Japanese Classic Races


In horse racing in Japan, The Classics are a series of flat horse races. All of these races are organized by Japan Racing Association. Each classic is run once each year and is restricted to intact horses that are three years old. Only the first five races are considered as classic whilst Shuka Sho were inaugurated in 1996 to replace Queen Elizabeth II Cup as the third leg of triple tiara.
RaceDateDistanceCourseFirst RunQualification
Oka Sho April1,600 metersHanshin1939Three-year-old colts/fillies
Satsuki Sho April2,000 metersNakayama1939Three-year-old colts/fillies
Yushun Himba May/June2,400 metersTokyo1938Three-year-old colts/fillies
Tokyo Yushun May/June2,400 metersTokyo1932Three-year-old colts/fillies
Kikuka Sho October3,000 metersKyoto1938Three-year-old colts/fillies
Shūka ShoOctober2,000 metersKyoto1996Three-year-old colts/fillies

Triple crown for colts

Japanese colts who have obtained the Triple Crown title by winning the Satsuki Sho, Japan Derby and Kikuka Sho.
YearWinnerJockeyTrainerOwnerBreeder
1941St LiteKizo KonishiWaichiro TanakaYusaku KatoKoiwai Farm
1964ShinzanMasaru KuritaBungo TakedaKokichi HashimotoYoshimatsu Matsuhashi
1983Mr. C.B.Masato YoshinagaYasuhisa MatsuyamaChigira BokujoChigira Bokujo
1984Symboli RudolfYukio OkabeYuji NohiraSymboli StudSymboli Stud
1994Narita BrianKatsumi MinaiMasaaki OkuboHidenori YamajiHayata Bokujo
2005Deep ImpactYutaka TakeYasuo IkeeMakoto KanekoNorthern Farm
2011OrfevreKenichi IkezoeYasutoshi IkeeSunday RacingShadai Corporation Shiraoi Farm
2020ContrailYuichi FukunagaYoshito YahagiShinji MaedaNorth Hills

Individual Race Winner

Notes
  • ♥ indicates filly

    Triple crown for fillies (Triple Tiara)

Japanese fillies who have won the Triple Crown title by winning the Oka Sho, Japan Oaks and one of the following: Shuka Sho, or the Queen Elizabeth II Cup. Before the establishment of these crowns in 1970, the third leg of the triple tiara used to be Kikuka Sho which is the basis for the original triple tiara in England as the final race is open for both colts and fillies. Kurifuji gained an uncommon status as both "double crown" and "double tiara" horse as she won Tokyo Yushun, Yushun Himba and Kikuka Sho back in 1943.
YearWinnerJockeyTrainerOwnerBreeder
1986Mejiro RamonuHiroshi KawachiShinji OkuhiraMejiro BokujoMejiro Bokujo
2003Still in LoveHideaki MiyukiShoichi MatsumotoNorth HillsShimokobe Farm
2010ApapaneMasayoshi EbinaSakae KuniedaMakoto KanekoNorthern Farm
2012GentildonnaYasunari Iwata/Yuga KawadaSei IshizakaSunday RacingNorthern Farm
2018Almond EyeChristophe LemaireSakae KuniedaSilk RacingNorthern Farm
2020Daring TactKohei MatsuyamaHaruki SugiyamaNormandy Thoroughbred RacingHasegawa Bokujo
2023Liberty IslandYuga KawadaMitsumasa NakauchidaSunday RacingNorthern Farm

Individual Race Winner

Triple Crown for Dirt races

Recently established beginning with the 2024 season, no horse has won the Dirt triple crown. The races included in this circuit are Haneda Hai, Tokyo Derby, and Japan Dirt Classic.

Individual Race Winner