Japanese superstar Equinox retired to Shadai Stallion Station

Equinox, the world’s highest-rated racehorse, has been retired to Shadai Stallion Station in Hokkaido following his victory in Sunday’s Japan Cup, international trade publications have reported.

A stud fee for 2024 has yet to be determined for the 4-year-old, who concluded his career winning six Grade/Group 1 races. Equinox, owned by Silk Racing Co., Ltd., and trained by Tetsuya Kimura, retires with eight wins and two runner-up efforts from 10 starts, for earnings of $15,930,077 in U.S. funds. That does not include a $3 million bonus he earned for sweeping Dubai’s Sheema Classic and the Japan Cup in the same year.

Equinox finished second in the Japanese 2000 Guineas and Japanese Derby last year before embarking on his win streak. He won the Tenno Sho Autumn and the Arima Kinen to secure Japanese Horse of the Year honors.

Equinox made his lone start outside of Japan to win the Sheema Classic by 3 1/2 lengths over 2022 Irish Derby winner Westover, who went on to win a Group 1 in France and finish second in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

:: Bet with the Best! Get FREE All-Access PPs and Weekly Cashback when you wager on DRF Bets.

Equinox went on to win the Takarazuka Kinen and another Tenno Sho Autumn. In his finale, he rolled by four lengths in the Japan Cup over Japanese Triple Tiara winner Liberty Island.

Equinox will be standing alongside his sire, two-time Japanese Horse of the Year Kitasan Black, at Shadai. Kitasan Black covered the largest book in Japan for 2023, with 242 mares, and his fee will double to 20 million yen – or about $135,161 U.S. dollars – for 2024.

Kitasan Black is by Black Tide, a full brother to Japanese Triple Crown winner and influential sire Deep Impact. That makes Equinox's great-grandsire dual American classic winner Sunday Silence, a champion who went on to a breed-shaping career in Japan.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.