was a Japanese racehorse. His notable achievements include finishing second in the 2014 Kikuka Sho, 2015 Arima Kinen, and 2016 Japan Cup. Although he only won twice in a maiden race and a 5-million-yen class race, Sounds of Earth finished second seven times in graded stakes races, including Grade I events. Because he consistently came so close to winning a graded stakes race, Sounds of Earth was dubbed “the strongest two-win horse” during his racing career. His name is an allusion to the names of his sire Neo Universe and dam First Violin.
Racing career Sounds of Earth made his debut in October of his two-year-old season and, despite running three races that year, was unable to secure a win. However, he claimed his first victory in his first race of his three-year-old season. After finishing third in the Wakaba Stakes, he won the Hanamizuki Sho and then placed second in the Kyoto Shimbun Hai, earning enough prize money to qualify for the Tokyo Yushun, where he ultimately finished 11th.
In his first race of the fall, the Kobe Shimbun Hai, he put up a strong fight, finishing a close second behind Derby winner One and Only, and he continued to make a name for himself by finishing second behind Toho Jackal in the subsequent Kikuka Sho.
Although his performance was somewhat lackluster during his four-year-old season, he finished second, a neck behind Gold Actor, in the Arima Kinen.
As a 5-year-old, he struggled in the spring just as he had the previous year, but in, the Japan Cup, he finished second behind Kitasan Black. He finished eighth in the Arima Kinen.
In 2017, at age six, Sounds off Earth made his first overseas attempt in the Dubai Sheema Classic but suffered a crushing defeat, finishing sixth in a field of seven. For his first race back in Japan, he ran in the Sapporo Kinen. Ridden by Norihiro Yokoyama, he finished fourth, marking his first top-five finish since the previous year’s Japan Cup. At that time, he became the only non-King Kamehameha offspring to place in the top five. After a one-and-a-half-month break, he ran in the Kyoto Daishoten for his next start but finished 13th.
At the Sapporo Kinen at age seven, Sounds of Earth finished fourth for the second consecutive year. He then placed ninth in the Mainichi Okan and finished 14th in the Japan Cup, falling far short of Almond Eye’s record-breaking time. He retired after that year’s Arima Kinen, where he finished a lackluster 16th, bringing up the rear. His registration as a racehorse was revoked on December 27, 2018.
Racing form The following racing form is based on information available on JBIS search and netkeiba.com. DateRacecourseRaceGradeDistanceGateOddsFav.Fin.TimeMarginJockeyWinner (Runner-Up)2013 – two-year-old seasonOct 13KyotoTwo-Year-Old NewcomerMaiden2000m31.915th2:02.60.5Y.FukunagaA Shin AllonsyNov 2KyotoTwo-Year-Old MaidenMaiden1800m62.511:47.50.0M.DemuroSatono Rob RoyNov 16KyotoTwo-Year-Old MaidenMaiden1800m121.614th1:50.20.7M.DemuroShingan2014 – three-year-old seasonFeb 22KyotoThree-Year-Old MaidenMaiden2000m42.312:02.1 -0.1C.Demuro(Admire Cima)Mar 22HanshinWakaba StakesOP2000m25.532:01.80.4M.DemuroAdmire DeusApr 19HanshinHanamizuki ShoPre-OP2000m31.512:03.00.0Y.Fukunaga(Strawberry King)May 10KyotoKyoto Shimbun HaiG22200m1113.782:11.20.2S.HamanakaHagino HybridJun 1TokyoTokyo YushunG12400m177.21111th2:25.81.2S.HamanakaOne and OnlySep 28HanshinKobe Shimbun HaiG22400m1158.182:24.40.0Y.FujiokaOne and OnlyOct 26KyotoKikuka ShoG13000m48.643:01.10.1M.EbinaToho Jackal2015 – four-year-old seasonMar 28NakayamaNikkei ShoG22500m103.514th2:30.50.3M.DemuroAdmire DeusMay 3KyotoTenno Sho (Spring)G13200m156.249th3:15.40.7H.UchidaGold ShipOct 12KyotoKyoto DaishotenG22400m103.922:23.80.2S.HamanakaLovely DayNov 29TokyoJapan CupG12400m1011.355th2:25.00.3M.DemuroShonan PandoraDec 27NakayamaArima KinenG12500m99.952:33.00.0M.DemuroGold Actor2016 – five-year-old seasonMar 26NakayamaNikkei ShoG22500m42.412:36.90.1Y.FukunagaGold ActorMay 1KyotoTenno Sho (Spring)G13200m158.3515th3:18.53.2Y.FujiokaKitasan BlackOct 10KyotoKyoto DaishotenG22400m84.834th2:25.70.2M.DemuroKitasan BlackNov 27TokyoJapan CupG12400m1212.252:26.20.4M.DemuroKitasan BlackDec 25NakayamaArima KinenG12500m68.748th2:33.40.8M.DemuroSatono Diamond2017 – six-year-old seasonMar 25MeydanDubai Sheema ClassicG12410m46.546th2:34.52.1C.LemaireJack HobbsAug 20SapporoSapporo KinenG22000m78.044th2:00.70.3N.YokoyamaSakura EmpereurOct 9KyotoKyoto DaishotenG22400m24.2213th2:24.61.6N.YokoyamaSmart LayerNov 26TokyoJapan CupG12400m5102.01112th2:25.21.5H.TanabeCheval GrandDec 24NakayamaArima KinenG12500m16132.9147th2:34.20.6C.DemuroKitasan Black2018 – seven-year-old seasonMay 27TokyoMeguro KinenG22500m59.2512th2:30.91.2H.BowmanWin TendernessAug 19SapporoSapporo KinenG22000m1270.4134th2:01.20.1Y.FujiokaSungrazerOct 7TokyoMainichi OkanG21800m1153.3109th1:45.40.9H.TanabeAerolitheNov 25TokyoJapan CupG12400m7246.51314th2:25.24.6H.TanabeAlmond EyeDec 23NakayamaArima KinenG12500m7144.21416th2:34.52.3Y.FujiokaBlast Onepiece Legend:
Retirement After retirement, Sounds of Earth was unable to become a stallion and was used as a riding horse. He was stabled at Momose Riding Farm in Sapporo, Hokkaido, but died on February 13, 2023, due to colitis. He was 11 years old at the time of his death.
In popular culture An anthropromorphic version of Sounds of Earth appears in Umamusume: Pretty Derby and is voiced by MAKIKO. She is depicted here as a flirtatious and passionately artistic sort, who likes to celebrate her participation in races by playing her violin at the race paddock and after crossing the finish line. This facet is interpreted differently across various Umamusume media, with the game showing Sounds of Earth as a truly skilled musician while the anime series' third season implies that her violin is an electronic replica playing canned music that she mimes performing.
Pedigree
References