Orfevre named Japan Horse of Year

Orfevre, winner of the Japanese Triple Crown and the Arima Kinen against older horses on Christmas Day, has been named Japan’s 2011 Horse of the Year.

A colt by Stay Gold, Orfevre won 6 of 8 starts in 2011. He lost his first two starts and then scored six consecutive wins, a span that included the Japanese 1000 Guineas, Japanese Derby, and Japanese St. Leger.

Trained by Yasutoshi Ikee for Sunday Racing, Orfevre is scheduled to stay in training this year.