Air Messiah

Air Messiah
エアメサイア
Air Messiah at 2005 Queen Elizabeth II Cup Paddock
SireSunday Silence[1]
GrandsireHalo[1]
DamAir Deja Vu[1]
DamsireNorthern Taste[1]
SexMare[1]
Foaled4 February 2002[2]
Died12 September 2014 (aged 12)[3]
CountryJapan
ColourBay
BreederShadai Farm[4]
OwnerLucky Field Co., Ltd.
TrainerYuji Ito
JockeyYutaka Take
Record12: 4-4-2[5]
Earnings¥335,538,000[4]
Major wins
Rose Stakes (2005)
Shuka Sho (2005)
Last updated on 8 January 2026

Air Messiah (Japanese エアメサイア, 4 February 2002–12 September 2014) was a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse and a broodmare. She was one of the best fillies in 2005 when she snatched both Rose Stakes and Shuka Sho.[5] Her name came from the crown name Air and Messiah which meant saviour in English.

Racing career

She only raced once in her debut and manage to win it.[6] The next year, she placed second in Shiraume Sho and gone back to winning ways in the Elfin Stakes.[7][8] Then, she went onto the preparation race in the Fillies' Revue, a major trial race for the Oka Sho, over 1400 metres at Hanshin on 19 February. She battled mostly with the eventual winner, Rhein Kraft and finished in third, a neck behind her.[9] She also lost to Rhein Kraft in the Oka Sho where she ineffectively tried to run on the outside track but failed to catch up and ended up in fourth place.[10] The next month in the Yushun Himba, she ran closely to the lead and only got caught up by Cesario near the end and only lost to her by a neck.[11] In the autumn campaign, she opened this section with a comfortable win in the Rose Stakes over Rhein Kraft when she overtook her just before the finish line.[12] She repeated this feat again in the Shuka Sho wherein she chased the middle of the pack throughout the race, then took the lead early in the straight and won by a neck ahead of Rhein Kraft.[13] She finished her season this year with a fifth-place finish in the Queen Elizabeth II Cup, ended the winning streak of Yutaka Take in this competition.[14]

The next season, she started her year early in the Nakayama Kinen. Balance of Game ran out early in that race and win it by five lengths over Daiwa Major whilst Air Messiah herself ended up in third place, one and three quarters length behind him.[15] She had another battle with Rhein Kraft in the Hanshin Himba Stakes in which she lost by a neck to the line.[16] In the inaugurated race of Victoria Mile, she ran mostly at the back and chased at the end of the race but just a bit short of Dance in The Mood and finished second, one and a quarter length behind.[17] Air Messiah suffered an ingrown nail injury after the race and she got sidelined for the whole year. Her condition never improved and she had to be retired on 28 February 2007.[18]

Racing form

Air Messiah won four races and placed in another six out of 12 starts. All the data available is based on JBIS and Netkeiba.[19][5]

Date Track Race Grade Distance
(Condition) 		Entry HN Odds
(Favored) 		Finish Time Margins Jockey Winner
(Runner-up)
2004 – two-year-old season
Nov 16 Kyoto 2yo Newcomer 1,600 m (Firm) 15 5 1.4 (1) 1st 1:38.0 –0.2 Yutaka Take (Bubble Fantasy)
2005 – three-year-old season
Jan 15 Kyoto Shiraume Sho ALW (1W) 1,600 m (Firm) 13 9 4.5 (2) 2nd 1:36.8 0.3 Yutaka Take Dia de la Novia
Feb 5 Kyoto Elfin Stakes OP 1,600 m (Firm) 12 6 4.9 (2) 1st 1:36.0 0.0 Yutaka Take (Judeite)
Mar 13 Hanshin Fillies' Revue 2 1,400 m (Firm) 15 10 5.3 (3) 3rd 1:21.3 0.1 Yutaka Take Rhein Kraft
Apr 10 Hanshin Oka Sho 1 1,600 m (Firm) 18 15 6.5 (3) 4th 1:33.9 0.4 Yutaka Take Rhein Kraft
May 22 Tokyo Yushun Himba 1 2,400 m (Firm) 18 5 8.6 (2) 2nd 2:28.8 0.0 Yutaka Take Cesario
Sep 18 Hanshin Rose Stakes 2 2,000 m (Firm) 15 9 2.4 (2) 1st 2:00.1 –0.1 Yutaka Take (Rhein Kraft)
Oct 16 Kyoto Shuka Sho 1 2,000 m (Firm) 18 10 2.5 (2) 1st 1:59.2 0.0 Yutaka Take (Rhein Kraft)
Nov 13 Hanshin Queen Elizabeth II Cup 1 2,200 m (Firm) 18 11 2.5 (1) 5th 2:13.2 0.7 Yutaka Take Sweep Tosho
2006 – four-year-old season
Feb 26 Nakayama Nakayama Kinen 2 1,800 m (Soft) 12 12 8.2 (4) 3rd 1:50.0 1.1 Yutaka Take Balance of Game
Apr 8 Hanshin Hanshin Himba Stakes 2 1,400 m (Firm) 12 12 3.3 (2) 2nd 1:21.7 0.5 Yutaka Take Rhein Kraft
May 14 Tokyo Victoria Mile 1 1,600 m (Good) 18 18 5.4 (3) 2nd 1:34.2 0.2 Yutaka Take Dance in the Mood

