Even more than the words that followed, the smile that never subsided during a 30-minute visit to a Tokyo Racecourse viewing stand to watch his horse, Goliath , go through some light training the morning of Nov. 21 told the story for owner John Stewart: He’s very close to where he wants to be.
That figurative place Stewart wishes to reach is the winner’s circle of the world’s great races. It’s coveted ground for sure but in the past year, Stewart’s Resolute Racing has made a massive investment toward that end. And in the case of the Japan Cup (G1) Nov. 24 at Tokyo Racecourse, a victory would carry some extra meaning for Stewart, who began his professional career at Toyota.
“It’s hard to believe I’ve only been in horse racing for a year and have already participated in some of the great races all around the world, from the Golden Slipper in Australia to the Kentucky Derby and Royal Ascot,” Stewart said. “Japan Cup is definitely a race that is interesting to me. I have a background with Japan. I worked for Toyota for 18 years. I know how much the Japanese people love the best of everything, and that’s something that I feel very strongly about.
“I think the best horses need to be traveling all around the world and racing against each other. I think that’s what the sport wants and what the sport needs. And so I’m really excited to be here with Goliath, and I think he’s going to have a dominant performance this weekend, and I’m excited to share that with all the racing fans here in Japan.”
John Stewart and Chelsey Stone at Resolute Farm
Stewart credits Toyota with setting him on a successful career path. He started as a floor worker at its Georgetown, Ky., manufacturing plant and worked his way up to a management position. While he has since gone on to launch MiddleGround Capital, a private equity firm that invests in industrial businesses, he was shaped by co-workers from Japan.
He has maintained a great relationship with his Japanese sensei from his Toyota days. That teacher, Hideshi Yokoi, spent 40 years in executive roles with Toyota in the United States and Japan. Yokoi’s son, Yuji, is a vice president at MiddleGround Capital.
“He taught me everything about business and operations, and his son works for me today. I’m doing the same thing with his son that he did for me,” Stewart said. “We’ve remained really close. And I have loads of friends here in Japan. I’m trying to meet up with them while I’m here but it’s a pretty busy agenda.
“I would not be where I am professionally if it wasn’t for Toyota. Toyota is the company that trained me. I started there when I was 19 years old. I didn’t have a college degree. And I got my undergraduate degree while I was working there. I got promoted through the organization, ended up running their European manufacturing.
“You’ve got to respect a company that makes that kind of investment all over the world and then provides an opportunity. So I have nothing but respect for Japan and the Japanese people.”
While Stewart is a Lexington resident who announced his arrival as a major industry player with a buying spree in the fall of 2023 at Fasig-Tipton’s The November Sale and the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, his ambitions in racing go well beyond the borders of Kentucky and the U.S..
“I’ve been a fan of horse racing for over 30 years, and I think most horse racing fans want to see the best—the best horses in the best races,” Stewart said. “I like being able to play a part in that. This is just one stop on the global journey that we intend. I think Goliath is the type of horse that everyone deserves to see, and so that’s why we want to try to make him available in these contests all over the world. Japan’s the first stop and we’re very excited.”
Goliath trains for the Japan Cup at Tokyo Racecourse
In the summer Stewart purchased a majority interest in Goliath following the German-bred gelding’s 2 1/4-length victory in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (G1) July 27 at Ascot. Baron Philip Von Ullmann, the breeder and previous owner of the 4-year-old son of Adlerflug , stayed in as a minority owner.
That outing impressed Stewart, an assessment that proved sharp as members of the vanquished field that day included eventual Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (G1) winner Bluestocking in second. The 2023 Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1T) winner, Auguste Rodin , finished fifth in the 1 1/2-mile Royal Ascot test and is also entered in the Japan Cup.
Kept in the capable hands of trainer Francis Henri Graffard after the sale, Goliath followed with a victory in the Prix du Conseil de Paris (G2) Oct. 20 at ParisLongchamp. The 2,200-meter (about 1 3/8-mile) race served as a prep for Sunday’s turf test at the 2,400-meter (1 1/2-mile) distance.
The Breeders’ Cup Turf was considered for Goliath but Stewart said there was concern that the course at Del Mar featured turns that are too tight for their big horse. So Japan Cup became the target with plans to race again in two weeks in the Hong Kong Vase (G1).
While that plan is in place, on Thursday Graffard, jockey Christophe Soumillon, and Stewart each noted that all of the focus is on Sunday. A victory would be sweet for Stewart.
“I mean, it’s awesome. I spent a lot of time in Japan, but I never got to go racing here,” Stewart said. “I think it’s a great environment. I think it’s a great event to be involved in.”
