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At a U.S. military installation it is a pre-reveille "courtesy" signal, sounded around 05:50, originally to assemble the trumpeters to deliver the reveille that would be forthcoming at 06:00. Some locations also sound it a few minutes before "Retreat" (lowering the flag at the end of the day). In other military contexts it may be used (e.g. 5 minutes) prior to sounding "Assembly" for any particular formation.
On ships of the U.S. Navy, "First Call" is sounded at 07:55, five minutes ahead of "Morning Colors" (raising the national ensign), and 5 minutes before "Evening Colors" (lowering the national ensign). In the absence of a bugle, the word is passed, "First call, first call to colors." The same ceremony takes place on shore establishments but not on ships underway. [1]
At a horse race, "First call" is a signal that all mounts should be at the paddock exit in order to proceed to the track to begin the post parade. This started to be used at horse races before the 1860s. [2] The tune is usually sounded by a bugler five to ten minutes before the scheduled start time of the race. The call serves a similar purpose in dog racing. When "First call" is used for this purpose, it is usually referred to as the "Call to the Post". [3]
In Japan, a "fanfare" is played or performed just before the actual race starts, rather than five to ten minutes before, in order to proceed to the gates. [4] The practice started in 1959, when the Japan Racing Association started playing Bahn Frei! by Eduard Strauss after Radio Nikkei started to use the song for their radio broadcast to signify listeners that the race was about to start. [5] The current fanfares adopted by the JRA were introduced in the late 1980s, with Koichi Sugiyama composing the fanfares used in Tokyo and Nakayama Racecourses. [6]
To date, the JRA uses 21 fanfares depending on the racecourse and the race grade that is about to start. [6]
The Japan Racing Association is a public company established to operate Chūō Keiba and to manage racecourses, betting facilities, and horse-training facilities.
Tokyo Racecourse is located in Fuchū, Tokyo, Japan. Built in 1933 for horse racing, it is considered the "racecourse of racecourses" in Japanese horseracing. It has a capacity of 223,000, with seating for 13,750.
Christophe Patrice Lemaire is a French-born jockey. He has enjoyed much of his success on the Japanese flat racing circuit, with the most wins at Japan Racing Association racetracks for five consecutive years since 2017.
Taiki Shuttle was an American-bred, Japanese-trained thoroughbred race horse and stallion. He won races at the highest level both home and abroad, most notably winning the Mile Championship (twice), Yasuda Kinen, and Sprinters Stakes in Japan and the Prix Jacques Le Marois in France. Taiki Shuttle was honored as the Japanese Racing Association's (JRA) Champion Sprinter in both 1997 and 1998, and was named the Japan Horse of the Year in 1998, along with Champion Older Male Horse.
Mejiro McQueen was a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. He was a late-maturing horse who did not emerge as a top-class performer until the autumn of his three-year-old season when he won the Kikuka Sho. Over the next three years he proved himself one of the best stayers in Japan with wins in the Tenno Sho (twice), Takarazuka Kinen, Osaka Hai, Kyōto Daishōten (twice) and Hanshin Daishoten (twice). He won the JRA Award for Best Older Male Horse in 1991 and was inducted into the Japan Racing Association Hall of Fame shortly after his retirement from racing.
The Hopeful Stakes (ホープフルステークス) is a Grade 1 race held at Nakayama Racecourse held for two-year-old thoroughbreds. The Hopeful Stakes is the only Grade 1 middle-distance race for two-year-old thoroughbreds in the JRA. This race was started as the Radio Tampa Hai Sansai Hinba Stakes in 1984, which was a mile race that was held at Hanshin Racecourse for two-year-old fillies. In 1991, the race was changed from a filly-only race to a colt-and-gelding only race, with the distance extended to the current 2,000 meters. Its name was changed several times. This race was considered important because no other graded race over 2,000 meters for two-year-olds existed in those days. In particular, it was a good chance for horses with ambition for Triple Crown Races to experience a middle-distance race. In fact, some triple crown race winners had previously won this race. Logi Universe (2008), One and Only (2013) and Rey de Oro (2016) won the Japanese Derby, Victoire Pisa (2009) won the Satsuki Shō, Epiphaneia (2012) won the Kikuka Shō, and Contrail, who won the race in 2019, became the winner of the Triple Crown in 2020.
