Okada Stud

Okada Stud (有限会社岡田スタッド) is a Japanese Thoroughbred breeding farm located in Shizunai-Mena, Shinhidaka, Hokkaido. It was established in 1972 by Shigeo Okada as Okada Shigeo Bokujo (岡田蔚男牧場) and was renamed Okada Stud in 1984 when his second son, Makio Okada, took over the operation. The farm is a limited company (yugen-gaisha) and remains privately held. The operation is centered on breeding and raising racehorses, and it maintains several facilities beyond its main farm. These include the Okada Stud Toyohata branch and the Okada Stud Midorimachi branch in Hidaka Town, as well as training facilities such as Normandy Farm in Shinhidaka, the Okada Stud Erimo branch in Erimo, and Normandy Farm Onomachi in Ono, Fukushima Prefecture (within the Tenko Training Center). Okada Stud has produced numerous notable racehorses. Among its best-known graduates are Titleholder (タイトルホルダー), winner of the 2021 Kikuka Sho and 2022 Tenno Sho (Spring) and Takarazuka Kinen; Sound True (サウンドトゥルー), a multiple graded stakes winner including the 2015 Tokyo Daishoten and 2016 Champions Cup; Smart Falcon (スマートファルコン), a dominant dirt runner; and Matsurida Gogh (マツリダゴッホ), winner of the 2007 Arima Kinen. The farm also stands and boards broodmares, including Kyohei Truth (キョウエイトルース), the dam of Sound True, and Meeve (メーヴェ), the dam of Titleholder and Melody Lane. Makio Okada, the current representative, is also president of Rex Co., Ltd. (株式会社レックス), which operates the stallion station Lex Stud. He is a registered owner with the Japan Racing Association (JRA), as was founder Shigeo Okada. The farm's racing colors are light blue with a white mountain-shaped double ring, inherited from father to son. Okada Stud is part of a broader family group in the Japanese bloodstock industry, with Makio's elder brother Shigeyuki Okada having founded Big Red Farm and the Thoroughbred Club Ruffian.

Okada Stud traces its origins to 1972, when Shigeo Okada established Okada Shigeo Bokujo (岡田蔚男牧場) in Shizunai, Hokkaido. The farm initially produced racehorses under that name, with early notable graduates including Mihoranzan (ミホランザン), winner of the 1973 Asahi Hai Sansai Stakes, and Gold Rock (ゴールドロック), winner of the 1974 Diamond Stakes. In 1984, Shigeo's second son, Makio Okada, took over the management of the farm and renamed it Okada Stud (岡田スタッド). Makio, born in 1952 in Hokkaido, had not originally been the designated successor; his elder brother Shigeyuki Okada left to found his own operations, Big Red Farm and the Thoroughbred Club Ruffian, leaving Makio to inherit the family farm. Makio is also the representative director and president of Rex Co., Ltd., which operates the stallion station Lex Stud, and he has written columns for publications such as Weekly Gallop and Keiba no Tensai!. Under Makio's leadership, Okada Stud expanded its facilities and its reputation. The farm now operates multiple branches for breeding and boarding broodmares, as well as training facilities. Its main farm is in Shinhidaka, with the Toyohata branch also in Shinhidaka and the Midorimachi branch in Hidaka Town. Training operations include Normandy Farm in Shinhidaka, the Erimo branch in Erimo, and Normandy Farm Onomachi in Ono, Fukushima Prefecture, located within the Tenko Training Center. The farm's breeding program has produced a long list of stakes winners. In the 2000s, notable horses included Tosen Bright (トーセンブライト), Meiner Rainier (マイネルレーニア), Matsurida Gogh (マツリダゴッホ), Smart Falcon (スマートファルコン), and Melissa (メリッサ). The 2010s brought Under Gold (アンダーゴールド), Carada Legend (カラダレジェンド), Smart Layer (スマートレイアー), Sound True (サウンドトゥルー), Riccardo (リッカルド), Rose Julep (ローズジュレップ), Platinum Bullet (プラチナムバレット), Thinking Dancer (シンキングダンサー), Rule Sovar (ルールソヴァール), Katsuji (カツジ), Mikki Glory (ミッキーグローリー), Viscaria (ビスカリア), Another Truth (アナザートゥルース), Mangan (マンガン), Precious Ace (プレシャスエース), and Uwasa no Shibuko (ウワサノシブコ). The 2020s saw the farm's greatest successes to date. Titleholder (タイトルホルダー), out of the mare Meeve, won the 2021 Kikuka Sho and the 2022 Tenno Sho (Spring) and Takarazuka Kinen, among other major races. Sound True, out of Kyohei Truth, had already become a multiple Grade 1 winner on dirt. Other recent standouts include Shammar (シャマル), Hagino Alegrias (ハギノアレグリアス), Blow the Horn (ブローザホーン), Ho O Biscuits (ホウオウビスケッツ), Drop of Light (ドロップオブライト), Ho O Lascaux (ホウオウラスカーズ), and Ho O Roulette (ホウオウルーレット). The farm also maintains a roster of broodmares, including Kyohei Truth (dam of Sound True, Another Truth, and Rule Sovar), Snow Style (スノースタイル, dam of Smart Layer and Platinum Bullet), Melissa, Meeve (dam of Melody Lane and Titleholder), Rising Reason (ライジングリーズン), Viscaria, Daring Tact (デアリングタクト), and Melody Lane (メロディーレーン). Past broodmares include Asahi Bright (アサヒブライト, dam of Tosen Bright), Paper Rain (ペイパーレイン, dam of Matsurida Gogh), Oiwake Hikari (オイワケヒカリ), Keishu Herb (ケイシュウハーブ, dam of Smart Falcon), and Tosen Lily (トーセンリリー). The farm also cares for retired notable horses (功労馬), including Fusaichi Asoat (フサイチアソート) at the Toyohata branch, Smart Gear (スマートギア) at the Erimo branch, Sound True at the main farm, Matsurida Gogh at the main farm, and Rule Sovar at the Atsuga branch. Meiner Davide (マイネルダビテ) was previously boarded from 1990 until 2021.

• 2024

  Blow the Horn wins the Takarazuka Kinen.

• 2022

  Titleholder wins the Tenno Sho (Spring) and Takarazuka Kinen.

• 2021

  Titleholder wins the Kikuka Sho.

• 2016

  Sound True wins the Champions Cup.

• 2015

  Sound True wins the Tokyo Daishoten.

• 2008

  Smart Falcon begins a dominant dirt campaign with wins including the Hakusan Daishoten.

• 2007

  Matsurida Gogh wins the Arima Kinen.

• 2004

  Tosen Bright wins the Thoroughbred Challenge Cup.

• 1984

  Makio Okada takes over management and renames the farm Okada Stud.

• 1974

  Gold Rock wins the Diamond Stakes.

• 1973

  Mihoranzan wins the Asahi Hai Sansai Stakes.

• 1972

  Shigeo Okada establishes Okada Shigeo Bokujo in Shizunai, Hokkaido.

A family-run, private Thoroughbred breeding and training operation in Hokkaido's Hidaka region, producing top-level Japanese racehorses and standing broodmares.

• Titleholder (タイトルホルダー)

• Sound True (サウンドトゥルー)

• Smart Falcon (スマートファルコン)

• Matsurida Gogh (マツリダゴッホ)

• Blow the Horn (ブローザホーン)

• Shammar (シャマル)

• Melody Lane (メロディーレーン)

1. 1Okada Stud - Wikidatawikidata.org
2. 2岡田スタッド - Wikipedia (Japanese)ja.wikipedia.org
3. 3Okada Stud official websiteokada-stud.com