Sweep Tosho

Background

Sweep Tosho is a bay mare bred in Japan by her owner Tosho Sangyo Corporation. She was sired by End Sweep an American horse who won six races in the United States including the Grade III Jersey Shore Breeders' Cup Stakes in 1994 and was later imported to Japan to become a breeding stallion. His other progeny have included Admire Moon, Swept Overboard (Metropolitan Handicap) and Rhein Kraft (Oka Sho). Sweep Tosho's dam Tabatha Tosho showed modest racing ability, winning one minor race in 1997 from five starts. She was a distant, female-line descendant of the influential British broodmare Ballantrae.

During her racing career Sweep Tosho was trained by Sadao Watanabe before moving to the stable of Akio Tsurudome in 2004. She was ridden in most of her races by Kenichi Ikezoe.

2003: two-year-old season

Sweep Tosho made a successful track debut in a contest for previously unraced over 1400 metres at Kyoto Racecourse on 18 October. Three weeks later she was moved up in class for the Grade III Fantasy Stakes over the same course and distance and won again, beating Royal Selangor and ten other fillies. She was stepped up in class again in December for the Grade I Hanshin Juvenile Fillies over 1600 metres. In a blanket finish, she finished fifth behind Yamanin Sucre, Yamanin Alcyon, Concordia and Royal Selangor, beaten less than one and a half lengths by the winner.

2004: three-year-old season

On her first appearance as a three-year-old Sweep Tosho won the Hobai Stakes over 1400 metres in January before contesting the Grade III Tulip Sho (a trial race for the Oka Sho) over 1600 metres at Hanshin in March. She won from Azuma Sanders with Yamanin Sucre in third place. In the Oka Sho, over the same course and distance on 11 April she finished fifth of the eighteen runners behind Dance In The Mood, Azuma Sanders, Yamanin Sucre and Move of Sunday. On 23 May the filly was moved up in distance for the Yushun Himba over 2400 metres at Tokyo Racecourse and finished three-quarters of a length second to Daiwa El Cielo with a gap of three lengths back to the others who were headed by Yamanin Alabaster, Dance In The Mood and Yamanin Sucre.

After a break of almost four months Sweep Tosho returned in September for the Grade II Rose Stakes (a trial for the Shuka Sho) over 200 metres at Hanshin and finished third behind Les Clefs d'Or and Glorious Days. In the Shuka Sho over the same distance on 17 October she faced seventeen opponents including Les Clefs d'Or, Glorious Days, Dance In The Mood, Yamanin Sucre, Yamanin Alabaster and Azuma Sanders. Sweep Tosho recorded her first Grade I success as she won by half a length from Yamanin Sucre with the pair finishing five lengths clear of Winglet in third place. On her final appearance of the season the filly was matched against older fillies and mares in the Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup at Kyoto in November and finished fifth behind the four-year-old Admire Groove.

2005: four-year-old season

Sweep Tosho did not appear in 2005 until 8 May when she took on male opposition in the Listed Miyakooji Stakes at Kyoto and finished fifth behind the colt Keisi Guard. On 5 June at Tokyo she started a 16.6/1 outsider in the Grade I Yasuda Kinen over 1600 metres. In a closely contested finish she produced a strong late run to take second place behind Asakusa Den'En with the Hong Kong challengers Silent Witness and Bullish Luck in third and fourth. Three weeks later she was stepped up in distance for the Grade I Takarazuka Kinen over 2200 metres at Hanshinn in which she faced a field which included Zenno Rob Roy, Tap Dance City, Heart's Cry, Still in Love, Admire Groove and the NAR champion Cosmo Bulk. She recorded her second win at the highest level as she held off the late challenge of Heart's Cry to win by a neck with Zenno Rob Roy a length and a quarter back in third.

After a three-month summer break, Sweep Tosho returned for the Mainichi Okan (a trial race for the autumn edition of the Tenno Sho) at Tokyo on 9 October and finished sixth behind Sunrise Pegasus. In the Tenno Sho three weeks later over 2000 metres at the same track she started the 8/1 third favourite and finished fifth of the eighteen runners behind Heavenly Romance, Zenno Rob Roy, Dance In The Mood and Asakusa Den'En, beaten less than two lengths by the winner. On her final appearance of the year, Sweep Tosho returned to all-female competition to make her second attempt to win the Queen Eliabeth II Commemorative Cup and started the 1.8/1 second choice in the betting. Several of her old rivals were in opposition including Admire Groove, Yamanin Alabaster, Yamanin Sucre, Les Clefs d'Or, but her most serious threat appeared to come from the three-year-old Air Messiah, who had won the Shuka Sho in October. She won her second Grade I of the season, and the third of her career, as she prevailed by half a length from Osumi Haruka, with Admire Groove two and a half lengths back in third place. After the race Akio Tsurudome commented "Her form hadn't improved that much since her last run, but she was a lot calmer today. She did a good job of coming out of a jam. She was incredible. I thought we were going to have to settle for second place".

In January 2006 Sweep Tosho won the JRA Award for Best Older Filly or Mare.

2006: five-year-old season

Sweep Tosho missed the spring and summer of 2006 before making her first appearance as a five-year-old in the Grade II Kyoto Daishoten over 2400 metres on 8 October. She the race from the seven-year-old Fast Tateyama and the five-year-old Tosho Knight. She then ran for the second time in the autumn Tenno Sho and finished fifth of the sixteen runners behind Daiwa Major. In November she contested her third consecutive Queen Elizabeth II Cup and finished third behind Kawakami Princess and Fusaichi Pandora, although she was promoted to second when the winner was disqualified. In December she was one of fourteen horses invited to contest the Arima Kinen over 2500 metres at Nakayama Racecourse. She started a 29/1 outsider and finished tenth behind Deep Impact.

2007: six-year-old season

Sweep Tosho remained in training as a six-year-old but failed to win in four races. In spring she finished second to Kongo Rikishio in the Milers Cup at Hanshin and then ran unplaced behind Koiuta in the Grade I Victoria Mile. After five months off the track she returned in October and was dropped in distance to finish fourth behind Super Hornet in the Grade II Swan Stakes over 1400 metres at Kyoto. She ended her racing career by running for the fourth time in the Queen Elizabeth II Cup on 11 November. She finished third of the thirteen runners behind Daiwa Scarlet and Fusaichi Pandora, beaten two lengths by the winner.

Breeding record

Sweep Tosho was retired from racing to become a broodmare for her owner's stud. She has produced at least three foals, all of whom have won races:

Pedigree