A Shin Forward

Old Friends at Cabin Creek welcomed home multi-millionaire New York-bred A Shin Forward in July 2023 after a 10-year stud career both in Japan and at Rockridge Stud in Hudson, N.Y. Born at New York’s Edition Farm on February 16, 2005, A Shin Forward was sold for $125,000 as a yearling at the Fasig-Tipton New York-bred sale and was subsequently purchased for $290,000 by Japanese agent Hirotsugu Hirai as a 2-year-old at the Fasig-Tipton Florida Select 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale, where he impressed in the under-tack show when covering a quarter-mile in 21 and 1/5 seconds.

The son of Forest Wildcat, out of the multiple stakes-winning Cure the Blues mare Wake Up Kiss, was then exported to Japan where he would become one of the highest-earning New York-breds in history. Campaigned by Eishnido Co. and trained by Masato Nishizono, A Shin Forward ran primarily on turf and debuted in style with a win in October 2007 at Kyoto Racecourse. He won his next start at allowance level, but did not find the winner’s circle again until he earned his first stakes triumph in the Rokko Island Stakes two years later at Hanshin. He won his second stakes just 15 days later over the same course in the Final Stakes.

2010 proved to be a breakout year for the bay horse, who made his group stakes debut that January with a third in the Group 3 Tokyo Shimbun Hai at Tokyo and followed with a triumph in the Group 3 Hankyu Hai at Hanshin. A Shin Forward showed his proficiencies around both left and right-handed turns, earning a Group 1 placing when a close third in the Takamatsunomiya Kinen around left-handed turns just one month after his win in the right-handed Hankyu Hai.

A Shin Forward’s 2010 campaign was highlighted by an elusive Group 1 score in the Mile Championship that November at Kyoto. A surprise 51-1 winner, A Shin Forward came out on top in a blanket finish with runner-up Danon Yoyo and third-place Gorski, who finished noses apart a neck behind A Shin Forward. He was piloted to victory by regular rider Yasunari Iwata, who rode him in 12-of-27 lifetime outings.

A Shin Forward raced seven more times and did not hit the board again, his best finish coming one race after the Mile Championship when fourth, beaten just 1 ½ lengths, in the Group 1 Hong Kong Mile at Sha Tin Racecourse in what was his lone start outside of Japan. He ran his last race in December 2011 when fourth in the Group 1 Hyogo Gold Trophy on dirt at Sonoda before retiring to Lex Stud in Hokkaido and siring five Japanese crops. He returned to America in 2018 thanks to his breeder Vivien Malloy, who kept tabs on her beloved homebred for all his years overseas and helped to bring him back to the Empire State.

In New York, A Shin Forward took up stud duties at Rockridge, where he saw moderate support from local breeders and sired five more crops. His top progeny include Lord Ace, a multiple Japanese stakes-placed colt, and Ryuno Center, a 12-time winner in Japan. His top American runner is the filly Shinfull.

At the time of his retirement to stud, A Shin Forward’s earnings of $3,416,216 made him the second all-time earning New York-bred. Today, he ranks the third-highest New York-bred earner behind dual Classic-winner Funny Cide and leader Mind Your Biscuits. Old Friends thanks Vivien Malloy and Rockridge Stud for entrusting us with the care of this magnificent world-traveler.