PDF(213kb)

Cavallerizzo Claims Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes with Explosive Kick

Second favorite Cavallerizzo claimed the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes to become the two-year-old champion miler of 2025. The son of Saturnalia broke his maiden in his debut start in late August (Chukyo, 1,600m) and was runner-up to race favorite Admire Quads in his most recent Daily Hai Nisai Stakes (Kyoto, G2, 1,600m) start on November 15. Trainer Tatsuya Yoshioka scored his second JRA-G1 title following last year’s Takarazuka Kinen with Blow the Horn, while jockey Cristian Demuro, who is riding in Japan under a short-term license since November 1, registered his sixth G1 title, his latest being the 2024 Queen Elizabeth II Cup with Stunning Rose. This win gives Cavallerizzo’s sire Saturnalia, the 2019 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) champion who stands at stud since 2021, his first G1 victory.

On yielding ground, Cavallerizzo was settled in midfield on the outside of Ecoro Alba running on the rails and behind Corteo Soleil as the field approached the final turns. As the field fanned out and still in a two wide position at the top of the stretch, Cristian Demuro, instead of shifting out, guided his mount to surge through an opening on the rails. With only the pacesetter Diamond Knot to beat by the 200-meter pole, the son of Saturnalia closed powerfully with the fastest late speed to overtake the leader just before the wire for a 3/4-length victory.

“After a normal start, I had a good position behind Yuga (Kawada). In the last corner I had a little bit of a trouble with another horse next to me but when I asked my horse to go inside, he had a good reaction, a good turn of foot. Christophe (Lemaire) was trying to escape but my horse was very strong in the end,” commented Cristian Demuro after the race.

Fifth pick Diamond Knot broke sharply to set the pace putting a length and a half between himself and the rest of the field by the 800-meter marker. The son of Bricks and Mortar stubbornly held on to his lead up to the final strides but gave way to the fast-closing winner for second place.

Breaking moderately from a wide gate, Admire Quads was unhurried sitting in fourth from the rear before advancing rapidly from the outside before the last turn, making a wide bid into the lane. While the runners in front gradually tired, the race favorite closed from the outside and drew even to briefly rally with Ecoro Alba in the last 50 meters but dug in with another gear in the last strides to secure third.

Other Horses:
4th: (3) Ecoro Alba—raced wide around 10th, showed effort but outrun by Admire Quads before wire
5th: (13) Realize Sirius—settled wide around 4th, lacked needed kick
6th: (1) Good Piece—keen to go early, ran around 4th, weakened in last 100m
7th: (2) White Orchid—saved ground in 12th, passed tired rivals in last 300m
8th: (6) Tagano Aralia—tracked leader in 3rd, sustained bid until 200m pole
9th: (5) Storm Thunder—trailed in rear, showed belated charge
10th: (4) Cosmo Red—unhurried in 13th, unable to reach contention
11th: (7) Corteo Soleil—sat around 4th, boxed in at early stretch, dropped back
12th: (11) Kakuuchi—chased leader in 2nd, faded after 300m out
13th: (14) Red Ligare—ran wide around 7th, checked at top of stretch, showed little
14th: (9) Spe Luce—traveled wide around 8th, met traffic at early stretch, failed to fire

THE 77TH ASAHI HAI FUTURITY STAKES (G1)
2-year-olds, Colts & Fillies, 1,600 meters (about 8 furlongs), turf, right-handed
Sunday, December 21, 2025       Hanshin Racecourse          11th Race      Post time: 15:40
Total prize money: ¥ 152,900,000 (about US$ 974,000 <US$1=¥157>)
2-y-o: 56kg (about 123-124 lbs),
1 kg allowance for Fillies, 3 kg allowance for Southern Hemisphere-bred born in 2023
Course Record: 1:32.3               Race Record: 1:32.3 [Grenadier Guards (JPN, by Frankel), Hanshin, 2020]
Safety factor: 18 runners            Going: Yielding                  Weather: Drizzle

Turnover for the Race alone: ¥ 16,334,919,700       Turnover for the Day: ¥ 26,598,356,600       Attendance: 17,021

Winner= 3 starts: 2 wins & 1 second / Added & stakes money: ¥ 71,036,000 / Career earnings: ¥ 93,624,000

* Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes (G1)

Races for two-year-olds were held for the first time in 1946 at Tokyo. As the number of contenders increased, championship races—the Asahi Hai Sansai Stakes (predecessor to the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes) and the Hanshin Sansai Stakes (predecessor to the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies)—which determined the top two-year-olds of the season in eastern and western Japan, respectively, were established in 1949. In conjunction with the new grading system implemented, the two races were designated G1 status in 1984. In 1991, the two races were divided by gender into two separate G1 events; the Hanshin Sansai Himba Stakes for two-year-old fillies and the Asahi Hai Sansai Stakes for two-year-old colts and geldings, then renamed “Hanshin Juvenile Fillies” and “Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes”, respectively, in 2001. Since 2004, the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes has been limited to non-gelded colts and fillies. The race, which started off as a 1,100-meter sprint, was extended to 1,200 meters in 1959 and again to 1,600 meters in 1962. In 2010, the race was opened to foreign runners. Due to the restructured racing program for two-year-olds, the venue was transferred from Nakayama to Hanshin Racecourse, the same location as the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies, in 2014. Last year, the race was temporarily shifted to Kyoto Racecourse due to renovations conducted at Hanshin at the time.
In this year’s lineup, coming off their respective second career wins were Realize Sirius (Niigata Nisai Stakes [G3, 1,600m; Aug.24]), Ecoro Alba (Saudi Arabia Royal Cup [G3, 1,600m; Oct.11]), Diamond Knot (Keio Hai Nisai Stakes [G2, 1,400m; Nov.8]), Admire Quads (Daily Hai Nisai Stakes [G2, 1,600m; Nov.15]) and Tagano Aralia (Shumeigiku Sho [1 Win Class, 1,400m; Nov.22]). The field also included Cavallerizzo, who finished second in the Daily Hai Nisai Stakes, Corteo Soleil, runner-up in the Begonia Sho (1 Win Class, 1,600m; Nov.30), and Storm Thunder, winner of the Clover Sho (Open Class, 1,500m) in August.