Mr. C.B.

"The Triple Crown Champion Who Paved the Way"

Mr. C.B. was one of the defining Japanese Thoroughbreds of the early 1980s, a dark bay stallion foaled on 7 April 1980 and bred by Chigira Bokujo. Racing for Marunuma Onsen Hotel Co., Ltd. under trainer Yasuhisa Matsuyama, he was sired by the celebrated Triple Crown winner Tosho Boy out of C.B. Queen, with the French-bred Topyo as his damsire. His pedigree combined stamina, determination and classic quality, traits that would define his career.

Although his racing career lasted only fifteen starts, it was one of remarkable quality. Mr. C.B. retired with a record of 15 starts, 8 wins, 3 second-place finishes and 1 third, earning ¥409,598,100 in prize money. He showed promise as a two-year-old in 1982, winning twice from three outings, but it was the following season that elevated him into racing immortality.

At three years of age, Mr. C.B. produced one of the finest Classic campaigns in Japanese racing history. After winning the Yayoi Sho, traditionally one of the principal trials for the Classics, he captured the Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) at Nakayama Racecourse on 17 April 1983. Just six weeks later, he conquered the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) over 2,400 metres, proving his stamina and class over Japan's most prestigious Classic distance.

His crowning achievement came that autumn in the Kikuka Sho, where victory secured the Japanese Triple Crown. In doing so, Mr. C.B. became only the third horse in history to win Japan's three Classic races, following St. Lite (1941) and Shinzan (1964). It was an achievement that had eluded Japanese racing for nearly twenty years and firmly established him among the country's greatest racehorses.

The significance of his Triple Crown became even greater with hindsight. Just one year later, Symboli Rudolf completed the same feat, making 1983 and 1984 the only consecutive seasons to produce Japanese Triple Crown winners. Together, Mr. C.B. and Symboli Rudolf ushered in one of the most celebrated eras in Japanese Thoroughbred racing.

Mr. C.B. continued racing beyond his Classic season, demonstrating that he was far more than a one-year phenomenon. In 1984 he raced four times, recording another Grade 1 victory in the Tenno Sho (Autumn) against older horses, proving that his ability extended well beyond his three-year-old campaign. He remained in training as a five-year-old, making two further appearances before retiring from racing. While his Triple Crown naturally became the defining chapter of his career, his later performances confirmed him as one of the outstanding horses of his generation.

Behind the champion was a carefully managed upbringing. Historical records show that Mr. C.B. was weaned at Okamoto Farm before moving to Chigira Farm in March 1981, where he underwent his early breaking and conditioning. Only after this foundation work was he transferred to Yasuhisa Matsuyama's Miho Training Centre stable. His development reflected the patient approach often taken with Classic prospects, allowing him to mature into one of Japan's finest colts.

Following retirement, Mr. C.B. entered stud, contributing to Japanese Thoroughbred breeding for many years. While his influence as a sire never quite matched his brilliance on the racecourse, his legacy was already secure. He retired as the 1983 Japanese Horse of the Year, a Japanese Derby winner, Satsuki Sho winner, Kikuka Sho winner, Tenno Sho (Autumn) winner, and one of the select few horses ever to complete the Japanese Triple Crown.

More than four decades later, Mr. C.B. remains one of the defining Classic horses of the Showa era—a champion whose elegant stride, determination and extraordinary 1983 campaign continue to inspire racing fans and Uma Musume enthusiasts alike.

Historical Note

Among Mr. C.B.'s most memorable rivals was Katsuragi Ace, another outstanding horse of the same generation. Their rivalry became one of the defining stories of Japanese racing during the mid-1980s, with both horses regularly competing at the highest level.

The respect held for that rivalry endured long after both horses had retired. Mr. C.B.'s name is engraved on Katsuragi Ace's gravestone, recalling their unforgettable battles and expressing a wish to see them race together once more.

"I remembered your performance at that Japan Cup. I was moved by what you did in that Japan Cup. I wish to see you race against Mr. C.B. again."

The inscription was later referenced in the happy ending of Katsuragi Ace's career story in Uma Musume, preserving one of Japanese racing's most touching tributes to sporting rivalry.

Sources

• JBIS-Search: Mr. C.B.
• Wikipedia: Mr. C.B.
• NetKeiba: Mr. C.B.