Mejiro McQueen

was a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. He was a late-maturing horse who did not emerge as a top-class performer until the autumn of his three-year-old season when he won the Kikuka Sho. Over the next three years he proved himself one of the best stayers in Japan with wins in the Tenno Sho (twice), Takarazuka Kinen, Osaka Hai, Kyōto Daishōten (twice) and Hanshin Daishoten (twice). He won the JRA Award for Best Older Male Horse in 1991 and was inducted into the Japan Racing Association Hall of Fame shortly after his retirement from racing. Background Mejiro McQueen was grey horse bred in Japan by Katashi Yoshida. During his racing career he was owned by Mejiro Shouji Co Ltd and trained by Yasuo Ikee Mejiro McQueen was the best horse sired by Mejiro Titan, who won the Tenno Sho in 1982. His dam Mejiro Aurora showed modest racing ability, winning one minor race from 24 starts but did better as a broodmare and also produced the Kikuka Sho winner Mejiro Durren. She was descended from the British broodmare Astonishment, who was imported to Japan in the first decade of the 20th century. Racing career Mejiro McQueen did not race as a two-year-old but made a successful racecourse debut over 1700 metres on dirt in February 1990 at Hanshin Racecourse. He was beaten in his next three starts before taking two minor races at Hakodate Racecourse in September. On 4 November at Kyoto Racecourse he recorded his first major success in his last run of the year when he took the 3000 metre Kikuka Sho.