Japan Dirt Classic

Japan Dirt Classic
ジャパンダートクラシック
2024 Japan Dirt Classic winner, Forever Young
ClassDomestic Grade 1 (JpnI)
International Listed
LocationOhi Racecourse
Shinagawa, Tokyo
Inaugurated8 July 1999 (1999-07-08)
Race typeThoroughbred
Race information
Distance2000 meters
(About 10 furlongs or 1+1⁄4 miles)
SurfaceDirt
TrackRight-handed
QualificationThree-years-old no geldings
Weight57 kg
Allowances
2 kg for fillies
2 kg for S. Hemisphere
Purse¥ 119,000,000 (as of 2025)
1st:  ¥ 70,000,000
2nd: ¥ 24,500,000
3rd: ¥ 14,000,000
BonusesTriple Crown of Dirt Series
Winner of Haneda Hai, Tokyo Derby and Japan Dirt Classic
¥ 80,000,000
Winner of the U.S. Triple Crown
¥ 30,000,000
Winner of any international G1 race, UAE Derby or Saudi Derby
¥ 20,000,000

The Japan Dirt Classic (ジャパンダートクラシック) is Japanese Domestic Grade 1 flat race for three year old thoroughbred colts and fillies run over a distance of 2,000 meters (approximately 1 mile 2 furlongs) at the Ohi Racecourse, Shinagawa, Tokyo in early October. It is the third and final leg of the Japanese Triple Crown of Dirt.

History

The race was first run in 1999 as the Japan Dirt Derby and was the Japanese equivalent of the American Kentucky Derby, though the race was the last leg of Triple Crown of South Kanto (南関東; Minami-Kantō) Horseracing, while the Kentucky Derby is the first race of American Triple Crown.

The majority of winners come from the Japan Racing Association (JRA), another Japanese horse racing governing body, as the JRA does not host any Grade 1 dirt races exclusively for 3-year-old horses.

In June 2022, it was announced that from 2024 that it would become the third leg of the Japanese Triple Crown of Dirt along with the Haneda Hai and the Tokyo Derby. The name of the race was changed to the Japan Dirt Classic, and the race scheduling was moved from July to October. Geldings are no longer able to enter, and the prize money for 1st place was increased to 70,000,000 yen.[1][2]

Trial races

Trial races provide automatic berths to the winning horses or placed horses as specified.[3]

Race Name Class Racecourse Distance Condition
Leopard Stakes GIII Japan Niigata 1,800 meters Winner
Kuroshio Hai SIII Ohi 1,800 meters Top 2 horses
Kozukata Sho JpnII Morioka 2,000 meters Winner

