Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes (G1) - Preview

Admire Quads

Realize Sirius

Ecoro Alba

Diamond Knot

Cavallerizzo

Tagano Aralia

Corteo Soleil

It’s the turn of the 2-year-old colts this coming Sunday (December 21), following on from the fillies last week. The Grade 1 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes continues the watch on Japan’s latest stars in the making, when it will be run at Hanshin Racecourse over 1,600 meters on the outer turf course (the same as last week’s Grade 1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies).

First run back in 1949 at Nakayama over 1,100 meters, it was then known as the Asahi Hai Sansai Stakes. The distance was changed to 1,200 meters in 1959, and it was finally extended to 1,600 meters - the distance of the race today - in 1962. It became a Grade 1 race in1984 and got its current name in 2001. Runners from overseas were permitted in 2010, and the switch to Hanshin came in 2014. The race returns to Hanshin this year, after renovations at the track last year meant the race was run at Kyoto.

No geldings are allowed to run in the race, and all colts will carry the set weight of 56kg, with just a 1kg allowance for any fillies that connections decide to run. The race is aimed at horses that look suited to a mile, with the extended trip of the Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes the following week, set up for runners expected to stay over the distance of that race at Nakayama, which is 2,000 meters, the same course and distance as next year’s Grade 1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas).

The 77th running of the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes has attracted 18 nominations for a maximum 18 runner line-up. It’s a tough race for the youngsters, with the rise in the homestraight just before the winning post. Recent big-name winners of the race have included Do Deuce (2021) and Jantar Mantar (2023). Just three first favorites have won in the past ten years (Jantar Mantar was the last one), and Grenadier Guards holds the race record for the race at Hanshin, when he won in a time of 1 minute 32.3 seconds in 2020. Jockey Yuga Kawada has won the race four times in the last decade, and Ritto-trained runners certainly have the upper hand, with eight wins in that same time period. This year’s winner’s check is JPY 70 million (around USD 450,000).

Many of the runners in this year’s Grade 1 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes are coming off runs in various graded races for 2-year-olds, run at Tokyo, Kyoto and Niigata in the past few months. Final declarations and the barrier draw will be available later in the week. This Sunday’s big race will be race 11 on the Hanshin card, with a post time of 15.40 in Japan.

Here’s a look at some of the up-and-coming colts expected to feature in the race:

Admire Quads: The unbeaten colt by Real Steel is trained by Yasuo Tomomichi, who has already won this Grade 1 three times, including last year with Admire Zoom. Admire Quads won on his debut at Tokyo over a mile in October, and followed that up with an impressive win in record time in the Grade 2 Daily Hai Nisai Stakes, run over a mile at Kyoto in November. He’s since had a refreshing break at the farm. The colt worked on the woodchip course at Ritto over six furlongs with two other horses on December 11, clocking 11.2 seconds for the final furlong. Jockey Ryusei Sakai has struck up a good partnership with him, and thinks he’s improved since his second race, and that the Hanshin mile will be fine for him. Admire Quads runs in the colors of owner Junko Kondo.

Realize Sirius: Also unbeaten in two starts, the Shadai Farm-bred colt by Poetic Flare won on his first start at Tokyo over a mile back in June, and then ran out an easy winner of the Grade 3 Niigata Nisai Stakes over a mile in August. He’s been ridden up with the pace in both his starts. Jockey Akihide Tsumura has ridden the horse in his two easy victories so far, and retains the ride on the colt. “He seemed a bit heavy, possibly due to the ground, but he’s better for a recent piece of work, and is more relaxed now. He has a nice big stride. One thing will be how he handles the gate to get into a good rhythm,” the jockey said last week.

Ecoro Alba: His JPY 77 million price tag at the 2025 Chiba Thoroughbred Sale starts to look like it could be a bargain, with the son of Mozu Ascot also scoring two wins from his two career races. He won a newcomer race at Niigata over 1,400 meters in July, and then proceeded to win the Grade 3 Saudi Arabia Royal Cup over a mile at Tokyo in October, and the form of that race invariably works out very well. In both his wins, he recorded the fastest final three-furlong times. He is trained at the Miho Training Center by Yasuhito Tamura, and jockey Kohei Matsuyama will ride the colt for the first time. The trainer said recently: “He’s moving well, and his reactions are better now than at the time of the Saudi Arabia Royal Cup. It’ll be interesting to watch him run in this next race.”

Diamond Knot: The colt by Bricks and Mortar has had five starts so far, and he’s coming off a win in the Grade 2 Keio Hai Nisai Stakes over 1,400 meters at Tokyo in November. Trainer Yuichi Fukunaga commented: “His workload’s been good and there’s no big change with him. There’s an extra furlong to see out in the race this time, but hopefully with the help of the jockey, he’ll be able to do that.” The colt won his last race very easily over the 1,400 meters at Tokyo. Christophe Lemaire is the jockey on board, and Diamond Knot runs in the colors of Kaneko Makoto Holdings Co. Ltd.

Cavallerizzo: The colt won on his debut, with quite a bit in hand, over a mile at Chukyo in August, and then ran a very close second - beaten by just a head - to Admire Quads in the Grade 2 Daily Hai Nisai Stakes at Kyoto in November, a race run in record time. Trainer Tatsuya Yoshioka said: “Things have been fine with him in training. As for this next race, a couple of points will be for him to be relaxed, and to save enough during the run to use his speed at the end.” Cristian Demuro looks set to ride the son of Saturnalia, to try and reverse the placings with Admire Quads.

Tagano Aralia: It’s two wins from five starts for the colt by Mr Melody, and he’s coming off a one-win class victory over 1,400 meters at Kyoto in November, but it was such an easy win that the extended distance of a mile would seem to be no problem for him. Trainer Shota Nishizono said: “He’s been moving well in training, when you consider the going at the time he’s done his work. I’m not worried about him finding a good rhythm, and the mile should be fine for him.” Tagano Aralia will be ridden by America-based French rider, Florent Geroux, who’s still looking for his first win, riding in Japan on a short-term license.

Others among the nominations include Spe Luce, Corteo Soleil and Red Ligare. Spe Luce has a second and a first from two starts, with jockey Kosei Miura expected to ride, while Corteo Soleil has always been in the first three from his five starts, and Yuga Kawada has been booked for the ride on the colt by Win Bright. Red Ligare has had just the one start, and is coming off a maiden win over a mile at Kyoto in November.