The JRA Special Award is an award issued by the Japan Racing Association (JRA). Unlike most awards issued by the JRA, it is not awarded every year and is only awarded when there is a subject that deserves special recognition in a given year. While the main recipients are racehorses, it is occasionally awarded to individuals, such as in 2024, when Yutaka Take received the award for reaching 4,500 JRA wins in his jockey career. Equine recipients of the JRA Special Award must be selected by at least three-quarters of the selection committee and also must be approved by the chairman of the JRA, while human recipients are awarded only by the chairman of the JRA.
The predecessor of the Special Award was the Popularity Award, which was won by Haiseiko in 1973 when the JRA Awards were known as the Yūshun Awards. Later, in 1978, Ten Point received it as a Media Award, and Monte Prince in 1982 received the Dream Award. The name "Special Award" was first used when Amber Shadai was given the award in 1983. It was succeeded by the JRA Awards in 1987. In 2004, it was given the unique subtitle of "Special Fighting Award" when it was awarded to Cosmo Bulk.
Recipients during the Yūshun Awards era
+YearRecipientSexAgeReasonBreederTrainerOwnerJockey(s)1973HaiseikoStallion4Responsible for the first horse racing boom in Japan, which became known as the "Haiseiko Boom" due to his popularity.Takeda RanchKatsutaro SuzukiHorseman ClubSueo Masuzawa1978Ten PointStallion6In response to his death which was caused by a fracture during the Nihon Keizai Shinshun Hai. After fracturing his leg, Ten Point underwent 43 days of treatment before his death.Yoshida RanchSasuke OgawaHisanari TakadaAkira Shikato1982Monte PrinceStallion6Monte Prince became known as the "uncrowned emperor" due to him placing in the top three of four of Japan's . In 1982, he won the Tennō Shō (Spring) and the Takarazuka Kinen, his first wins which were a part of the Eight Major Races.Kineusu Saito FarmKichisaburo MatsuyamaKihachi MoriMasato Yoshinaga1983Amber ShadaiStallion7In 1983, Amber Shadai won the Tennō Shō in his fifth try.Shadai FarmToshio NihonyanagiYoshida YoshiyaKazuhiro Kato
Recipients since 1989
Racehorses +YearRecipientSexAgeReasonBreederTrainerOwnerJockey(s)1989Oguri CapStallion5A week after winning the Mile Championship, Oguri Cap came second in the Japan Cup with a time equal to the speed record for the race.Inaba BokujoTsutomu SetoguchiToshinori KondoKatsumi Minami1993Tokai TeioStallion6In 1993, Tokai Teio won his first G1 race in 363 days, the Arima Kinen, after suffering from impairments such as fractures, parasites and injuries to the gluteus medius.Nagahama RanchShoichi MatsumotoMasanori UchimuraSeiki Tabara1995Rice ShowerStallion7In 1995, Rice shower won the Tennō Shō after disappointing race performances for the last two years. However, in his next race, the Takarazuka Kinen, he dislocated his first left knuckle and suffered a communited fracture during the race and had to be euthanised behind a curtain on the track itself.Utopia RanchKoji IizukaHideo KuriyabashiHitoshi Matoba1998Silence SuzukaStallion5Silence Suzuka won six consecutive races until he was injured and had to be euthanised in the Autumn Tennō Shō.Inahara FarmMitsuru HashidaKeiji NagaiYutaka Take1999Grass WonderStallion5In 1999, Grass Wonder won both Grand Prix races (the Arima Kinen and Takarazuka Kinen). Philip Slacing Partnership & John PhillipsMitsuhiro OgataHanzawa Co., Ltd.Hitoshi MatobaSpecial WeekStallion5Special Week won both Tennō Shōs (Spring and Autumn) in 1999.Hidaka Taiyo FarmToshiaki ShiraiHiroyoshi UsudaYutaka Take2001Stay GoldStallion7Stay Gold was the first Japanese bred racehorse to win an overseas G1 race (the Hong Kong Vase).Shiraoi FarmYasuro IkeeShadai Racehorse Co.Yutaka Take2004Cosmo BulkStallion3Despite being an NAR horse, Cosmo Bulk ran well in JRA races such as the Satsuki Shō and the Japan Cup, finishing second in both races.Kano RanchKazunori TabeMisako OkadaFuyuki Igarashi2007VodkaMare3Vodka was the first mare to win the Japanese Derby in 64 years.Country RanchKatsuhiko SumiiYuzo TanimizuHirofumi ShiiMeisho SamsonStallion4Meisho Samson won both Tennō Shōs in 2007.Hayashi Koki FarmShigetada TakahashiYoshio MatsumotoYutaka Take Mamoru Ishibashi2009CompanyStallion8Company was the first 8-year-old horse to win a G1 flat race in Japan.Northern FarmHidetaka OtonashiEiko KondoNorihiro Yokoyama2016MauriceStallion5Maurice achieved three G1 victories in 2016, with two of these being in Hong Kong.Togawa RanchNoriyuki HoriKazumi YoshidaJoão Moreira Ryan Moore2020Chrono GenesisMare4Chrono Genesis won both Grand Prix races in 2020.Northern FarmTakashi SaitoSunday Racing Co., Ltd.Yuichi Kitamura2023Ushba TesoroStallion6Ushba Tesoro was the second Japanese horse to win the Dubai World Cup (the first one on dirt surface).Chiyoda FarmNoboru TakagiRyotokuji Kenji Holdings Co., Ltd.Kazuo Yokoyama Yuga Kawada2024Forever YoungStallion3In 2024, Forever Young won four graded races in Japan and internationally, and came third in the 2024 Kentucky Derby and Breeders' Cup Classic.Northern FarmYoshito YahagiSusuma FujitaRyusei Sakai2025CalandaganGelding4In 2025, Calandagan was the first foreign horse to win the Japan Cup in 20 years.Aga Khan Studs SceaFrancis-Henri GraffardAga Khan IVMickael Barzalona
Jockeys and trainers +YearRecipientProfessionReason1994Katsumi MinamiJockeyMinami was the first jockey to win five G1 races in one year.2007Yutaka TakeJockeyTake was the first Japanese jockey to win 3,000 races in his career.2013Yutaka TakeJockeyTake was the first Japanese jockey to win 3,500 races and 100 G1 races in his career.2016Shigefumi KumazawaJockeyKumazawa was active in both flat and steeplechase racing for many years.2018Yutaka TakeJockeyTake was the first Japanese jockey to win 4,000 races in his career.2020Kazuo FujisawaTrainerFujisawa was the second trainer in history to achieve 1,500 wins in JRA races.2022Yoshitomi ShibataJockeyShibata was the first active JRA jockey to receive the Medal with Yellow Ribbon for his contributions to JRA horse racing and the livestock industry.2024Yutaka TakeJockeyIn 2024, Take was the second active JRA jockey to receive the Medal with Yellow Ribbon and became the first jockey in Japan to achieve 4,500 career wins.2025Norihiro YokoyamaJockeyYokoyama was the third active JRA jockey to receive the Medal with Yellow Ribbon.
References
External links
2025 JRA Awards
JRA Awards before 2024