For the second straight week, last year's 2-year-old success stories return to center stage as Japan's classics season visits Nakayama Racecourse April 19 for the Satsuki Sho (Japanese Two Thousand Guineas, G1T).
The first of the classics, the April 12 Oka Sho (Japanese One Thousand Guineas, G1T), turned into a tour de force for the 2025 juvenile filly champion, Star Anise, who won going away by 2 1/2 lengths at Hanshin Racecourse.
The Satsuki Sho features Cavallerizzo, voted top 2-year-old male of 2025 after winning the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes (G1T) Dec. 21, and Lovcen, winner of the Hopeful Stakes (G1T) six days later.
Cavallerizzo is a son of Saturnalia, who won the 2018 Hopeful Stakes and 2019 Satsuki Sho but finished fourth when asked to go the 2,400 meters (about 1 1/2 miles) of the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby, G1T). Saturnalia did win at 2,400 meters at the grade 2 level.
Cavallerizzo won his first start in August at Chukyo Racecourse, then finished second at Kyoto in his prep for the Futurity. All his starts have been at 1,600 meters (about 1 mile). The Satsuki Sho is 2,000 meters (about 1 1/4 miles). As did Star Anise in the Oka Sho, he enters the classic without a prep.
Trainer Tatsuya Yoshioka said Cavallerizzo's development through late winter and spring mitigates distance concerns.
"It's important for him to run with a good rhythm, which he has been doing, and his mental state is good too," Yoshioka said. "He's more muscular now and if he runs smoothly, he can do well over 2,000 meters."
Lovcen is by World Premier, who did not contest the first two legs of the 2019 Triple Crown but won the third, the 3,000-meter (about 1 7/8-mile) Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger, G1T), later that season and the 2021 Tenno Sho (Spring) (G1T), going 3,200 meters (about 2 miles).
Lovcen started his career with a victory in a 2,000-meter newcomer race in November and went directly to the 2,000-meter Hopeful, his only other start of 2025. He was given a warmup for the Satsuki Sho, finishing third in the Kyodo News Hai (G3T) at 1,800 meters (about 1 1/8 miles) Feb. 15.
"The jockey (Kohei Matsuyama) thinks the horse was a bit too switched on for his last race," said Lovcen's trainer, Haruki Sugiyama. "But now he's more relaxed and there's a bit more leeway with him. He's a horse with potential."
Among the others in an expected full field:
- Forte Angelo finished second to Lovcen in the Hopeful and enters the Satsuki Sho first up. "He hasn't run since the Hopeful Stakes," admitted trainer Yuki Uehara. "But the 2,000 meters at Nakayama would look to suit him well."
- Basse Terre seeks a second-straight course-and-distance win following the Hochi Hai Yayoi Sho Deep Impact Kinen (G2T) March 8. Trainer Takashi Saito delivered a mixed prerace report: "His hindquarters are still weak and he doesn't run so straight. There are also a lot of traits that he shows as a young horse. Despite all of this, I was pleased with his win in the Yayoi Sho, and I think he has a future."
- Admire Quads was third last time to Basse Terre in the Hochi Hai Yayoi Sho Deep Impact Kinen.
- Green Energy has won his last two starts including the 2,000-meter Keisei Hai (G3T) in January at Nakayama.
- Realize Sirius has three wins from four trips to the races, the last in the Kyodo News Hai at Tokyo Racecourse.
The Satsuki Sho has an enviable honor roll including Sunday Silence's successor atop the Japanese leading-sire list, Deep Impact; 2011 Dubai World Cup (G1) winner Victoire Pisa; 2015 Satsuki Sho and Tokyo Yushun winner Duramente; and Contrail. Contrail in 2020 went through the series to become just the eighth Japanese Triple Crown winner.
Contrail also was the last favorite to win the Satsuki Sho.