Loves Only You is a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse. She showed promise as a two-year-old when she won both her races. In the following spring she took the Wasurenagusa Sho before extending her unbeaten run to four by winning the Yushun Himba in record time. She sustained he first defeat in November 2019 when she ran third in the Queen Elizabeth II Cup. She failed to win in five starts as a four-year-old in 2020, but returned to her best form in 2021 when she won the Kyoto Kinen, Queen Elizabeth II Cup, the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf in the United States and the Hong Kong Cup. She was awarded an Eclipse Award as the American Champion Female Turf Horse for 2021, as well as the JRA Award for Best Older Filly or Mare of the same year.
Glory Vase, is a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse. He showed promising form in his first two seasons of racing, winning two minor races and finishing fifth in the Kikuka Sho. As a four-year-old in 2019 he emerged as a world-class performer, winning the Nikkei Shinshun Hai and running second in the spring edition of the Tenno Sho before recording his biggest victory in the Hong Kong Vase. He won the Kyoto Daishoten in 2020.
Titleholder is a retired Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse. He showed very promising form as a two-year-old in 2020 when he won his first start before finishing second in the Tokyo Sports Hai Nisai Stakes and fourth in the Hopeful Stakes. In the following spring he won the Yayoi Sho and ran second in the Satsuki Sho before returning in the autumn to record his biggest win in the Kikuka Sho. He improved again as a four-year-old when he added victories in the Nikkei Sho, Tenno Sho (Spring) and Takarazuka Kinen.
Do Deuce is a retired Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse. He was the best two-year-old colt in Japan in 2021 when he was undefeated in three races including the Ivy Stakes and the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes. The highlight of his second campaign came when he defeated Equinox to win the Tokyo Yushun. As a four-year-old in 2023 he won the Kyoto Kinen in February and ended the year by taking the Arima Kinen. He then won the autumn edition of the Tenno Sho and the Japan Cup as a five-year-old in 2024. He was also voted Japanese Horse of the Year and JRA Award for Best Older Male Horse in the same year.
Geoglyph is a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse. He showed promise as a two-year-old in 2021 when he won two of his three races including the Sapporo Nisai Stakes. In the following year he ran second in the Tokinominoru Kinen before winning the Satsuki Sho.
Stars On Earth is a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse. She showed some promise as a juvenile in 2021, winning one minor race from three starts. She showed improved form in the following spring, running second in both the Fairy Stakes and the Daily Hai Queen Cup before taking the Grade 1 Oka Sho and Yushun Himba.
Ushba Tesoro is a Japanese thoroughbred racehorse who won the Tokyo Daishoten in 2022, before going on to win the Kawasaki Kinen and the Dubai World Cup in 2023.
Dream Journey is a Japanese thoroughbred racehorse. The horse won the 2006 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes as well as the 2009 Takarazuka and Arima Kinen. Dream Journey's full brother is Orfevre, the winner of 6 GI races including the Japanese Triple Crown.
Ryūji Wada is a Japanese jockey and YouTuber affiliated with the Ritto Training Center of the Japan Racing Association. He is also the vice-president and president of the Kansai branch of the Japan Jockey Club.
Yuga Kawada is a Japanese jockey affiliated with the Japan Racing Association. Born to a family of horse racing, he is the leading jockey of JRA races of 2022.
Lemon Pop is a retired Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse. His major wins include the February Stakes, Mile Championship Nambu Hai, and Champions Cup. He was awarded the JRA Award for Best Dirt Horse for 2023 and 2024.
Norihiro Yokoyama is a Japanese jockey. As of May 2024, he is the oldest jockey in Japan to win a Grade I race.
Kazuo Yokoyama is a Japanese jockey.
Ryusei Sakai is a Japanese jockey.