Admire Groove was foaled out of
Air Groove, who was the 1997
Japanese Horse of the Year and won the
Yushun Himba and
Tenno Sho (Autumn) in her career. Air Groove's dam, Dyna Carle also won the Yushun Himba back in 1983, making Admire Groove the third generation horse in line that managed to win Grade 1 races. Her half-brothers through the dam were
Rulership (2012
Queen Elizabeth II Cup) and Forgettable (2009
Stayers Stakes). She was sired by the thirteen times
leading sire in Japan and 1989 American double crown (
Kentucky Derby and
Preakness Stakes) winner,
Sunday Silence. She was being auctioned at the 2000 summer select sales for foals at hip number 33. The bid for her started at the 70,000,000
¥ mark. In the end, she was sold for 241,500,000
¥ to Riichi Kondo, which at that time was the highest price ever paid at the select sales and also the highest price ever for a filly. Her name was chosen from fan votes in which the name
Admire Groove won by landslide with 215 suggestions from the community. The name itself was a combination of a Kondo's preferred crown name for his stable (Admire) and also her mother's name (Groove). ==Racing career==