2014 NAR Grand Prix

Horse of the Year was Summit Stone, winner of the Urawa Kinen and top finisher from among NAR-registered horses in the Tokyo Daishoten (G1). The 6-year-old, Funabashi-based Summit Stone turned in a gallant performance to finish third in the Tokyo Daishoten. He is trained by Yoshiyuki Yano. Summit Stone was also awarded Best Thoroughbred Older Colt or Horse.

Summit Stone (JPN)

Best Thoroughbred 2-Year-Old Colt went to Jajauma Narashi, who won the principal dirt race the Hyogo Junior Grand Prix. Jajauma Narashi is trained by Satoshi Kokubo and is based at Urawa.

Jajauma Narashi (JPN)

Best Thoroughbred 2-Year-Old Filly was awarded the Oi-based, Katsunori Arayama-trained Lalabel, who won both the Laurel Sho for select NAR-registered horses and the Tokyo Nisai Yushun Himba.

Lalabel (JPN)

Best Thoroughbred 3-Year-Old Colt was won by Happy Sprint, an Oi-based colt trained by Junpei Morishita. Happy Sprint captured two jewels of the southern Kanto region, the Haneda Hai and the Tokyo Derby and just missed out on the winner’s circle by a nose as runnerup in the Japan Dirt Derby.

Happy Sprint (JPN)

Toko Nike was named Best Thoroughbred 3-Year-Old Filly. Toko Nike is based in Hyogo and trained by Tatsuho Yoshiyuki. The filly topped, as second-place finisher, the NAR-registered runners in the Kanto Oaks, a principal dirt race for 3-year-old fillies and part of the Grandame-Japan, a series of principal races for females.

Toko Nike (JPN)

Best Thoroughbred Older Filly or Mare went to Pitch Shifter, a 4-year-old filly trained by the Aichi-based Tsuyoshi Kawanishi. In addition to winning three principal races, Pitch Shifter also turned in fine showings against male runners in two principal dirt races. She turned in a second-place finish the Summer Champion and a fourth in the Kakitsubata Kinen.

Pitch Shifter (JPN)

Best Ban-ei (Draft) Horse was awarded Infinity, an 8-year-old trained by Isami Kaneta. Infinity won Ban-ei racing’s pinnacle event, the Ban-ei Kinen, as well as the principal race Dream Age Cup.

Infinity (JPN)

Satono Tiger, a 6-year-old trained by the Urawa-based Satoshi Kokubo, was named Best Thoroughbred Sprinter or Miler. Satono Tiger shone in short-distance events with a second-place run that tied the winner's time of 1 minute 9 seconds in the JBC Sprint, the pinnacle of dirt sprint racing, and a second-place in the JRA G3 Capella Stakes.

Satono Tiger

Pray and Real won Best Thoroughbred Turf Horse for the second year in a row after last year becoming the first NAR-registered horse since Heart of Queen in 2007 to be recognized with the award. The 3-year-old, Hiroaki Kawazu-trained Pray and Real of Kawasaki captured the JRA’s turf G3 Keisei Hai

Pray and Real (JPN)

Dirt Grade (Principal Dirt) Race Special Prize went to Hokko Tarumae for the second year in a row. The 5-year-old Hokko Tarumae notched the Kawasaki Kinen, as well as the Tokyo Daishoten (G1). The JRA-registered Hokko Tarumae is trained by Katsuichi Nishiura and is based at Ritto Training Center.

Hokko Tarumae (JPN)

Special Awards went to Raiden Leader and Adjudicating. Raiden Leader won the JRA’s Hochi Hai Yonsai Himba Tokubetsu in 1995, the year the JRA and the NAR began regular exchange races between the two bodies. Afterward, Raiden Leader, as the first NAR-registered horse to run in a JRA classic race, went on to finish fourth in the Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) and became a significant presence and symbol of the JRA-NAR exchange. The U.S.-bred Adjudicating was also recognized. Adjudicating ruled as top sire for NAR-registered horses for eight years in a row from 2001 and produced many champions of NAR racing, including Adjudi Mitsuo, five-time winner of top-class races.

Raiden Leader (JPN)

Adjudicating (USA)