2020 JRA Awards

Danon the Kid (JPN)

Video (Danon the Kid)
Hopeful Stakes (G1 - English) Video

Age (Date of Foaling)	2 (January 29, 2018)
Sex / Color	Colt / Bay
Sire	Just a Way
Dam (Sire of Dam)	Epic Love (Dansili)
Owner	Danox Co., Ltd.
Breeder	Northern Farm
Trainer	Takayuki Yasuda
Jockey	Yuga Kawada
Season Record / Earnings	3 starts, 3 wins / ¥ 111,442,000
Principal Win in 2020	Hopeful Stakes (G1) Tokyo Sports Hai Nisai Stakes (G3)

Danon the Kid was named Best Two-Year-Old Colt of 2020, following the footsteps of the 2019 award winner Contrail by capping off his debut campaign undefeated in all three starts. Just like the 2020 Triple Crown champion Contrail, his accomplishments included two significant victories, the Tokyo Sports Hai Nisai Stakes and the Hopeful Stakes, the latter of which gave his sire Just a Way his first G1 title. He will begin his three-year-old season with the Yayoi Sho Deep Impact Kinen (G2, 2,000m) on March 7 or the Wakaba Stakes (Listed, 2,000m) on March 20, prior to the first leg of the Triple Crown, the Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas, G1, 2,000m), in April.

The bay colt began his career claiming his debut start over 1,800 meters in June by an overwhelming three length margin, having traveled wide in fifth and despite drifting inside at the top of the stretch was able to effortlessly exert the race’s fastest late kick. Racing in the Tokyo Sports Hai Nisai Stakes after a five-month break, the son of Just a Way turned in the fastest late drive once again after racing in third to easily capture his first graded title by a comfortable 1-1/4 lengths.

Sent off favorite in the Hopeful Stakes, Danon the Kid advanced to third making a wide bid rounding the third corner and inherited the lead when the pacesetter swerved off course and tossed his rider at the final turn. Leading the field into the lane, the colt found an extra gear in the last 100 meters and secured another 1-1/4-length victory.

Sodashi (JPN)

Video (Sodashi)
Hanshin Juvenile Fillies (G1 - English) Video

Age (Date of Foaling)	2 (March 8,2018)
Sex / Color	Filly / White
Sire	Kurofune
Dam (Sire of Dam)	Buchiko (King Kamehameha)
Owner	Kaneko Makoto Holdings Co., Ltd.
Breeder	Kaneko Makoto Holdings Inc.
Trainer	Naosuke Sugai
Jockey	Hayato Yoshida
Season Record / Earnings	4 starts, 4 wins / ¥ 134,373,000
Principal Win in 2020	Hanshin Juvenile Fillies (G1) Artemis Stakes (G3) Sapporo Nisai Stakes (G3)

Sodashi went down in history as the first white horse to capture a JRA-G1 victory by claiming the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies, earning her the Best Two-Year-Old Filly of 2020 title. Undefeated in all of her four starts in 2020, she will attempt to extend the winning streak in her three-year-old campaign, heading directly for the first leg of the fillies’ Triple Crown, the Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas, G1, 1,600m) on April 11.

Foaled out of white Buchiko whose dam Shirayukihime is also white, the Kurofune filly immediately broke her maiden in July by taking the lead in the early stretch after racing in second to register a 2-1/2-length win. Posted as second pick in the following Sapporo Nisai Stakes, she captured her first graded title against males while renewing the track record at 1:48.2. With consecutive wins under her belt, the white filly started in the Artemis Stakes as favorite, sat behind the pacesetter after a sharp break and took command 400 meters out for a comfortable 1-3/4-length victory.

In the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies, Sodashi was a bit reluctant to enter the gate, but then made a clear break to settle in fourth to fifth and two-wide behind the moderate pace of the leader five to six lengths in front. After chasing the frontrunners into the stretch, the white filly secured a good path 300 meters out and powered home, picking off the pacesetter laboring along the rails. She had to repel a determined challenge by Satono Reinas, who loomed up in the last 50 meters to make it a duel to the wire, but Sodashi prevailed by a whisker to claim her first G1 title.

