Bamboo Memory

Bamboo Memory was a chestnut stallion bred in Urakawa, Hokkaido, by Bamboo Farm. He was sired by Morning Frolic, and his dam was Madonna Bamboo, a mare by Moubariz. He was owned by Tatsuichi Takeda, the founder of Bamboo Farm, and trained by Kunihiko Take at the Ritto Training Center. He was known for his aggressive, front-running temperament and his tendency to pull hard during races and training.

1987: two-year-old season

Bamboo Memory debuted on 14 November 1987 in a 2-year-old newcomer race over 1200 metres on dirt at Kyoto Racecourse, placing fifth. He finished the race in 1 minute and 17 seconds which placed him 3.7 seconds behind the winner Slew O' Best. After a second-place finish, he won his third maiden race over 1200 metres on dirt at Hanshin Racecourse on 27 December, ridden by Yutaka Take. He did this in 1 minute and 14.7 seconds, 0.7 seconds faster than the second place finish Chiyono Lady.

1988: three-year-old season

Due to weak hooves, Bamboo Memory was campaigned primarily on dirt tracks during his three-year-old season. He competed in allowance races, collecting podium places for three races before recording a victory in a 1-win class race on March 6 against Jo Esperance by 0.3 seconds. On November 6 he placed third in a 1400 meter dirt race before winning a 2-win class race of the same distance by 0.1 seconds just three weeks later. He ended the year with a fifth place finish in the Port Island Stakes at Hanshin and an unplaced finish in the Santa Claus Handicap at Hanshin.

1989: four-year-old season

Bamboo Memory initially began his four-year-old campaign by continuing on dirt for three more races, getting a seventh place finish and then two fourth place finishes. In total, he had ran 15 dirt races before switching to turf in April for the Dotonbori Stakes at Hanshin which was 1600 meters on heavy turf. He achieved first place by 0.9 seconds against Hishino Supra despite being the 6th most popular. He followed up with a third-place finish in the Silk Road Stakes (Open).

On 14 May, he contested the Yasuda Kinen (GI) at Tokyo Racecourse. Because Yutaka Take had a riding commitment with another horse at the Keihan Hai that day, Bamboo Memory was instead ridden by Yukio Okabe, who would go on to start as the 10th favourite in that race. In that race, the horse produced a strong late surge to defeat Daigo Sur by 0.2 seconds, marking his first Grade 1 victory. He then finished fifth in the Takarazuka Kinen (GI) behind Inari One, and second in the Takamatsunomiya Cup (GII) behind Mejiro Ardan.

In the autumn, he won the Swan Stakes (GII) at Kyoto by 0.6 seconds. On 19 November, he ran in the Mile Championship (GI) at Kyoto. In a "legendary match race" against Oguri Cap, Bamboo Memory overtook Oguri Cap on the outside of the final corner. The two horses "battled stride-for-stride to the wire", with Oguri Cap winning by a nose in a photo finish. He ended his season with a 13th-place finish in the Japan Cup (GI) behind Horlicks. He was named Best Sprinter or Miler at the 1989 JRA Awards.

1990: five-year-old season

After a brief rest, Bamboo Memory returned in the spring, finishing fifth in the Keio Hai Spring Cup (GII), sixth in the Yasuda Kinen, and sixth in the Takarazuka Kinen. In the summer, he finished second in the CBC Sho (GII) before winning the Takamatsunomiya Cup (GII) at Chukyo Racecourse.

In the autumn, he finished fifth in the Mainichi Ōkan (GII) and third in the Tennō Shō (Autumn) (GI) behind Yaeno Muteki. He then finished second for the second consecutive year in the Mile Championship, this time beaten by Passing Shot. On 16 December, he contested the Sprinters Stakes (GI) at Nakayama Racecourse, which had been elevated to Grade 1 status that year. Settling just behind the fast pace set by Daiwa Douglas and Daitaku Helios, he navigated through the field in the straight and won by 0.4 seconds in a Japanese record time of 1:07.8. He was named Best Sprinter or Miler at the 1990 JRA Awards.

1991: six-year-old season

Bamboo Memory began his six-year-old season with a fourth-place finish in the Keio Hai Spring Cup. On 12 May, he started as the heavy favourite in the Yasuda Kinen but finished third behind Daiichi Ruby and Daitaku Helios. He then finished 10th in the Takarazuka Kinen and ninth in the CBC Sho. After unplaced runs in the Mainichi Ōkan and the Swan Stakes, he finished eighth in the Mile Championship behind Daitaku Helios. He was retired from racing following this performance, and a retirement ceremony was held at Hanshin Racecourse on 8 December 1991.

The following table details all 39 starts of Bamboo Memory's racing career based on official JBIS and netkeiba records. Record current as of his final start on 17 November 1991.

• R indicated that it was a record time finish

Bamboo Memory entered stud at Bamboo Farm in 1992. He was not a commercial success, siring only 38 registered foals over 13 seasons, though he did produce a few regional graded stakes winners such as Yoshino Memory and Bonanza Memory. He was retired from stud duty in 2005 and was pensioned at Bamboo Farm.

Bamboo Memory lived out his remaining years at Bamboo Farm. He died of old age on 7 August 2014 at the age of 29.

An anthropomorphized version of Bamboo Memory appears as a playable character in the mobile game Umamusume: Pretty Derby, voiced by Kotomi Aihara.

• Bamboo Memory is inbred 5 × 4 to Nearco.
• His half-brother Bamboo Genesis won the March Stakes.