The Grade 1 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes is next up on the JRA calendar on Sunday, December 15. And after the 2-year-old fillies race (the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies) on December 8, it's the colts' turn this weekend.
Although the race is usually held at Hanshin Racecourse, it will be staged at Kyoto Racecourse on Sunday. Renovation work continues at Hanshin, but racing will return there next spring.
The Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes was first run in 1949 when it was known as the Asahi Hai Sansai Stakes. It was originally run over just 1,100 meters but became a 1,200-meter race in 1959. Then, three years later, the distance was set at a mile. It was elevated to a Grade 1 race in 1984 and got its current name in 2001.
In 2010, it was opened to runners from overseas. Previously, the race was run at Nakayama, but since 2014 it's been held at Hanshin.
Details on the 76th Running of the Asahi Futurity Stakes
There are 19 nominations for Sunday's race, which has a maximum 18-runner field. The race is run over a mile (1,600 meters) on the outer turf course at Kyoto. No geldings are permitted to run, but there is one filly among the nominated horses. Colts carry 56 kg, and there's a 1-kg allowance for fillies.
Some of the runners go into the race having just won a maiden. A couple of graded races leading into Sunday's race included the Grade 3 Saudi Arabia Royal Cup, run over a mile at Tokyo in October, and November's Grade 2 Keio Hai Nisai Stakes, also run at Tokyo, over 1,400 meters.
Over the last 10 years, four first favorites have won the race, with Jantar Mantar being the last in 2023. Seven of the last 10 winners have been trained at the Ritto Training Center in Shiga Prefecture, and in the past decade, jockey Yuga Kawada has won the race three times.
Record time for the race (at Hanshin) is held by Grenadier Guards, who triumphed in a time of 1 minute, 32.3 seconds in 2020. Sunday, December 15's winner's check is ¥70 million JPY (about $460,000 USD).
The 76th running of the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes will be Race 11 on the Sunday card at Kyoto, with a post time of 3:40 PM.
Here's a look at some of the runners expected to play a part in the race:
Museum Mile Looks to Maintain Form
Leontes-sired Museum Mile has won his last two races and looked particularly impressive last time, when he was an easy winner of the Kigiku Sho over 2,000 meters at Kyoto on November 10. He had a short break at Northern Farm Shigaraki. Then he returned to the stable of Daisuke Takayanagi on November 26.
"He looked a little heavy in his first piece of work since returning, but that was the same last time," Takayanagi said. "And as he picks up in training, he doesn't seem heavy after being back for a while now."
Jockey Cristian Demuro rode the horse in the Kigiku Sho and will ride him again on December 15.
Trainer Says Arlecchino 'Looks Sharp'
Returning to the Miho Training Center and the stable of Sakae Kunieda, Arlecchino is a half-brother to 2024's Grade 1 Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) winner, Cervinia. Working solo on the woodchip course recently at Miho, Arlecchino posted a six-furlong time of 84.4 seconds, closing out the final furlong in 12.4 seconds.
"There doesn't seem to be any change with him, and he looks sharp," Kunieda commented. "So all's well with him."
The colt, sired by Bricks and Mortar, was last seen finishing fifth in the Grade 3 Saudi Arabia Royal Cup over a mile at Tokyo on October 5.
Christophe Lemaire is set for the ride once again.
Panja Tower Running for 3rd Win in a Row
Jockey Kohei Matsuyama has struck up a good partnership with Tower of London offspring Panja Tower, and the horse is unbeaten in his two starts to date. His latest win came in the Grade 2 Keio Hai Nisai Stakes over 1,400 meters at Tokyo on November 2.
Trainer Shinsuke Hashiguchi is pleased with him going into this next race.
"He's been as expected in his recent work," the trainer said.
Hashiguchi added, "He's chased down his training partners well, and there's no change with the way he's moving. The jockey thinks a mile will suit him, and that he could have done even better in his last race if the ground had been better."
Read the rest of this article about the Asahi Futurity Stakes and the Japanese horses in contention on JRA News.
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