American Jockey Club Cup

Horse race

American Jockey Club Cup

Nakayama Racecourse

Class| Grade 2
Location| Nakayama Racecourse, Funabashi, Chiba.
Inaugurated| 1960
Race type| Thoroughbred Flat racing
Race information
Distance| 2200 metres
Surface| Turf
Track| Right-handed
Qualification| 4-y-o +, Colts & Fillies
Weight| Special Weight
Purse| ¥ 134,620,000 (as of 2025)
1st: ¥ 62,000,000
2nd: ¥ 25,000,000
3rd: ¥ 16,000,000

The American Jockey Club Cup (Japanese アメリカジョッキークラブカップ) is a Grade 2 horse race in Japan for Thoroughbred colts and fillies aged four and over. It is run over a distance of 2,200 metres at Nakayama Racecourse. This races is for friendship between Japan Racing Association and New York Jockey Club.

The race is run in late January and serves as a trial race for the spring edition of the Tenno Sho, held in late April or early May.[1]

It was first run in 1960 over 2000 metres before the distance was increased to 2600 metres in the following year. The distance was reduced to 2200 metres in 1962 before the returning to 2600 metres a year later. The distance of the race was reduced to 2500 metres in 1967 and then to 2400 metres in 1972 before returning to 2500 metres in 1980. The race was run over its current distance for the first time in 1984.

Among the winners of the race have been Special Week, Matsurida Gogh, Tosen Jordan, Blast Onepiece and Rulership.

## Weight

[edit]

56 kg for four-year-olds, 57 kg for five-year-olds and above.[2]

Allowances:

* 2 kg for fillies / mares
* 1 kg for southern hemisphere bred four-year-olds

Penalties (excluding two-year-old race performance):

* If a graded stakes race has been won within a year:
* 2 kg for a grade 1 win (1 kg for fillies / mares)
* 1 kg for a grade 2 win
* If a graded stakes race has been won for more than a year:
* 1 kg for a grade 1 win

## Records

[edit]

Most successful horse (2 wins):

* Speed Symboli – 1967, 1970
* Amber Shadai – 1982, 1983
* Never Bouchon – 2009, 2010

## Winners since 1988

[edit]

Year
| Winner
| Age
| Jockey
| Trainer
| Time

|
|
|
|
|

1988  | Kashima Wing  | 5  | Hitoshi Matoba  | Yoshiji Iizuka  | 2:13.4
1989  | Running Free  | 6  | Yasuo Sugawara  | Kazuhiko Hongo  | 2:15.6
1990  | Sakuro Hokuto O  | 4  | Futoshi Kojima  | Kazunori Sakai  | 2:13.8
1991  | Mejiro Monterey  | 5  | Norihiro Yokoyama | Shinji Okuhira  | 2:13.8
1992  | Tosho Falcon  | 6  | Masato Shibata  | Tsutomu Nizeki  | 2:12.8
1993  | White Stone  | 6  | Masato Shibata  | Kunio Takamatsu  | 2:15.0
1994  | Matikanetannhauser  | 5  | Yoshitomi Shibata | Yuji Ito  | 2:14.1
1995  | Sakura Chitose O  | 5  | Futoshi Kojima  | Kazunori Sakai  | 2:14.4
1996  | Kanetsu Cross  | 5  | Hitoshi Matoba  | Masahiro Horii  | 2:15.0
1997  | Rosen Kavalier  | 4  | Norihiro Yokoyama  | Yasuhiro Suzuki  | 2:14.9
1998  | Mejiro Bright  | 4  | Hiroshi Kawachi  | Hidekazu Asami  | 2:15.3
1999  | Special Week | 4  | Olivier Peslier | Toshiaki Shirai  | 2:16.8
2000  | Matikane Kinnohosi  | 4  | Shinji Fujita  | Kazuo Fujisawa | 2:13.4
2001  | American Boss  | 6  | Teruo Eda  | Fuyuki Tago  | 2:13.8
2002  | Fusaichi Run Heart  | 5  | Teruo Eda  | Michifumi Kono  | 2:13.7
2003  | Magnaten  | 7  | Olivier Peslier | Kazuo Fujisawa  | 2:12.3
2004  | Dantsu Judge  | 5  | Shinji Fujita  | Kenji Yamauchi  | 2:15.5
2005  | Kraftwerk  | 5  | Norihiro Yokoyama  | Yoshiyuki Goto  | 2:11.4
2006  | Silk Famous  | 7  | Yoshitomi Shibata  | Ippo Sameshima  | 2:13.2
2007  | Matsurida Gogh | 4  | Norihiro Yokoyama  | Sakae Kunieda  | 2:12.8
2008  | Air Shady  | 7  | Hiroki Goto  | Masanori Ito  | 2:13.6
2009  | Never Bouchon  | 6  | Norihiro Yokoyama  | Masanori Ito  | 2:13.9
2010  | Never Bouchon  | 7  | Norihiro Yokoyama  | Masanori Ito  | 2:12.6
2011  | Tosen Jordan | 5  | Hiroyuki Uchida  | Yasutoshi Ikee  | 2:14.2
2012  | Rulership | 5  | Yuichi Fukunaga | Katsuhiko Sumii | 2:17.3
2013  | Danone Ballade  | 5  | Fran Berry | Yasutoshi Ikee  | 2:13.1
2014  | Verde Green  | 6  | Hironobu Tanabe  | Ikuo Aizawa  | 2:14.0
2015  | Courir Kaiser  | 6  | Hironobu Tanabe  | Ikuo Aizawa  | 2:13.6
2016  | Decipher  | 7  | Yutaka Take | Futoshi Kojima  | 2:12.0
2017  | Tanta Alegria  | 5  | Masayoshi Ebina | Sakae Kunieda  | 2:11.9
2018  | Danburite  | 4  | Mirco Demuro | Hidetaka Otonashi  | 2:13.3
2019  | Sciacchetra  | 6  | Shu Ishibashi  | Katsuhiko Sumii  | 2:13.7
2020  | Blast Onepiece | 5  | Yuga Kawada | Masahiro Otake  | 2:15.0
2021  | Aristoteles  | 4  | Christophe Lemaire | Hidetaka Otonashi  | 2:17.9
2022  | King Of Koji  | 6  | Norihiro Yokoyama  | Shogo Yasuda  | 2:12.7
2023  | North Bridge  | 5  | Yasunari Iwata | Takeshi Okumura  | 2:13.5
2024  | Chuck Nate  | 6  | Rachel King | Noriyuki Hori  | 2:16.6
2025  | Danon Decile | 4  | Keita Tosaki  | Shogo Yasuda  | 2:12.1