Contrail (JPN)

Video (Contrail)
Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger) (G1 - English)Video

Age (Date of Foaling)	3 (April 1, 2017)
Sex / Color	Colt / Brown
Sire	Deep Impact
Dam (Sire of Dam)	Rhodochrosite (Unbridled’s Song)
Owner	Shinji Maeda
Breeder	North Hills Co,. Ltd.
Trainer	Yoshito Yahagi
Jockey	Yuichi Fukunaga
Season Record / Earnings	5 starts, 4 wins, 1 second / ¥ 684,843,000
Career Record / Earnings	8 starts, 7 wins, 1 second / ¥ 796,110,000
Principal Wins in 2020	Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger) (G1) Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) (G1) Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) (G1) Kobe Shimbun Hai (G2)

Contrail fixed his name in JRA history by becoming the third undefeated Triple Crown winner last year. In the Japan Cup, his first challenge against senior G1 rivals, his winning streak was stopped at seven by the now legendary Almond Eye, but the Deep Impact colt was strong in defeat, recording the fastest speed over the last three furlongs to finish runner-up. The Best Three-Year-Old Colt of 2020 will kick off his four-year-old campaign with the Osaka Hai (G1, 2,000m) on April 4.

Contrail won all three starts in 2019, including the G1 Hopeful Stakes, to claim an overwhelming number of votes as the season’s Best Two-Year-Old Colt. Starting his three-year-old campaign in the Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas), the brown colt took advantage of an inside draw to run along the rails in mid-field behind a brisk pace, then shifted out to make headway and circle wide into the stretch to duel with an unrelenting Salios, the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes champion, but eventually prevailed by half a length. Made race favorite once again in his following race, the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby), Contrail did not disappoint, exploding into gear from a good position and pulling away easily to a three-length victory.

Following an easy win in his fall debut, the Kobe Shimbun Hai, Contrail broke smoothly in the Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger) and settled nicely between horses in mid-field while being pressured by a rival on his outside. Although he appeared keen to go along the backstretch, jockey Yuichi Fukunaga managed to keep the situation in hand and gradually the son of Deep Impact made headway through the last two corners. Despite taking command in the stretch and attempting to pull away from the field, the colt was stalked by the runner-up throughout the trip, so the undefeated three-year-old Contrail was required to demonstrate terrific tenacity before prevailing by a neck at the wire for an historic Triple Crown victory. In the Japan Cup, the Triple Crown colt ran in mid-field a couple of lengths behind rival Daring Tact, staying on her heels into the final turn. He then unleashed an explosive kick down the middle of the straight to pin Glory Vase and Curren Bouquetd’or in the final strides while also holding off Daring Tact’s strong challenge to finish second 1-1/4 lengths behind the great Almond Eye.

Daring Tact (JPN)

Video (Daring Tact)
Shuka Sho (G1 - English) Video

Age (Date of Foaling)	3 (April 15, 2017)
Sex / Color	Filly / Brown
Sire	Epiphaneia
Dam (Sire of Dam)	Daring Bird (King Kamehameha)
Owner	Normandy Thoroughbred Racing Co., Ltd.
Breeder	Hasegawa Bokujo
Trainer	Haruki Sugiyama
Jockey	Kohei Matsuyama
Season Record / Earnings	5 starts, 4 wins, 1 third / ¥ 466,175,000
Career Record / Earnings	6 starts, 5 wins, 1 third / ¥ 473,175,000
Principal Wins in 2020	Shuka Sho (G1) Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) (G1) Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) (G1)

Daring Tact marked an unprecedented milestone in JRA history last year, becoming the first undefeated three-year-old filly to make a clean sweep of the Triple Crown for fillies. The 2020 Best Three-Year-Old Filly capped off her three-year-old campaign with a respectable third in the Japan Cup, the only blemish in her record so far, and is now scheduled to commence her 2021 season in the Kinko Sho (G2, 2,000m) on March 14.

After winning her only start as a two-year-old, the Epiphaneia filly kicked off her three-year-old season in the listed Elfin Stakes where she sat towards the rear in around 10th, circled wide into the straight and produced an impressive burst of speed to land an overwhelming four-length victory. Sent off second favorite in the first gem of the Crown, the Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas), Daring Tact settled in a rearward position before making rapid headway in a wide sweeping move at the final corner and powered past her rivals in the straight, catching 2019 Best Two-Year-Old Filly Resistencia a few strides before the finish line for the title.

In the following Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks), the race favorite settled on the rails sixth from the rear, struggled to find a clear path rounding the last turn but finally exploded with the fastest closing speed after finding a narrow opening 300 meters out to overtake the runner-up in the last 50 meters for a half-length victory. Well rested after a summer break, the brown filly lived up to expectations in the Shuka Sho, the final leg of the fillies’ Triple, where she gradually made headway in the backstretch from a wide and rearward position, swung into gear once in the straight and exerted her powerful late charge to steal the front 200 meters out and win by a comfortable 1-1/4 lengths.

