Mama Cocha (Japanese: ママコチャ, Hepburn: Mama Kocha; foaled 5 April 2019) is a retired Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse and active broodmare. She was active from 2021 to 2026, recording seven wins in thirty starts, including the Sprinters Stakes (GI) in 2023 and the Ocean Stakes (GIII) in 2025. She was named the inaugural recipient of the JRA Award for Best Sprinter in 2023. She is the full sister of Sodashi, winner of the 2021 Oka Shō and 2022 Victoria Mile.

Background Mama Cocha is a bay mare bred in Abira, Hokkaido, by Northern Farm. She was sired by Kurofune, and her dam was Buchiko, a white-coated mare by King Kamehameha out of Shirayukihime. Her full sister Sodashi (by Kurofune, out of Buchiko) won the 2020 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies, 2021 Oka Shō, and 2022 Victoria Mile. Her racing name is derived from Mama Cocha, the sea goddess in Inca mythology. She was owned by Kaneko Makoto Holdings and sent into training with Yasutoshi Ikee at the JRA's Ritto Training Center.

Racing career

2021: two-year-old season Mama Cocha debuted on June 26, 2021, in a maiden race on the turf at Hanshin Racecourse, finishing eighth. She finished third in a maiden race at Chukyo Racecourse in September and won a maiden race at Hanshin on October 24. She finished third in the Fantasy Stakes (GIII) at Hanshin in November.

2022: three-year-old season Mama Cocha finished second in the Elfin Stakes (Listed) at Chukyo in February. She won a 1-win-class race at Hanshin in June, the Hoei Tokubetsu (Allowance) at Niigata Racecourse in July, and the Nayabashi Stakes (Allowance) at Chukyo in September. She finished fifth in the Turquoise Stakes (GIII) at Nakayama Racecourse in December.

2023: four-year-old season Mama Cocha finished ninth in the Hanshin Himba Stakes (GII) in April. She won the Azuchijo Stakes (Listed) at Kyoto Racecourse on May 28, equaling the track record for 1400 meters. She finished second in the Kitakyushu Kinen (GIII) at Kokura Racecourse in August.

On October 1, she contested the Sprinters Stakes (GI) at Nakayama. Ridden by Yuga Kawada, she tracked the leaders in third position and won by a nose over Mad Cool, recording her first Grade 1 victory. She finished fifth in the Hanshin Cup (GII) in December.

2024: five-year-old season On January 9, 2024, Mama Cocha was named the inaugural recipient of the JRA Award for Best Sprinter, a newly created category split from the former JRA Award for Best Sprinter or Miler. She finished eighth in the Takamatsunomiya Kinen (GI) at Chukyo in March. She finished second in the Centaur Stakes (GII) at Chukyo in September and fourth in the Sprinters Stakes (GI) at Nakayama. She and her groom Isao Saito received the Best Turned Out Award at the Sprinters Stakes. She finished fifth in the Hanshin Cup (GII) in December.

2025: six-year-old season On March 1, Mama Cocha won the Ocean Stakes (GIII) at Nakayama, equaling the race record of 1:07.1. She finished third in the Takamatsunomiya Kinen (GI) at Chukyo on March 30. She finished second in the Keio Hai Spring Cup (GII) at Tokyo Racecourse in May and second in the Centaur Stakes (GII) at Hanshin in September. She finished sixth in the Sprinters Stakes (GI) at Nakayama in September. She finished second in the JBC Sprint (JpnI) on the dirt at Funabashi Racecourse in November.

2026: seven-year-old season Mama Cocha finished fourth in the Ocean Stakes (GIII) at Nakayama in February and ninth in the Takamatsunomiya Kinen (GI) at Chukyo in March. She finished fifth in the Tokyo Sprint (JpnIII) at Oi Racecourse in April and fifth in the Sakitama Hai (JpnI) at Urawa Racecourse in June. She was rested and competed in the Centaur Stakes in September where she finished third. This was her first podium of the year, and her jockey, Yutaka Take, said she can still run even at her ripe age of seven. Her next encounter in her fourth Sprinters Stakes appearance did not go well as she sat around seventh place and tried to run on the outside but lacked finishing kick for the day as she finished in tenth on the line. Take said the horse went with the flow but that was the fastest she could run for today. After her 30th start, she was retired from racing and became a broodmare. Her trainer, Yasutoshi Ikee, hoped that her future children would do well just like their dam did.

Statistics The following table details all 30 starts of Mama Cocha's racing career based on official netkeiba and JBIS records. Record current as of 27 September 2026.