## Earlier winners

[edit]

* 1960 - Onward Bell
* 1961 - Yashima First
* 1962 - Takamagahara
* 1963 - Korehisa
* 1964 - Suzu Top Run
* 1965 - Asahoko
* 1966 - Haku Zuiko
* 1967 - Speed Symboli
* 1968 - New Onward
* 1969 - Asaka O
* 1970 - Speed Symboli
* 1971 - Akane Tenryu
* 1972 - Mejiro Asama
* 1973 - Onward Guy
* 1974 - Take Hope
* 1975 - Strong Eight
* 1976 - White Fontaine
* 1977 - Green Grass
* 1978 - Kashu Chikara
* 1979 - Sakura Shori
* 1980 - Kane Mikasa
* 1981 - Hoyo Boy
* 1982 - Amber Shadai
* 1983 - Amber Shadai
* 1984 - Shuzan King
* 1985 - Sakura Gaisen
* 1986 - Suda Hawk
* 1987 - Miho Shinzan

## See also

[edit]

* Horse racing in Japan
* List of Japanese flat horse races

## References

[edit]

* Netkeiba:[3][4]
* 1994 en, 1995 en, 1996 en, 1997 en, 1998 en, 1999 en, 2000 en, 2001 en, 2002 en, 2003 en, 2004 en, 2005 en, 2006 en, 2007 en, 2008 en, 2009 en, 2010 en, 2011 en, 2012 en, 2013 en, 2014 en, 2015 en, 2016 en, 2017 en, 2018 en, 2019 en, 2020 en, 2021 en, 2022 en, 2023 en, 2024 en, 2025 en

1. ^ "American Jockey Club Cup (G2)". japanracing.jp.
2. ^ "List of JRA Graded Races 2025｜List of JRA Graded Races｜Horse Racing in Japan". Horse Racing in Japan. Retrieved 2025-01-26.
3. ^ "AJCC". Netkeiba.
4. ^ "American Jockey Club Cup". Netkeiba.

* v
* t
* e

List of Japanese Grade II horse races

(Note: JRA races bracketed with "exchange" below, and all dirt/3-year-old races are Japan Racing Association(JRA)-National Association of Racing(NAR) exchange races)

Japan Racing Association(JRA) GII races
(International GII)|

* Nikkei Shinshun Hai
* American Jockey Club Cup
* Procyon Stakes
* Kyoto Kinen
* Nakayama Kinen
* Tulip Sho
* Yayoi Sho
* Fillies' Revue
* Hanshin Daishōten
* Spring Stakes
* Kinko Sho
* Nikkei Shō
* Hanshin Himba Stakes
* New Zealand Trophy
* Yomiuri Milers Cup
* Flora Stakes
* Aoba Sho
* Kyoto Shimbun Hai
* Keio Hai Spring Cup
* Meguro Kinen
* Sapporo Kinen
* Shion Stakes
* Centaur Stakes
* St. Lite Kinen
* Rose Stakes
* Sankei Sho All Comers
* Kobe Shimbun Hai
* Mainichi Ōkan
* Kyōto Daishōten
* Daily Hai Nisai Stakes
* Tokyo Sports Hai Nisai Stakes
* Ireland Trophy
* Fuji Stakes
* Swan Stakes
* Copa Republica Argentina
* Keio Hai Nisai Stakes
* Stayers Stakes
* Hanshin Cup

National Association of Racing(NAR) JpnII races
(Domestic GII, dirt)|

* Empress Hai (fillies and mares)
* Diolite Kinen
* Keihin Hai (3-year-old)
* Hyōgo Championship (3-year-old)
* Kantō Oaks (3-year-old fillies)
* Kozukata Sho (3-year-old)
* Nippon TV Hai
* Tōkyo Hai
* Ladies' Prelude
* Urawa Kinen
* Hyōgo Junior Grand Prix (2-year-old)
* Nagoya Grand Prix

JRA Steeplechase Races (J-GII races)|

* Hanshin Spring Jump
* Kyōto High Jump
* Tōkyō High Jump

See also|

* Japan Racing Association
* National Association of Racing
* Horse racing in Japan

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