Symboli Rudolf became the first undefeated Triple Crown champion (not losing a single race until winning
Kikuka Sho, a feat later matched by
Deep Impact in 2005 and
Contrail in 2020) as well as the first Triple Crown winner since the introduction of the graded system in Japan. Symboli Rudolf's first defeat was in the 1984 Japan Cup, an international event with champions from various parts of the world; the event was won by his rival
Katsuragi Ace, but Symboli Rudolf managed to win the 1985 Japan Cup. His son
Tokai Teio also won the 1992 Japan Cup, 7 years after his father. Symboli Rudolf ultimately went on to win a total of 7 Grade I races in his career.
1984: three-year-old season As the year began, Okabe was faced with a choice. He had also jockeyed
Bizen Nishiki the year before, another strong horse who was on a four-race winning streak, but both he and Symboli Rudolf were slated to race against one another in the
Yayoi Sho, the
Satsuki Sho, and the
Tokyo Yushun. There was a good deal of media attention given to this choice, and it was thought for a time that Okabe would choose Bizen Nishiki. However, he instead chose Symboli Rudolf, commenting that it wasn't even a choice at all. This choice was later proven to be the correct one. Symboli Rudolf's first race in his 1984 three-year-old season was the G2
Yayoi Sho. Bizen Nishiki was the number-one favorite, but Symboli Rudolf defeated him by 1 1/4 lengths. The oblique motion that led to the collision on the track saw Okabe prohibited from jockeying for the next two days. At the award ceremony, Okabe held one finger up in the air, anticipating two more crowns. (
Yutaka Take, who jockeyed
Deep Impact, would later imitate that performance.) The 1984
Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) was nicknamed the "SB Derby," indicating the fierce rivalry between Symboli Rudolf and Bizen Nishiki. Symboli Rudolf was overwhelmingly the favorite, however, with 1.3 odds. Several other racehorses pulled out of the race, leading to a field of 21 horses, which was the lowest it had ever been at the time. The track was in poor condition because of a late-spring cold wave and lingering snowfall, which had deposited dirt on the course, giving an edge to horses that had more power than speed. The race began with
Suzu Mach, Fujino Fuun, and Suzu Parade, all strong horses, running in the lead. On the far straightaway, Symboli Rudolf didn't respond to Okabe's signal to spurt, leading to audible confusion in the crowd. But on the stretch, he grabbed his bit in his own teeth, overtaking the three in the lead to win his second crown. Bizen Nishiki ended the race far back in 14th, possibly due to his lightness and focus on speed. Okabe held two fingers up at the awards ceremony. After the derby, Tomohiro Wada made plans for Rudolf to race overseas, which was reported in newspapers at the time. But after an injury to his left front leg and not meeting quarantine requirements, this plan was announced to be canceled in July. Recovered from an injury to his right shoulder, Symboli Rudolf went into the autumn season fully refreshed, winning the
St Lite Kinen with a record time. He became the first ever horse in JRA racing history to win the Classic Triple Crown while undefeated, as well as the first Classic Triple Crown winner after the introduction of the grading system. At the awards ceremony, Okabe held up three fingers. To date, four other horses have won the Triple Crown, but no others have come from the
Kanto region. After the 3000-meter Kikuka Sho, Symboli Rudolf advanced to the Japan Cup just a week later. When no other horses took a position in front, Rudolf took the lead, winning by four lengths. Despite only being a G2 race, many saw this as the greatest display of Rudolf's strength. Okabe never took his hands off the reins once during the race. At the awards ceremony, Okabe held up five fingers. Rudolf was the first horse to win five crowns since
Shinzan. From there, the team scheduled a race abroad—he, along with fellow Derby-winner
Sirius Symboli, would compete in the
King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. He was also voted into the 1985
Takarazuka Kinen, but on the Saturday before the race, the team pulled out of it because of a left shoulder limp sustained during his training because of a turf issue where the jockey was almost thrown off the horse. His owner Wada was furious, and the story was picked up by the news. The cancellation, however, was also due to Nohira sensing the horse was in poor condition; he didn't want Rudolf to run, which went counter to Symboli Bokujo's desire at the time, but Wada agreed to compromise. This injury would cancel Symboli Rudolf's plans to go abroad, with Sirius Symboli going alone. Wada also submitted his resignation at this time. Meanwhile, the media reported on a comment of Wada's stating that Rudolf would retire. In a last-ditch effort, the team is said to have used acupuncture to heal Rudolf's condition; as the horse began to recover, Wada retracted his comment. Symboli Rudolf's next race would be the Autumn Tenno Sho, a 2000-meter course said to be unfavorable at the time; he was the number-one favorite despite starting far out in post 17. It was reported that after the race, Symboli Rudolf cried in frustration in his stable. Despite the loss, trainer Nohira said, "They say there are no absolutes in horse racing, but Rudolf is an exception. He is an absolute." Symboli Rudolf then returned to the Japan Cup after his loss there the year prior.
Statistics The following form is based on information from JBIS-Search and netkeiba. == Stud career ==