In the Japan Cup, her first challenge against older foes, Daring Tact was settled in mid-field up to the last corner and was bumped by Contrail 300 meters out, which forced her to alter her path and squeeze between rivals, but she powerfully accelerated to tag Glory Vase in the final strides while nosing out Curren Bouquetd’or at the wire, finishing a neck behind the runner-up in third.

Fierement (JPN)

Video (Fierement)
Tenno Sho (Spring) (G1-English) Video

Age (Date of Foaling)	5 (January 20, 2015)
Sex / Color	Horse / Bay
Sire	Deep Impact
Dam (Sire of Dam)	Lune d'Or (Green Tune)
Owner	Sunday Racing Co., Ltd.
Breeder	Northern Racing
Trainer	Takahisa Tezuka
Jockey	Christophe Lemaire
Season Record / Earnings	3 starts, 1 win, 1 second, 1 third / ¥ 289,230,000
Career Record / Earnings	12 starts, 5 wins, 3 seconds, 2 thirds / ¥ 709,265,000
Principal Win in 2020	Tenno Sho (Spring) (G1)

Fierement showcased his outstanding stayer talent last year when winning the Tenno Sho (Spring) for the second time, becoming the first horse since Kitasan Black and the fifth in JRA history to claim the title consecutively. The five-year-old was consistent in middle distances as well, registering a second and a third in the Tenno Sho (Autumn) and the Arima Kinen, respectively, to be chosen Best Older Colt or Horse of 2020. Unfortunately the bay was diagnosed with ligamentitis after showing lameness in his left foreleg at the end of the 2020 season, so he was retired from racing and now stands at stud at the Breeders Stallion Station.

The son of Deep Impact broke his maiden in his debut start in January 2018, marked another win in April and registered a runner-up effort in his first grade-race challenge that summer in the Radio Nikkei Sho (G3). Well rested after a four-month break, Fierement won a fierce duel in the Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger) to land a photo-finish win, becoming the champion with the least career starts. He outdueled subsequent Hong Kong Vase winner Glory Vase in the Tenno Sho (Spring) the following season and claimed his second G1 title by a neck margin.

Commencing his 2020 campaign in the Tenno Sho (Spring) as the defending champion, he settled in the middle of the field and after heading into the lane still in seventh, unleashed a spectacular last three-furlong drive, digging in well to pin the runner-up at the wire in another dramatic photo-finish.

In his second outing of the season, the Tenno Sho (Autumn), he traveled in around 10th behind Chrono Genesis and switched to the outside after struggling to find a clear path at the top of the stretch. Accelerating impressively with the fastest last three furlongs, Fierement, although unable to tag Almond Eye, dug in gamely to cross the finish line a neck in front of Chrono Genesis for second place.

In the Arima Kinen two months later, Fierement pressed the pace in second, turned the final corners in good striking position and was first to enter the straight, but this time could not repel determined challenges by Chrono Genesis and the fast-closing runner-up to finish third, being caught right before the wire.

Gran Alegria (JPN)

Video (Gran Alegria)
Mile Championship (G1 - English) Video

Age (Date of Foaling)	4 (January 24, 2016)
Sex / Color	Filly / Bay
Sire	Deep Impact
Dam (Sire of Dam)	Tapitsfly (Tapit)
Owner	Sunday Racing Co., Ltd.
Breeder	Northern Farm
Trainer	Kazuo Fujisawa
Jockey	Christophe Lemaire
Season Record / Earnings	4 starts, 3 wins, 1 second / ¥ 453,166,000
Career Record / Earnings	10 starts, 7 wins, 1 second, 1 third / ¥ 720,215,000
Principal Win in 2020	Mile Championship (G1) Sprinters Stakes (G1) Yasuda Kinen (G1)

Gran Alegria became the eighth horse in JRA history to claim both mile G1 titles—the Yasuda Kinen and the Mile Championship—in the same year. She also became just the third horse to win the Sprinters Stakes-Mile Championship double in the same year. The Best Sprinter or Miler will now commence her five-year-old season in the Takamatsunomiya Kinen (G1, 1,200m) on March 28 or the Osaka Hai on April 4.

