1. Satsuki Sho Latest News
2. Satsuki Sho 2026 Entries Horse
3. Satsuki Sho 2026 Notable runners
4. Satsuki Sho race overview
5. Racecourse Feature
6. Satsuki Sho Past Winners

Satsuki Sho Latest News

Satsuki Sho 2026 Entries Horse

2025 ASAHI HAI FUTURITY STAKES (G1) winner Cavallerizzo, 2025 HOPEFUL STAKES (G1) winner Lovcen and 2026 KYODO NEWS HAI (G3) winner Realize Sirius etc are scheduled to run.

＊Please check the entries, Field, result, and other data against JRA official data.

Satsuki Sho 2026 Notable runners

Cavallerizzo

Cavallerizzo has emerged as one of the leading colts of his generation in Japan. Out of Balladist, a three-time winner in Japan, he made an immediate impression from the outset of his career and quickly established himself as a colt of considerable promise.

After winning on debut, he finished runner-up in the Daily Hai Nisai Stakes before reaching a new high in the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes in 2025, where he secured both his first graded title and first GⅠ victory. That performance firmly placed him among the leading three-year-old colts in the current season.

Lovcen

Lovcen has emerged as one of the more promising colts of his generation in Japan. Out of Songwriting, he made an immediate impact from the outset of his career and quickly established himself as a colt of considerable potential.

After winning on debut, he reached a new high in the Hopeful Stakes in 2025, where he secured both his first graded title and first G1 victory. He further underlined his quality with a placed finish in the G3 Kyodo News Hai the following season, keeping himself firmly in the spotlight among the three-year-old colts.

Realize Sirius

Realize Sirius has steadily built a profile as one of the more intriguing colts of his generation in Japan. Out of Red Mirabel, a daughter of Stay Gold, he made an immediate impression from the outset of his career and quickly established himself as a colt of considerable potential.

After winning on debut, he added the Niigata Nisai Stakes in 2025, and although he was beaten in the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes later that year, he bounced back in 2026 to capture the Kyodo News Hai, keeping himself firmly in the spotlight among the three-year-old colts.

Basse Terre

Basse Terre has quickly emerged as one of the more intriguing colts of his generation in Japan. Out of Mambia, he was beaten a neck on debut but took a clear step forward when he broke his maiden over 2000 meters at Hanshin racecourse.

He then reached a new high in 2026 when he captured the G2 Yayoi Sho, maintaining his unbeaten record since that initial outing and establishing himself as a colt of considerable promise heading further into the Classic season.

Satsuki Sho race overview

The Satsuki Sho, conducted by the Japan Racing Association (JRA), is a prestigious Grade 1 horse race and one of the former "Big Eight" races. Modeled after the English 2000 Guineas, it was established to select the most talented and speedy breeding prospects. As a result, geldings which do not possess breeding capabilities are ineligible to compete.

Despite its name meaning "May" in the traditional Japanese calendar, the race has been held in April since 1952. Known as the first leg of the Japanese Triple Crown for 3-year-olds, it is often hailed as the race where "the fastest horse wins." Horses finishing within the top five in this race gain priority entry rights to the G1 Japanese Derby held in May.

Racecourse Feature

Nakayama 2000m turf course : The race takes place on the inner track, starting from the right side of the straight in front of the main grandstand, covering slightly more than one full circuit. The distance to the first corner is approximately 405 meters (when using the A course). The home straight measures about 310 meters, with a sharp incline of 2.4 meters in elevation just before the finish line. The horses experience steep slopes twice during the race, shortly after the start and just before the finish, demanding both horsepower and stamina.

Satsuki Sho Past Winners

SATSUKI SHO Feature

Latest information on the Satsuki Sho (G1).