Winners since 1999

Mick Fire, the last winner of Japan Dirt Derby, ridden by Norifumi Mikamoto.
Year
Winner
Jockey
Trainer
Owner
Time
1999  Orion the Thanks (JPN)  Shuji Hayata (JPN) Japan Kiyomatsu Akama (OHI)  Keiko Hiura (JPN) 2:06.9
2000  Meiner Combat (JPN)  Naohiro Onishi (JPN) Japan Ryuichi Inaba (JRA)  Thoroughbred Club Ruffian (JPN) 2:06.4
2001  Toshin Blizzard (JPN)  Takayuki Ishizaki (JPN) Japan Kenji Sato (FUN)  Hironobu Inagaki (JPN) 2:05.8
2002  Gold Allure (JPN)  Yutaka Take (JPN) Japan Yasuo Ikee (JRA)  Shadai Race Horse Co., Ltd. (JPN) 2:04.1
2003  Big Wolf (JPN)  Yutaka Take (JPN) Japan Tadashi Nakao (JRA)  Big Co., Ltd. (JPN) 2:04.9
2004  Cafe Olympus (USA)  Yoshitomi Shibata (JPN) Japan Yasuhisa Matsuyama (JRA)  Kiyoshi Nishikawa (JPN) 2:04.5
2005  Kane Hekili (JPN)  Yutaka Take (JPN) Japan Katsuhiko Sumii (JRA)  Kaneko Makoto Holdings (JPN) 2:04.9
2006  Friendship (JPN)  Hiroyuki Uchida (JPN) Japan Katsuhiko Sumii (JRA)  Teruya Yoshida (JPN) 2:06.1
2007  Furioso (JPN)  Tadanari Konno (JPN) Japan Masayuki Kawashima (FUN)  Darley Japan Racing (JPN) 2:02.9
2008  Success Brocken (JPN)  Norihiro Yokoyama (JPN) Japan Hideaki Fujiwara (JRA)  Tetsu Takashima (JPN) 2:04.5
2009  Testa Matta (USA)  Yasunari Iwata (JPN) Japan Akira Murayama (JRA)  Kazumi Yoshida (JPN) 2:04.5
2010  Magnifica (JPN)  Keita Tosaki (JPN) Japan Masayuki Kawashima (FUN)  Teruya Yoshida (JPN) 2:05.2
2011  Grape Brandy (JPN)  Norihiro Yokoyamai (JPN) Japan Takayuki Yasuda (JRA)  Shadai Race Horse Co., Ltd. (JPN) 2:04.9
2012  Hatano Vainqueur (JPN)  Hirofumi Shii (JPN) Japan Mitsugu Kon (JRA)  Good Luck Farm Co., Ltd. (JPN) 2:05.3
2013  Chrysolite (JPN)  Hiroyuki Uchida (JPN) Japan Hidetaka Otonashi (JRA)  Carrot Farm Co., Ltd. (JPN) 2:04.8
2014  Kazenoko (JPN)  Shinichiro Akiyama (JPN) Japan Kenji Nonaka (JRA)  Koji Nudejima (JPN) 2:03.9
2015  Nonkono Yume (JPN)  Christophe Lemaire (FR) Japan Yukihiro Kato (JRA)  Kazumasa Yamada (JPN) 2:05.6
2016  Kyoei Gere (JPN)  Keita Tosaki (JPN) Japan Yoshito Yahagi (JRA)  Haruo Tanaka (JPN) 2:05.7
2017  Higashi Will Win (JPN)  Masashige Honda (JPN) Japan Kenji Sato (FUN)  MMC Co., Ltd. (JPN) 2:05.8
2018  Le Vent Se Leve (JPN)  Mirco Demuro (ITA) Japan Kiyoshi Hagiwara (JRA)  G1 Racing (JPN) 2:05.8
2019  Chrysoberyl (JPN)  Yuga Kawada (JPN) Japan Hidetaka Otonashi (JRA)  Carrot Farm Co., Ltd. (JPN) 2:06.1
2020  Danon Pharaoh (JPN)  Ryusei Sakai (JPN) Japan Yoshito Yahagi (JRA)  Danox Co., Ltd. (JPN) 2:05.9
2021  Castle Top (JPN)  Kazuma Nakano (JPN) Japan Nobuhiro Shibuya (FUN)  Hiroshi Joichi (JPN) 2:05.9
2022  Notturno (JPN)  Yutaka Take (JPN) Japan Hidetaka Otonashi (JRA)  Kaneko Makoto Holdings (JPN) 2:04.6
2023  Mick Fire (JPN)  Norifumi Mikamoto (JPN) Japan Kazuo Watanabe (OHI)  Koichi Hoshika (JPN) 2:04.6
Triple Crown of Dirt Series
2024  Forever Young (JPN)  Ryusei Sakai (JPN) Japan Yoshito Yahagi (JRA)  Susumu Fujita (JPN) 2:04.1
2025  Narukami (JPN)  Keita Tosaki (JPN) Japan Hiroyasu Tanaka (JRA)  Godolphin (UAE) 2:03.7

Records

Leading jockey(s) :

Leading trainer(s) :

Leading owner(s) :


  • Fastest winning time :  2:02.9 – Furioso (2007)
  • Slowest winning time : 2:06.9 – Orion the Thanks (1999)

See also

References

  1. ↑ "3歳ダート三冠競走を中心とした2・3歳馬競走の体系整備について、地方競馬情報サイト上に掲載しました。詳細はこちら". Twitter.com. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  2. ↑ "2024年(令和6年) 開催日程及び重賞競走日程について". nankankeiba.com. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  3. ↑ "3歳ダート三冠競走等における地方所属馬の出走馬選定方法" (PDF). TCK. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  4. ↑ "ジャパンダートクラシック". Netkeiba.