Equinox to stand for a record-breaking ¥20 million at Shadai Stallion Station for 2024

Equinox, the top-ranked racehorse in the world and victor of the Japan Cup last month, will stand for a ¥20 million (approx. $140,000) fee at Shadai Stallion Station in Hokkaido, Japan, according to social media reports.

After winning the Japan Cup with an exciting rally down the stretch in front of more than 85,000 fans at Tokyo racecourse, Equinox was retired to stud on November 30. Now, he reportedly will stand for a fee that is the highest ever for a freshman sire in Japan.

The four-year-old Equinox will also stand for the same fee as his sire, Kitasan Black, which would match the top fee in the country next year. Kitasan Black, whose fee doubled for 2024, also stands at Shadai Stallion Station.

Equinox and Christophe Lemaire win the 2023 Japan Cup

Owned by Silk Racing and trained by Tetsuya Kimura, Equinox ended his racing career with an 8-2-0 mark from ten starts and $15,930,077 in earnings. His two second-place finishes came in his first two Grade 1 races. He then followed that by winning the next six Grade 1s culminating with the Japan Cup.

"Looking back in recent times of Japanese racing history, there are not many colts and horses who have won Grade 1 races continuously, so in that sense...it is really tremendous," the trainer said prior to the Japan Cup.

In that final race, Equinox found himself trailing by as many as 20 lengths but he caught front-running Panthalassa with about 1 1/4 furlongs left and pulled away for a four-length triumph.

There will be a retirement ceremony held for Equinox at Nakayama racecourse in Funabashi, Japan, on December 16. It will be broadcast on the Japan Racing Association's YouTube channel.

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World's highest-rated horse Equinox retired to stand at stud following Japan Cup triumph