In three starts as a two-year-old, the Deep Impact filly scored two wins, including the Saudi Arabia Royal Cup (G3). In a G1 challenge against males, the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes (G1), she finished third 2-1/2 lengths behind Admire Mars, the subsequent Hong Kong Mile winner. The following year, the speedy filly claimed the first leg of the three-year-old fillies’ Triple, the Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas, G1), in record time, but then was sidelined due to a hoof abscess in her left foreleg after finishing fifth in the following NHK Mile Cup. She resumed racing in the yearend Hanshin Cup (G2), where she demonstrated her extraordinary speed in an overwhelming five-length victory against her seniors to earn selection as JRA’s Best Three-Year-Old Filly of 2019.

burst of speed after traveling fifth or sixth from the rear to cross the wire in third, but later was promoted to second due to interference in a critical stage. As one of 10 proven G1 winners in a very challenging Yasuda Kinen, she bounced back from her previous unlucky start to settle well in hand in mid-field before making made an early move to the front and then exerting the fastest late drive to hold off Almond Eye by 2-1/2 lengths for her second G1 victory.

In her fall comeback, the Sprinters Stakes, Gran Alegria was off slow and raced second from the rear, hardly looking like a threat as she turned for home. But as soon as Christophe Lemaire shifted his mount to the outside and gave her a little slap on the behind, she mowed down the entire field and took command still 50 meters out to pull away and leave runner-up and subsequent Hong Kong Sprint winner Danon Smash two lengths behind. In the Mile Championship, the bay filly broke sharply and traveled just off the rails behind the pace in around fifth, but when attempting to angle out before the final turn she was boxed in and then was caught behind the dueling leaders 200 meters out. By shifting further out for a clear run, however, Gran Alegria was able to unleash her powerful speed and storm past the two leaders to cross the wire for a 3/4-length victory, her third consecutive G1 title in both the sprint and mile categories.

Chuwa Wizard (JPN)

Video (Chuwa Wizard)
Champions Cup (G1 - English) Video

Age (Date of Foaling)	5 (April 19, 2015)
Sex / Color	Horse / Brown
Sire	King Kamehameha
Dam (Sire of Dam)	Chuwa Blossom (Durandal)
Owner	Shinobu Nakanishi
Breeder	Northern Racing
Trainer	Ryuji Okubo
Jockey	Keita Tosaki
Season Record / Earnings	4 starts, 2 wins, 2 thirds / ¥ 191,360,000
Career Record / Earnings	18 starts, 10 wins, 3 seconds, 4 thirds / ¥ 491,021,000
Principal Wins in 2020	Champions Cup (G1) Kawasaki Kinen

Chuwa Wizard registered his first JRA-G1 victory in last year’s Champions Cup, which earned him the Best Dirt Horse title with 186 votes—far ahead of the 85 votes garnered by previous Best Dirt Horse, Chrysoberyl. He is a consistent runner with a 10-3-4 record out of 18 starts, his only unplaced start being a fourth in the 2019 Champions Cup. He is scheduled to begin his six-year-old season with either the Kawasaki Kinen on January 27, the February Stakes (G1, dirt, 1,600m) on February 21 or the Saudi Cup (dirt, 1,800m) on February 20, which would be his first overseas challenge.

A dirt specialist who has only been raced on dirt since his debut in February of his three-year-old season, the son of King Kamehameha captured the 2019 Heian Stakes (G3) in JRA as well as the 2018 Nagoya Grand Prix, the 2019 Diolite Kinen and the 2019 JBC Classic in NAR (local public racing).

Chuwa Wizard kicked off his 2020 season with a win in the Kawasaki Kinen, where he inherited the lead at the final corner after traveling wide around third and then pulled away to an overwhelming six-length victory. But in the following Teio Sho and then the JBC Classic, he finished third behind Chrysoberyl and Omega Perfume in both races.

In his fourth and last start of the season, the Champions Cup, Chuwa Wizard was sent off fourth pick. Breaking sharply and traveling in mid-division while eying Chrysoberyl in front, the brown unleashed a powerful charge in the lane, tied for the fastest closing speed, overtook his rivals one by one, grabbed the lead 100 meters out and easily pulled away to a 2-1/2-length victory.

Meisho Dassai (JPN)

Video (Meisho Dassai)
Nakayama Daishogai (J-G1) Video

Age (Date of Foaling)	7 (April 8, 2013)
Sex / Color	Horse / Dark Bay
Sire	Suzuka Mambo
Dam (Sire of Dam)	Suzuka Bloom (Scatter the Gold)
Owner	Yoshio Matsumoto
Breeder	Grand Stud
Trainer	Yuji Iida
Jockey	Kazuma Mori
Season Record / Earnings*	4 starts, 3 wins, 1 second / ¥ 150,746,000 *steeplechases only
Career Record / Earnings*	15 starts, 7 wins, 4 seconds, 2 thirds / ¥ 267,572,000 *steeplechases only
Principal Wins in 2020	Nakayama Daishogai (J-G1) Tokyo High-Jump (J-G2)

Meisho Dassai was awarded Best Steeplechase Horse after capturing his first J-G1 title in the yearend Nakayama Daishogai. Although finishing second behind Oju Chosan in the Nakayama Grand Jump, he obtained 199 votes, beating the legendary jumper by more than 100 votes, to earn the highest honor for steeplechase runners. The Best Steeplechase Horse of 2020 will commence his eight-year-old season with one of the step races prior to facing Oju Chosan again in the Nakayama Grand Jump on April 17.