Date Distance (Condition) Race Class Course Odds(Favourite) Field Finish Time Jockey Winning(Losing)Margin Winner(2nd Place) Ref2021 – two-year-old season Turf 1400 m (Firm) 2-Y-O Newcomer Maiden Hanshin 4.0 (2nd) 17 8th 1:24.8 Yuichi Fukunaga 0.6 Tagano Finale Turf 1600 m (Heavy) 2-Y-O Maiden Maiden Chukyo 4.1 (2nd) 13 1:36.9 Mirai Iwata 0.1 Pink McFee Turf 1400 m (Firm) 2-Y-O Maiden Maiden Hanshin 4.1 (1st) 16 1:20.9 Kohei Matsuyama –0.4 (Jean Gros) Turf 1400 m (Firm) Fantasy Stakes GIII Hanshin 4.4 (3rd) 10 1:21.5 Yusuke Fujioka 0.4 Water Navillera2022 – three-year-old season Turf 1600 m (Firm) Elfin Stakes Listed Chukyo 4.5 (3rd) 10 1:34.2 Mirai Iwata 0.2 Alluring Way Turf 1400 m (Firm) 3-Y-O 1-Win Class Allowance Hanshin 1.3 (1st) 13 1:20.3 Kohei Matsuyama –0.1 (Eishin Pixel) Turf 1600 m (Firm) Hoei Tokubetsu Allowance Niigata 2.6 (1st) 18 1:31.7 Kohei Matsuyama –0.6 (Vamos Road) Turf 1600 m (Firm) Nayabashi Stakes Allowance Chukyo 1.3 (1st) 13 1:33.4 Kohei Matsuyama –0.1 (Wilhelm) Turf 1600 m (Firm) Turquoise Stakes GIII Nakayama 3.2 (1st) 16 5th 1:33.7 Kohei Matsuyama 0.2 Miss New York2023 – four-year-old season Turf 1600 m (Good) Hanshin Himba Stakes GII Hanshin 5.0 (3rd) 12 9th 1:34.6 Kohei Matsuyama 0.7 Sound Vivace Turf 1400 m (Firm) Azuchijo Stakes Listed Kyoto 3.1 (1st) 18 1:19.0 Katsuma Sameshima –0.5 (Be Astonished) Turf 1200 m (Firm) Kitakyushu Kinen GIII Kokura 3.0 (1st) 18 1:07.4 Katsuma Sameshima 0.1 Jasper Krone Turf 1200 m (Firm) Sprinters Stakes GI Nakayama 4.9 (3rd) 16 1:08.0 Yuga Kawada 0.0 (Mad Cool) Turf 1400 m (Firm) Hanshin Cup GII Hanshin 3.1 (1st) 17 5th 1:19.5 Yuga Kawada 0.2 Win Marvel2024 – five-year-old season Turf 1200 m (Soft) Takamatsunomiya Kinen GI Chukyo 8.0 (3rd) 18 8th 1:09.9 Yuga Kawada 1.0 Mad Cool Turf 1200 m (Firm) Centaur Stakes GII Chukyo 8.0 (4th) 18 1:07.8 Katsuma Sameshima 0.1 Toshin Macao Turf 1200 m (Firm) Sprinters Stakes GI Nakayama 5.2 (2nd) 16 4th 1:07.1 Yuga Kawada 0.1 Lugal Turf 1400 m (Firm) Hanshin Cup GII Kyoto 7.0 (4th) 18 5th 1:20.3 Yuga Kawada 0.2 Namura Clair2025 – six-year-old season Turf 1200 m (Firm) Ocean Stakes GIII Nakayama 2.7 (1st) 15 1:07.1 Yuga Kawada –0.1 (Pair Pollux) Turf 1200 m (Firm) Takamatsunomiya Kinen GI Chukyo 14.6 (6th) 18 1:08.2 Yuga Kawada 0.3 Satono Reve Turf 1400 m (Firm) Keio Hai Spring Cup GII Tokyo 2.9 (1st) 12 1:18.5 Yuga Kawada 0.2 Toshin Macao Turf 1200 m (Firm) Centaur Stakes GII Hanshin 3.2 (2nd) 16 1:07.5 Mirai Iwata 0.1 Kanchenjunga Turf 1200 m (Firm) Sprinters Stakes GI Nakayama 8.0 (3rd) 16 6th 1:07.3 Mirai Iwata 0.4 Win Carnelian Dirt 1000 m (Good) JBC Sprint JpnI Funabashi 3.8 (1st) 14 0:59.0 Yuga Kawada 0.2 Fern Hill2026 – seven-year-old season Turf 1200 m (Firm) Ocean Stakes GIII Nakayama 5.6 (3rd) 16 4th 1:07.1 Yuga Kawada 0.1 Pair Pollux Turf 1200 m (Firm) Takamatsunomiya Kinen GI Chukyo 8.6 (4th) 18 9th 1:07.3 Yuga Kawada 1.0 Satono Reve Dirt 1200 m (Firm) Tokyo Sprint JpnIII Oi 4.2 (3rd) 14 5th 1:11.5 Yuga Kawada 0.8 Dragon Wells Dirt 1400 m (Good) Sakitama Hai JpnI Urawa 8.8 (4th) 12 5th 1:25.9 Yutaka Take 0.6 Lord Fons Turf 1200 m (Firm) Centaur Stakes GII Hanshin 10.8 (5th) 16 1:07.2 Yutaka Take 0.3 Flicker Jab Turf 1200 m (Good) Sprinters Stakes GI Nakayama 16.1 (7th) 16 10th 1:09.7 Yutaka Take 0.5 Puro Magic

Pedigree

Mama Cocha is inbred 5 × 5 to Northern Dancer. Her full sister Sodashi (by Kurofune) won the 2020 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies (GI), 2021 Oka Shō (GI), and 2022 Victoria Mile (GI). Her dam Buchiko is a white-coated mare. Her granddam Shirayukihime is the founder of the W14 white coat lineage in Japan.

See also Thoroughbred racing in Japan Sprinters Stakes Sodashi

References