Guide to our original AI-backed three top contenders for the G3 Kitakyushu Kinen
Wednesday, 02 July, 2025 18:17
Yoshino Easter (Photo: Yuki Shimono)
This article highlights three leading contenders recommended by netkeiba's original AI for this week's sole graded stakes contest, the G3 Kitakyushu Kinen, set to be held Sunday at Kokura Racecourse.
Yoshino Easter scored his first Open Class win in the Kitakyushu Tankyori Stakes in February of last year and later finished second in the 2023 Kitakyushu Kinen. He has a strong track record at Kokura's 1200m turf course, with 1 win and 2 second-place finishes from 4 starts. He also ran competitively against future G1 winner Mad Cool in a 1 Win Class race in July 2022, further proving his high affinity for this course and distance.
Now seven years old, Yoshino Easter showed no signs of decline when winning the Listed Shunrai Stakes in his last start. His training last week featured a hard-driven gallop on the slope course, showing impressive enthusiasm. The ability to handle intense work in summer heat signals excellent condition. With clear targeting of this familiar venue, expectations are high for his first graded stakes victory under his best conditions.
Shonan Hakuraku has had mixed results since moving up to Open Class, but in his latest run, he sat in fourth early in the Shunrai Stakes and finished on the board. He had previously settled at the back to prioritise rhythm, but the ability to race on the pace without pulling shows positive progression. It appears he is gradually adjusting to the faster tempo of Open Class racing.
In last year's Kitakyushu Kinen, he finished fifth despite being one of the fastest closers from the rear in a race where the top three were all in the front five at the final bend. Finishing on the board under such unfavourable flow reflects his latent ability. He appears more mature now, and if he can race from a handy position like last time, his winning chances increase substantially.
Birth Cry proved his class with a third-place finish behind top-level rivals such as Toshin Macau and Big Caesar in the 2024 Ocean Stakes, confirming he can hold his own in graded company. Though he struggled afterwards with back-to-back unplaced efforts, his last two outings yielded a third and a second, indicating a return to form.
In particular, his latest race, the Open Class Carbuncle Stakes, saw him narrowly miss by a neck. The winner of that race, A Shin Fencer, went on to win another graded stakes next out, underlining the strength of that form line. Although Birth Cry finished tenth in last year's Kitakyushu Kinen, that result came from a wide draw that forced him to cover extra ground and can be discounted. If he draws better and finds a smooth trip, he could certainly improve on last year's performance.
Yoshino Easter scored his first Open Class win in the Kitakyushu Tankyori Stakes in February of last year and later finished second in the 2023 Kitakyushu Kinen. He has a strong track record at Kokura's 1200m turf course, with 1 win and 2 second-place finishes from 4 starts. He also ran competitively against future G1 winner Mad Cool in a 1 Win Class race in July 2022, further proving his high affinity for this course and distance.
Now seven years old, Yoshino Easter showed no signs of decline when winning the Listed Shunrai Stakes in his last start. His training last week featured a hard-driven gallop on the slope course, showing impressive enthusiasm. The ability to handle intense work in summer heat signals excellent condition. With clear targeting of this familiar venue, expectations are high for his first graded stakes victory under his best conditions.
Shonan Hakuraku has had mixed results since moving up to Open Class, but in his latest run, he sat in fourth early in the Shunrai Stakes and finished on the board. He had previously settled at the back to prioritise rhythm, but the ability to race on the pace without pulling shows positive progression. It appears he is gradually adjusting to the faster tempo of Open Class racing.
In last year's Kitakyushu Kinen, he finished fifth despite being one of the fastest closers from the rear in a race where the top three were all in the front five at the final bend. Finishing on the board under such unfavourable flow reflects his latent ability. He appears more mature now, and if he can race from a handy position like last time, his winning chances increase substantially.
Birth Cry proved his class with a third-place finish behind top-level rivals such as Toshin Macau and Big Caesar in the 2024 Ocean Stakes, confirming he can hold his own in graded company. Though he struggled afterwards with back-to-back unplaced efforts, his last two outings yielded a third and a second, indicating a return to form.
In particular, his latest race, the Open Class Carbuncle Stakes, saw him narrowly miss by a neck. The winner of that race, A Shin Fencer, went on to win another graded stakes next out, underlining the strength of that form line. Although Birth Cry finished tenth in last year's Kitakyushu Kinen, that result came from a wide draw that forced him to cover extra ground and can be discounted. If he draws better and finds a smooth trip, he could certainly improve on last year's performance.