Mac Lir leads the field for Kumotori Sho

The Kumotori Sho, one of the main preparation races for the Haneda Hai, will be held on February 18 over 1,800 meters (about 1 1/8 miles) at the Oi Racecourse. The course and distance are the same as the April 29 Haneda Hai, the first leg of the Japanese Dirt Triple Crown for 3-year-olds.

The likely favorite is Silk Racing’s Mac Lirone of four Japan Racing Association representatives in the field. The foal passes by Lord Canaloa trained by Takahisa Tezuka, was a three-length winner of a maiden race over 1,600 meters (about 1 mile) at Tokyo Racecourse on November 24. He followed that up with a victory in the Kuretake Sho in Nakayma on January 10. Christophe Lemaire has been booked to ride in the Kumotori Sho.

The best hope for the National Association of Racing is Ayasan Joratotrained by Satoshi Saito in Funabashi. The foal passes by Thunder Snow finished fourth in the Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun on December 17 in Kawasaki, the second leg of Japan’s Road to the Kentucky Derby (G1).

The top two NAR-trained finishers in the Kumotori Sho are guaranteed a spot in the Haneda Hai. The two best JRA-trained horses that finish in the top five of the Kumotori Sho will be given priority in the field of the Haneda Hai.

In 2025, Janadriyah, by Golden dream and representing the JRA, won the Kumotori Sho and then finished third in the Haneda Hai.