Debuting in September of his two-year-old season, the son of Suzuka Mambo marked one win out of 19 starts in flat races before being switched to steeplechase racing in his five-year-old season. Showing an aptitude for steeplechasing, he marked his first win in his third start and has finished within the top three in all his races since. He captured his first graded win in the Kokura Summer Jump (J-G3) in 2019 and registered a well-deserved third in the Nakayama Daishogai, his first start at the J-G1 level, that year.

Meisho Dassai won his first start of the 2020 season in the Pegasus Jump Stakes, where he easily pulled away to an overwhelming seven-length victory after racing in third. In the following Nakayama Grand Jump, the dark bay stalked Oju Chosan in third through most of the race and closed in on the eventual winner after clearing the final jump in second but was unable to accelerate in the last 100 meters and crossed the wire still in second.

Well rested after a six-month break, he scored his second graded title in the Tokyo High-Jump where he took command at the last jump after chasing the pace in third and accelerated to a 1-3/4-length win. Sent off odds-on-favorite in the Nakayama Daishogai in a field of 16 runners, but without Oju Chosan due to a minor leg injury, Meisho Dassai traveled wide around 10th from the front and continued to race in a contained way while gradually improving his position. After entering the final stretch in second, the dark bay exerted a powerful kick and overtook the front in the last strides for a 1-3/4-length victory.

Chrono Genesis (JPN)

Video (Chrono Genesis)
Arima Kinen (The Grand Prix) (G1 - English) Video

Age (Date of Foaling)	4 (March 6, 2016)
Sex / Color	Filly / Gray
Sire	Bago
Dam (Sire of Dam)	Chronologist (Kurofune)
Owner	Sunday Racing Co., Ltd.
Breeder	Northern Racing
Trainer	Takashi Saito
Jockey	Yuichi Kitamura
Season Record / Earnings*	5 starts, 3 wins, 1 second, 1 third / ¥ 612,986,00
Career Record / Earnings*	13 starts, 7 wins, 2 seconds, 3 thirds / ¥ 873,420,000
Principal Wins in 2020	Arima Kinen (The Grand Prix) (G1) Takarazuka Kinen (G1) Kyoto Kinen (G2)

Chrono Genesis earned the Special Award of 2020 after becoming the 15th horse and second filly/mare to dominate both Grand Prix races, the Takarazuka Kinen and the Arima Kinen, an accomplishment exemplified just a year earlier by 2019 Horse of the Year Lys Gracieux. Her current season could begin with her first overseas challenge in the Dubai World Cup Day meeting on March 27 or the Hong Kong Champions Day on April 25.

At age two, the Bago filly won her first two career starts and marked a close runner-up effort in the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies (G1). After notching her first graded title in the Queen Cup (G3) in the first outing of her three-year-old season, she was consistent in the first two legs of the fillies’ Triple Crown, the Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas, G1) and the Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks, G1), finishing third in both. She claimed her much-awaited first G1 title in the Shuka Sho before capping off the season with a fifth in the Queen Elizabeth II Cup (G1), her first challenge against older foes.

Following her Kyoto Kinen victory in her 2020 seasonal debut, Chrono Genesis was beaten by a neck for second in the Osaka Hai, having to cover more ground than the winner who made a strong bid from the inside. In her next start, the Takarazuka Kinen, she took a wide route around the last two corners to enter the lane in second and then assumed command 300 meters out with a powerful kick despite somewhat soft going to dominate with a six-length margin of victory, a race record.

In her Tenno Sho (Autumn) challenge, despite being disadvantaged right after the break the filly fought well to finish third just a neck back of Fierement, who was only a 1/2 length behind victor Almond Eye. In the season-ending Arima Kinen, where runners are selected by fans, she was made first pick with a record 214,742 ballots. In the race, Chrono Genesis camped around fifth from the rear, made an early move gradually making headway in the middle of the backstretch and then hit the top of the straight in third. After immediately picking off the tired pacesetter, the favorite caught Fierement 100 meters out and battled stride for stride until she finally wore him down to prevail by a neck while also holding off the strong-closing runner-up.