The second juvenile G1 race of the season is the G1 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes, which has been won by horses that have raced just twice in the last three consecutive years: Do Deuce in 2021, Dolce More in 2022 and Jantar Mantar in 2023. Four of this year's runners fit that description.

The most notable of these is Arte Veloce, who will be paired with Yutaka Take. The horse's name, which is one letter different from that of Arma Veloce, the winner of the G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies. He proved his obvious ability by winning the G3 Saudi Arabia Royal Cup.

The G3 Saudi Arabia Royal Cup, historically, is a leading prep race for the G1 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes, five previous winners have run in the Futurity Stakes. This year's winner was Arte Veloce. The winning time of 1:33.0 on a slightly difficult track was excellent.

Yutaka Take, who will ride the horse, said, "The mile is perfect for him and I'm looking forward to this race because it's what we have been aiming for." The horse has been highly praised by the leading rider since winning his debut. In the last race, jockey Sasaki took over the reins because Take was riding in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, but he held his ground in the back of the pack and broke through in the stretch.

He has been running well since his last outing and his piece of work on December 4th was a good 6F in 80.1-11.1 seconds on the Ritto woodchip course. Yutaka Take, said, "That was a good move. He has become stronger than before his debut." Trainer Sugai also gave him a good marks, saying, "He is usually childish, but in training he runs seriously. There is nothing more to say about him."

A further boost came when Arma Veloce, whose owner is also Teruo Ohno, won the G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies on December 8th. Arma means "weapon" in Italian, and Arte means "art," also in Italian. Will this be the second consecutive G1 win by horses with only a one-letter difference? Also this week, the white star on a red background will be in full action at Kyoto Racecourse.