Nakayama Festa was best known as the Japanese racehorse that came the closest to winning the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
Nakayama Festa, the legendary Japanese racehorse that inspired the Umamusume: Pretty Derby character of the same name, has died. He was 20 years old.
Nakayama Festa was a son of the iconic Japanese sire Stay Gold and a half-brother of many of other legendary racehorses Orfevre, Gold Ship, Dream Journey, Fenomeno, and Oju Chosan. Nakayama Festa won the 2010 Takarazuka Kinen and was the Japanese racehorse that came the closest to winning the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, the premier French G1 race that the Japanese horseracing industry has long sought to win.
Nakayama Festa's passing was announced through social media by Urakawa Yushun Village AERU, the retirement home for Japanese racehorses in Hokkaido where he spent the last three years of his life. The retirement home had previously reported that Nakayama Festa was experiencing health issues since early August.
“Veterinarians performed examinations and treatment, and our staff continued to do everything possible to assist. However, due to inability to stand caused by weakness, Nakayama Festa passed away at 0:54 AM on August 23,” a machine translation of Urakawa Yushun Village AERU's announcement read.
"We express our heartfelt gratitude to the veterinarians who devoted themselves to treatment, as well as to everyone involved. Furthermore, we extend our sincere thanks to all the fans across the country who loved and warmly supported Nakayama Festa."
Umamusume: Pretty Derby developer Cygames also released a statement shortly after news of Nakayama Festa's passing came out, with a machine translation of their statement reading “along with offering our condolences to all those involved, we sincerely pray for the repose of this great racehorse's soul.”
Nakayama Festa's life and career
Nakayama Festa was born on 5 April, 2006, sired by Stay Gold out of Dear Wink. Stay Gold had a prolific racing career from 1996 to 2001 and became known as a “Silver Collector” since he often placed second in Japanese G1 races but never won a single one. Despite that, Stay Gold won his first and only G1 in the 2001 Hong Kong Vase, the final race of his career. After retiring to stud, Stay Gold went on to produce some of the greatest racehorses Japan has ever seen, with Nakayama Festa among them.
His name came from a combination of the crown name "Nakayama" from owner Shinichi Izumi and "Festa" for the meaning of "national holiday". Nakayama Festa was owned by the Izumi family during his career, first by Nobuko Izumi–who was said to have loved the horse dearly–and then by her father Shinichi. Nakayama Festa raced from 2008 to 2011, winning five races out of 15 starts.
Nakayama Festa was trained at the Miho Training Center and made his debut in November 2008, winning a 1,600-meter turf race on Tokyo Racecourse. He then followed up his victorious debut by winning the G3 Tokyo Sports Hai Nisai Stakes later that month.
Nakayama Festa began his three-year-old season in 2009 by running in the G3 Keisei Hai, placing second despite being the odds-on favourite. He then challenged the first leg of the Japanese Classic Triple Crown, the Satsuki Sho, in April but ran poorly and placed eighth. In the second leg, the Japanese Derby, in May, Nakayama Festa produced a stronger performance but could only finish fourth.
Nakayama Festa then rested for four months before running again in the G2 St. Lite Kinen in September, where he won as the second favourite. In the final leg of the Classic Triple Crown, the Kikuka Sho, in October, Nakayama Festa only finished 12th. His poor form continued to his last race of the year at the G3 Chunichi Shimbun Hai in December, where he placed 13th.
Tragedy then followed at the end of the year, as Nobuko Izumi passed away from cancer. Her father Shinichi would then take over ownership of Nakayama Festa.
Nakayama Festa began his four-year-old season in 2010 by winning the open-class Metropolitan Stakes in April, then registered for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in May. He then entered the G1 Takarazuka Kinen in June, where he faced stiff competition from the likes of his half-brother Dream Journey and top-class mare Buena Vista. Despite the odds stacked against him, Nakayama Festa won claimed his first and only G1 win in that year's Takarazuka Kinen.
Nakayama Festa then headed to France to challenge the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, with his expedition team being named "Team Sumire no Hana" in honor of the late Nobuko Izumi.
Nakayama Festa began his campaign in France by challenging the G2 Prix Foy, the trial race for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, where he finished second. Nakayama Festa then entered the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in October as the 10th favourite. He raced neck-and-neck with British horse Workforce, and only finished second by a neck–the closest that a Japanese racehorse would come to winning that prestigious race.
After his loss in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, Nakayama Festa returned to Japan to compete in the Japan Cup in November. However, he only finished 14th and was later found to have developed a hemorrhage in his left shoulder and his left front leg's knee. As a result, Nakayama Festa missed out on running in the Arima Kinen. But his efforts that year still earned him the Japanese Racing Association Award for Best Older Male Horse.
Nakayama Festa's last season racing in 2011 was not spent in Japan, as his team attempted to claim the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe victory that narrowly eluded them the year before. Unfortunately, Nakayama Festa was unable to muster the same performance he had in 2010, as he only finished fourth in the Prix Foy and 11th in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
Nakayama Festa ended his racing career and retired to stud in October 2011, performing stud duties at the Breeders Stallion Station and Arrow Stud. His most notable progeny is Babbitt, who won the St. Lite Kinen just like his father in 2020.
After retiring from stud duty in July 2023, Nakayama Festa lived as a meritorious horse in the Urakawa Yushun Village AERU until his passing.
Nakayama Festa is the second Japanese racehorse used as a basis for an Umamusume character to pass away this month, following the passing of Tsurumaru Tsuyoshi on 2 August.
Three other notable Japanese horses have also passed away since August last year. Grass Wonder passed away in early August 2025, followed by Haru Urara in early September, and Gentildonna in late November.
