Kikuka Sho Preview: Endurance is Essential in the 3,000-Meter Race

The JRA Grade 1 action continues on Sunday, October 20, when the Kikuka Sho (Japanese St Leger) will be run over 3,000 meters on the outer turf course at Kyoto Racecourse.

It is the final leg of the Triple Crown races for 3-year-old colts, following the Grade 1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) and the Grade 1 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby), which were held in April and May 2024, respectively.

The Kikuka Sho was first run in 1938 and has for the most part been run at Kyoto, except for years when renovation was ongoing at the track, which was most recently in 2021 and 2022. 

Some big-name winners of the race in recent years have included Epiphaneia (2013), Kitasan Black (2015) and Contrail (2020). The latter was the last horse to claim the Triple Crown and just the eighth to do so in Japanese racing history.

There are 18 nominations for Sunday's big race, and the maximum field size is set at 18, so there will be no disappointments when it comes to getting a start. No geldings are permitted to run, and all the colts (no fillies have been nominated to run) will carry a set weight of 57 kg. 

Pertinent Facts About the Kikuka Sho

First favorites have only been led into the winner's enclosure three times in the last 10 years, with Contrail being the last favorite to win. 

The race has been run on good to firm ground nine times in the past decade, with just 2017 seeing a rain-affected track. 

Record time for the race at Kyoto was set by Toho Jackal, winning in a time of 3 minutes, 1.0 seconds in 2014. 

This year's winner's check is ¥200 million JPY (about $1.4 million USD).

Two official trial races for the Kikuka Sho were the Grade 2 Kobe Shimbun Hai, run over 2,200 meters at Chukyo, and the Grade 2 Asahi Hai St Lite Kinen, contested over the same distance at Nakayama. Both races were held in September.

Post time for the 85th running of the Kikuka Sho is 3:40 PM, and it will be Race 11 on the Sunday card at Kyoto.

Here's a look at some of the top horses expected to take on Sunday's big race.

Big Expectations for Tokyo Yushun Winner Danon Decile 

Danon Decile, the 2024 Tokyo Yushun winner, surprised many when winning the Classic at odds of 46/1. But he'll start a lot shorter for this next race, despite not having had a run since his big win. He had also been off the track for a while before the Japanese Derby. However, trainer Shogo Yasuda is unconcerned about the horse's spell without a race.

"He showed how well he could run in the Derby, despite not having a run since the Keisei Hai [on January 14]," the trainer said. 

"On his return to the stable, the weather has been very hot, so the decision was made to send him directly to the Kikuka Sho. His weight was about 530 kg when he came back to the stable, but he does seem to be more muscular now." 

Jockey Norihiro Yokoyama, 56, will be putting all his experience to good use again, hoping for another top-class victory here on the son of Epiphaneia.

Cosmo Kuranda Coming off a Runner-Up Finish

Al Ain-sired Cosmo Kuranda missed out on a first-three finish in the Tokyo Yushun. But in one race since, he finished second to Urban Chic in the Asahi Hai St Lite Kinen over 2,200 meters at Nakayama. 

Assistant trainer Yoshinori Ito commented: "We've kept him at the stable since his last race and have been getting him ready for the Kikuka Sho. He's recovered from his last race well, and we've been able to increase his work recently, training him on the uphill and getting him into the pool."

Ito added, "He does things his way, and from now we'll work him on the woodchip course before the race." 

Jockey Mirco Demuro takes the ride on Cosmo Kuranda in a bid to score his 35th JRA Grade 1 win, and he last won the Kikuka Sho in 2017 with Kiseki.

Meisho Tabaru Looks Primed for Success

His racing style is to go off in front and try and stay there, and while this could be difficult over 3,000 meters, Gold Ship progeny Meisho Tabaru might just have the ability to spring a surprise. He came back from injury last time, and won the Kobe Shimbun Hai over 2,200 meters at Chukyo in September, with his usual front-running display. 

"Jockey Suguru Hamanaka made sure not to push him too hard in the first half of the Kobe Shimbun Hai, and the horse found a good rhythm," trainer Mamoru Ishibashi said. "The jockey said the horse is more mature now than in the spring, and knows when to switch on. We'll just have to see how he does over the distance this time."

Read the rest of this article about the Kikuka Sho and the Japanese horses in contention on JRA News.

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Author: JRA News