Race favourite Shonan Gulf (Colt, 2yo) produced a powerful late surge from the rear of the field to secure his second straight win and first graded stakes title in the G3 Sapporo Nisai Stakes. With Kenichi Ikezoe aboard, the colt swept down the outside to victory, giving his rider a landmark 100th career JRA graded stakes win. Gene King (Colt, 2yo), who dictated the pace up front, held on gamely for second at odds of 10-1, while Smart Priere (Filly, 2yo), partnered by Yutaka Take, finished third as the fourth choice. The winning time was 1:50.6.

Trainer Naosuke Sugai secured back-to-back victories in the race following last year's win with Magic Sands, while also claiming his record fifth success in the event, surpassing former trainer Yuji Ito. His previous winners include Red Reveur (2013), Admire Eikan (2015), Sodashi (2020), Magic Sands (2024), and now Shonan Gulf (2025).

Reflecting on the colt's late-running performance, jockey Ikezoe said, "The plan was to decide positioning depending on the start. He didn't break that sharply, so I just wanted to get him into a good rhythm, which placed us further back. He had to swing wide, but he showed an incredibly long, sustained run that really displayed his potential."

Having now passed this key stepping-stone race with a flawless 2-for-2 record, Ikezoe expressed his excitement for what lies ahead, "I was looking forward to him even before his debut. He cleared the Newcomers impressively, and I knew this was the important test. He's handled it very well, and now we can look forward to the next stage. With a bit more maturity and composure, I think he can go even further."