brian's Time
- Owner: Hoshika Koichi
- Breeder: Takahashi Farm
- Stable: Watanabe Kazuo stable
- Record: 21 starts, 7 wins, 0 seconds
- Career earnings: ¥197,450,000
- Major wins: [2023] Haneda Hai (SI), Tokyo Derby (SI), Japan Dirt Derby (JpnI)
Retirement Ceremony
Date: Wednesday, October 7, after the final race of the day (around 8:50 PM)
Venue: Oi Racecourse, winner's podium and main track
*Further details will be announced on the TCK website and other channels once finalized.
Since debuting at TCK in September 2022, Mick Fire built an unbeaten winning streak despite being troubled by injuries along the way. Then in 2023, with jockey Mikamoto Norifumi aboard, he swept the Haneda Hai (SI), the Tokyo Derby (SI), and the Japan Dirt Derby (JpnI) — the "Minami-Kanto Classic Triple Crown" — without a single loss, an achievement that will go down in the history of regional horse racing.
This made him only the second horse ever to win the Triple Crown undefeated, following Toshin Blizzard (2001), who was affiliated with Funabashi, 22 years earlier — and the first homegrown Oi horse ever to do so. 2023 was also the final year before the current "Three-Year-Old Dirt Triple Crown" series took effect, meaning Mick Fire became the horse who brought the curtain down on the history of the Minami-Kanto Classic Triple Crown, making him a star horse for TCK.
That same autumn, he went on to win the Derby Grand Prix (M1) in Iwate and was named Best Three-Year-Old Colt at the NAR Grand Prix 2023. The following year, in 2024, he took on JRA graded races such as the February Stakes (GI), continuing to challenge top horses from both central and regional racing. He finished his racing career with a record of 21 starts and 7 wins. Going forward, he will pass on his potential to the next generation as a stallion.
The retirement ceremony on Wednesday, October 7, will be a chance to see Mick Fire in action one last time, so fans are encouraged to gather at Oi Racecourse. Everyone is also invited to look forward to the future success of Mick Fire's offspring.
Trainer Watanabe Kazuo's Comment
My best memory with Mick Fire is the Japan Dirt Derby (JDD), the third leg of his Triple Crown. There had been so many hard moments leading up to it, but the JDD was unlike any race before it — several times during the race I thought, "It's not going to happen today." He shook off that feeling and won anyway, and that was the only time, before or since, that I've cried tears of joy. I still remember the sight of so many fans celebrating that win at Oi.
With memories like that, I had always hoped he would become a stallion, and I'm truly happy that he's entering stud at Rex Stud, in Shizunai, the place where he was born, and such a wonderful facility. It's a regret that he wasn't blessed with more wins once he became an older horse, but I feel like I've been given the chance to continue that dream through his offspring winning graded races as older horses. There's some sadness, but I want to send him off with a smile.
Jockey Mikamoto Norifumi's Comment
I began riding Mick Fire once he turned three, and we won the Haneda Hai, the Tokyo Derby, and the JDD one after another, then went on to win the Derby Grand Prix too. Having fans cheering for both the horse and me along that Classic campaign is a huge asset to me. I feel we did good work together, and he's become a special horse for me.
I understand he'll be entering stud now, and I just hope he stays healthy and well. Since his sire is Sinister Minister, I hope he sends out plenty of good foals, and I'm looking forward to the chance to ride one of Mick Fire's offspring myself.
