Mikki Fight (, ; foaled 5 May 2021) is a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse. He competed from 2023 to 2026, recording eight wins from thirteen starts, primarily on dirt surfaces. His major victories include the Teio Sho (JpnI) in 2025 and 2026, the Japan Breeding Farms' Cup Classic (JpnI) in 2025, the Nagoya Daishoten (JpnIII) in 2024, the Leopard Stakes (GIII) in 2024, and the Antares Stakes (GIII) in 2025. His consecutive victories in the Teio Sho made him the second horse in history to achieve the feat.
Background Mikki Fight is a chestnut stallion bred in Abira, Hokkaido, by Northern Farm. He was sired by Drefong, an American-bred stallion by Gio Ponti, and his dam was Special Groove (), a mare by Special Week. Special Groove is a daughter of the mare Air Groove, who won the 1996 Yushun Himba and the 1997 Tennō Shō (Autumn), making Mikki Fight a close relative to multiple Grade 1 winners such as Duramente and Rulership. He is owned by Mizuki Noda (Danox Co., Ltd.) and was trained by Hiroyasu Tanaka at the Miho Training Center. His name combines the owner's prefix "Mikki" with "Fight," meaning "do your best."
Racing career
2023: two-year-old season Mikki Fight debuted on 15 October 2023 in a maiden race on dirt at Tokyo Racecourse, winning under jockey Akihide Tsumura. He won his second start in a 1-win class race at Nakayama Racecourse on 10 December by five lengths.
2024: three-year-old season Mikki Fight finished third in the Unicorn Stakes (GIII) on 27 April. After a brief break, he won the Leopard Stakes (GIII) at Niigata Racecourse on 4 August, securing his first graded stakes victory and a priority entry to the Japan Dirt Classic. On 2 October, he contested the Japan Dirt Classic (JpnI) at Ohi Racecourse, finishing second to Forever Young. He was initially aimed at the Champions Cup but was excluded due to insufficient earnings. Instead, he ran in the Nagoya Daishoten (JpnIII) on 19 December, where he set a track record of 2:07.4 to claim his second graded stakes win.
2025: four-year-old season Mikki Fight started his season in the February Stakes (GI) on 23 February, finishing third behind Costa Nova and Sunrise Zipangu. On 19 April, with Christophe Lemaire taking over riding duties, he won the Antares Stakes (GIII) at Hanshin Racecourse. On 2 July, he won the Teio Sho (JpnI) at Ohi Racecourse, recording his first top-level victory. He followed this with a dominant three-length victory in the Japan Breeding Farms' Cup Classic (JpnI) at Funabashi Racecourse on 3 November. He ended the year with a narrow second-place finish in the Tokyo Daishoten (GI) on 29 December, beaten by Diktaean.
2026: five-year-old season Mikki Fight was initially invited to the Dubai World Cup in March, but the trip was cancelled due to the Iran War that had started about a month prior the race was due. He instead targeted the Kashiwa Kinen (JpnI) on 5 May, where he finished second to Wilson Tesoro. On 1 July, he contested the Teio Sho again and won by 1.75 lengths, becoming the second horse in history (after Meisho Hario) to win the race in consecutive years. His season continued in the second half of the year at the Nippon TV Hai, in which he broke away from third place in the middle of the straight and won by three lengths over the second place finisher, T O Marconi.
Statistics The following table details all 14 starts of Mikki Fight's racing career. Record current as of 30 September 2026.
Date Distance (Condition) Race Class Course Odds(Favourite) Field Finish Time Jockey Winning(Losing)Margin Winner(2nd Place) Ref2023 – two-year-old season Dirt 1600 m (Sloppy) 2-Y-O Newcomer Maiden Tokyo 3.9 (2nd) 16 1:38.4 Akihide Tsumura 0.0 (Central Valley) Dirt 1800 m (Fast) 2-Y-O 1-Win Allowance Nakayama 3.4 (1st) 16 1:52.5 Keita Tosaki –0.8 (Blue Sun)2024 – three-year-old season Dirt 1900 m (Fast) Unicorn Stakes GIII Kyoto 2.8 (1st) 16 1:59.3 Keita Tosaki 0.7 Ramjet Dirt 1800 m (Fast) Leopard Stakes GIII Niigata 2.2 (1st) 15 1:51.2 Keita Tosaki –0.2 (Satono Phoenix) Dirt 2000 m (Fast) Japan Dirt Classic JpnI Ohi 6.5 (3rd) 15 2:04.3 Keita Tosaki 0.2 Forever Young Dirt 2000 m (Fast) Nagoya Daishoten JpnIII Nagoya 2.6 (2nd) 12 Keita Tosaki 0.0 (Notturno)2025 – four-year-old season Dirt 1600 m (Fast) February Stakes GI Tokyo 3.3 (1st) 16 1:35.9 Keita Tosaki 0.4 Costa Nova Dirt 1800 m (Fast) Antares Stakes GIII Hanshin 1.8 (1st) 12 1:51.3 Christophe Lemaire –0.4 (Tight Knit) Dirt 2000 m (Fast) Teio Sho JpnI Ohi 1.7 (1st) 13 2:03.1 Christophe Lemaire 0.0 (Outrange) Dirt 1800 m (Good) Japan Breeding Farms' Cup Classic JpnI Funabashi 1.7 (1st) 14 1:52.0 Christophe Lemaire –0.6 (Meisho Hario) Dirt 2000 m (Muddy) Tokyo Daishoten GI Ohi 1.4 (1st) 15 2:04.3 Christophe Lemaire 0.0 Diktaean2026 – five-year-old season Dirt 1600 m (Fast) Kashiwa Kinen JpnI Funabashi 1.7 (1st) 13 1:38.7 Christophe Lemaire 0.1 Wilson Tesoro Dirt 2000 m (Good) Teio Sho JpnI Ohi 1.7 (1st) 13 2:02.8 Keita Tosaki –0.3 (Outrange)Sep 30Dirt 1800 m (Sloppy)Nippon TV HaiJpnIIFunabashi1.2 (1st)91:52.1Keita Tosaki –0.6(T O Marconi) indicated that it was a record time finish
Pedigree
Mikki Fight is inbred 5 × 4 to Deputy Minister. His sire Drefong won the 2016 King's Bishop Stakes. His dam Special Groove is a half-sister to the dam of Admire Groove, and his third dam Air Groove won the 1997 Yushun Himba. His half-brother Jun Light Bolt won the 2022 Champions Cup.
See also Thoroughbred racing in Japan Teio Sho
References