Legend:
  Turf

Broodmare career and death

She entered broodmare duty in Shadai Farm in 2007 and foaled her first progeny in 2008 which was Air One Piece.[20] Her fourth progeny, Air Spinel had a good career when he won three graded stakes race (Kyoto Kimpai, Fuji Stakes and Daily Hai Nisai Stakes) whilst her final foal, Air Windsor was the winner of the Challenge Cup.[21] She died in an accident whilst grazing around on 12 September 2014.[3]

Pedigree

Pedigree of Air Messiah (JPN), bay mare, 2002[2][1]
Sire
Sunday Silence (USA)
1986 		Halo (USA)
1969 		Hail to Reason Turn-to
Nothirdchance
Cosmah Cosmic Bomb
Almahmoud
Wishing Well (USA)
1975 		Understanding Promised Land
Pretty Ways
Mountain Flower Montparnasse
Edelweiss
Dam
Air Deja Vu (JPN)
1995 		Northern Taste (CAN)
1971 		Northern Dancer Nearctic
Natalma
Lady Victoria Victoria Park
Lady Angela
I Dreamed a Dream (USA)
1987 		Well Decorated Raja Baba
Paris Breeze
Hidden Trail Gleaming
Tobacco Trail (Family:4-r)[1]

An anthropomorphized version of Air Messiah appears as a character in the media frachise Umamusume: Pretty Derby.[22]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Air Messiah Pedigree | Horse Profile". netkeiba. NET DREAMERS, Co., Ltd. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
  2. ^ a b "Air Messiah pedigree". Equineline. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
  3. ^ a b "エアメサイアが死亡｜競馬実況web｜競馬｜ラジオNIKKEI" [Air Messiah dies]. ラジオNIKKEI (in Japanese). 12 September 2014. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
  4. ^ a b "Air Messiah(JPN) | JBIS-Search". www.jbis.jp. Japan Bloodhorse Breeders' Association. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
  5. ^ a b c "Air Messiah Race Record and Form | Horse Profile". netkeiba. NET DREAMERS, Co., Ltd. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
  6. ^ "2yo Debut Full Result | 21 NOV 2004 R5 Kyoto Racing Information (JRA)". netkeiba. NET DREAMERS, Co., Ltd. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
  7. ^ "SHIRAUME SHO Full Result | 15 JAN 2005 R9 Kyoto Racing Information (JRA)". netkeiba. NET DREAMERS, Co., Ltd. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
  8. ^ "ELFIN STAKES (OP) Full Result | 05 FEB 2005 R10 Kyoto Racing Information (JRA)". netkeiba. NET DREAMERS, Co., Ltd. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
  9. ^ "フィリーズレビュー、ラインクラフト差し切り | 競馬ニュース" [Fillies Revue, Rhein Kraft Wins by a Neck]. netkeiba (in Japanese). NET DREAMERS, Co., Ltd. 13 March 2005. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
  10. ^ "桜花賞、ラインクラフトが制す | 競馬ニュース" [Rhein Kraft wins the Oka Sho]. netkeiba (in Japanese). NET DREAMERS, Co., Ltd. 10 April 2005. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
  11. ^ "エアメサイア | 馬・牧場・施設検索 | 競走馬のふるさと案内所" [Air Messiah]. uma-furusato.com. JBBA. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
  12. ^ "エアメサイア、ラインクラフトを差し切る | 競馬ニュース" [Air Messiah overtakes Rhein Kraft]. netkeiba (in Japanese). NET DREAMERS, Co., Ltd. 18 September 2005. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
  13. ^ "エアメサイア、母娘2代にわたる悲願達成 | 競馬ニュース" [Air Messiah: A mother-daughter dream come true]. netkeiba (in Japanese). 16 October 2005. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
  14. ^ "Sweep Tosho Triumphs in Japan's QE II Cup". www.bloodhorse.com. Bloodhorse LLC. 13 November 2005. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
  15. ^ "NAKAYAMA KINEN (G2) Full Result | 26 FEB 2006 R11 Nakayama Racing Information (JRA)". netkeiba. NET DREAMERS, Co., Ltd. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
  16. ^ "阪神牝馬S、ラインクラフトが久々の重賞V | 競馬ニュース" [Hanshin Himba Stakes: Rhein Kraft wins first major race in a long time]. netkeiba (in Japanese). NET DREAMERS, Co., Ltd. 8 April 2006. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
  17. ^ "VICTORIA MILE (G1) Full Result | 14 MAY 2006 R11 Tokyo Racing Information (JRA)". netkeiba. NET DREAMERS, Co., Ltd. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
  18. ^ "エアメサイアが競走馬登録を抹消｜競馬実況web｜競馬｜ラジオNIKKEI" [Air Messiah removed from racing horse registration]. ラジオNIKKEI (in Japanese). 28 February 2007. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
  19. ^ "Race Records | Air Messiah(JPN) | JBIS-Search". www.jbis.jp. Japan Bloodhorse Breeders' Association. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
  20. ^ "Family | Air Messiah(JPN) | JBIS-Search". www.jbis.jp. Japan Bloodhorse Breeders' Association. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
  21. ^ "Air Messiah All Progeny | Horse Profile". netkeiba. NET DREAMERS, Co., Ltd. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
  22. ^ "「ウマ娘」の新キャラクターにラインクラフト、エアメサイア、デアリングハートが登場！". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). 2024-02-04. Retrieved 2026-01-11.
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