Goto's Lifelong Commitment to the Japanese Thoroughbred

For more than four decades, Masayuki Goto has worked on behalf of the Japan Racing Association in a multitude of roles. Throughout his time at the organization, he has had an eye toward the importance of international racing and constantly works to raise the global profile of Japanese Thoroughbreds. Like many in the sport, Goto realized he had an interest in horse racing from a young age, and his life-long dedication to the industry has not gone unnoticed. In September 2014, he was appointed as the president and chief executive officer of the JRA, and he also serves as the vice chairman of the Asian Racing Federation. Most recently, in October 2021, he was elected as one of the four vice chairs of the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities. "My father was an official veterinarian at the JRA, and since I was a child, I was surrounded by horse racing naturally," Goto said. "I noticed that I liked watching races on TV in my younger years. "It is not uncommon in Japan to work for one company for one's entire life. Therefore, since I came into the JRA, I've always thought that I would spend and end my working career here. I dare say that I never have had time to get tired of my assignments at the JRA." In addition to his efforts on behalf of the JRA, anyone who has met Goto knows he has a deep fondness for music, especially that of The Beatles. Much like he will defer answering about having a single favorite horse, and simply say he prefers a bay that is really horse-like, Goto's appreciation of The Beatles keeps him from having one favorite song. "I am at a loss for the answer," he said. "Because every time I am asked the question, the answer is different. That is to say, the sound of The Beatles is full of diversity. If you compare their debut album Please Please Me, and their last one Let It Be, do you think they are the works of the same artist?" Horse racing is not entirely dissimilar in that its many different parts work together to create one whole, and Goto's ability to appreciate and understand something for all of its many facets has served him well over the years. He started his tenure with the JRA in 1975, and he has held a number of management positions, including chief representative of the JRA New York office, manager of international strategic planning section, deputy general manager of customer services department, and general manager of corporate strategies planning department. His time in New York, which lasted from 1995-1998, especially affected him both on personal and professional levels. "My experience in New York had a strong impact not only on me, but also on my family," Goto said. "It was three years full of immeasurable worth in our lives. I met many warm friends, like Mr. Hans Stahl and Mr. Carl Hamilton of the United States Jockey Club.These three years also taught me again that the most important things in our lives should be the kindness of people and the bonds of family. "Above all, it was there that I was taught that the Thoroughbred is a common asset in the world that needs to be maintained and developed by all concerned parties working together." In 2006, Goto was appointed to the JRA Board of Directors, where he was responsible for corporate planning and finance. In 2011, he became the executive director before going on to be named the president and CEO three years later. Improving both the quality and the reputation of horse racing in Japan has been a cornerstone of his vocation. "Through working at the JRA New York office, I was aware that Thoroughbred racing has no national borders, and I wanted to be able to discuss Japanese racing at the same global level," Goto said. "As one of the management models of racing, I could make the value chain of 'breeding, breaking, training, racing, and the back to breeding' clearer and more visible. "And I believed it could attract the interest of many racing fans to the racing segment, which is our commercial product. In the past, unfortunately, Japan was derided as a 'graveyard of stallions,' but now the bloodlines of the Japanese-breds are expanding all over the world." The passion that Japanese racing fans have for the sport combined with Japan's success on some of the biggest international stages in recent years would seem to be clear indications that Goto is succeeding. He is a big believer in data as a way to drive interest, and the JRA has invested in creating access to information on a local level so those gambling on the sport are also learning about its players. "The JRA conducts race meetings every weekend throughout the year," Goto said. "A lot of racing information—such as the condition of the horses, state of training, and comments from the connections—is distributed through racing media, including newspapers, TV, and the internet. Based on all this various information, punters can make predictions about racing and bet at the racecourse, at their OTB, or via the internet. "It is very essential for racing operators to place an emphasis on the fun of the prediction itself and educate about how interesting it is to predict winners, rather than just the gambling aspect. Through this process, the punters can become more familiar with the factors which horse racing is composed of, such as the bloodlines, jockeys, and trainers. Two of the biggest races on the Japanese autumn calendar, the Japan Cup in association with Longines (G1) and the Arima Kinen (G1), come at the end of November and the end of December, respectively. Both are important and points of pride, but in different ways, which is intentional. "The racing operators can provide attractive race planning for fans only if the process is clearly defined," Goto said. "The Japan Cup and the Arima Kinen are truly the pinnacle of championship races of different generations in Japan. The Japan Cup is a race in which the best horses from Japan and other countries compete together, and the Arima Kinen is a dream race in which the runners are determined by fan votes, just like the Major League Baseball All-Star Game. "I will continue to do my best until these races bring foreign tourists to visit Japan to watch them at Tokyo and Nakayama Racecourse, as if they came to look at beautiful Mt. Fuji!" While enticing the racing world to come to Japan is still a work in progress, helping Japanese fans wager on the biggest international races has been a success. A change six years ago in Japanese law has had a major international impact after legislators lifted the ban on wagering on races from outside of Japan and selected international races are now being simulcasted. This began with the 2016 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1), and the $40 million wagered in Japan on that single race surpassed the total handled in France on the entire race program. Goto has presented at multiple international conferences on how the JRA is looking to expand its fan base through international simulcast and how this helps to promote horse racing as a whole. In recent years, the JRA has also partnered with a number of organizations, including the IFHA and the International Forum for the Aftercare of Racehorses, in an effort to further enhance and improve the sport. "It is because Thoroughbred racing is something we all have in common," Goto said. "In particular, the profits earned from racing are derived from the gambling by punters. I believe it is necessary to contribute to various public efforts. This includes things like livestock development, social welfare initiatives, betterment of the environment around racecourses, and measures to combat gambling problems, etc." Last year, Goto began serving as the IFHA's vice-chair for Asia. It was not a decision he took lightly, and it is a position for which he has a great deal of respect as he continues to build the reputation of Japanese racing. "When I first received a phone call from Mr. Louis Romanet, who was the chairman of the IFHA at the time, I was very hesitant whether I should accept his proposal," Goto said. "However, I considered the meaning of Mr. Romanet calling me. It was a great honor, and so I accepted to be the IFHA vice chair. As I have said before, I would like to maintain and develop Thoroughbred racing as a common asset throughout the world, and it would be good to introduce and share Japanese racing as one of the models to the other IFHA members."