Lovcen (; foaled April 9, 2023) is a Japanese racehorse most well known for winning the Japanese Double Crown (the Satsuki Shō and Tōkyō Yūshun) in 2026.

Background Lovcen is a dark bay colt with no white markings bred by Northern Farm. He was sired by Kikuka-shō and Spring Tennō Shō winner World Premiere, and his dam, Songwriting, is a winless mare out of multiple Grade 3 winner and Canadian Champion Older Female Horse of 2011 Embur's Song. As a weanling, he was offered at the Northern Farm Mixed Sale and was bought by for 21 million yen. He was sent into training with Haruki Sugiyama, who also trained Justin Palace and 2020 Triple Tiara winner Daring Tact.

Lovcen is named for the mountain range of the same name in Montenegro.

Racing career

Two-year-old season (2025)

Lovcen made his debut on November 9th, 2025 over 2000 meters on a soft track at Kyoto Racecourse with Kohei Matsuyama in the saddle. Leading the entire way, he pulled away in the final straight to win by three lengths in front of second place Alpenglow. In an interview conducted after the race, Matsuyama remarked that "I was worried about the start, but the entire time he felt good to ride, and he was strong at the end. It might not be a good point of reference for the future since the track was heavy today, but I'm glad that he could hold the distance."

On December 27th, Lovcen made his second and final start of the year in the Hopeful Stakes. Leading up to the race, his connections were confident, and said that his experience on heavy ground would serve him well on race day in Nakayama. He was sent off as the seventh favorite in a field of sixteen, Lovcen settled mid-pack and made a strong charge in the final 200 meters, surging past fourth favorite Forte Angelo in the final strides to win by three quarters of a length. His jockey, Matsuyama, told interviewers after the race, "I'm very happy. Last year, trainer Sugiyama and I got second in this race with Giovanni, and because of that I was able to win in this way today. Unconsciously, I welled up with tears."

Three-year-old season (2026)

Lovcen started the season off with the Kyodo Tsushin Hai, a race that Sugiyama chose intending to "test out if he can run a counter-clockwise course" and also to give an interval to the horse between the Satsuki Shō and the Tōkyō Yūshun. During the race, he made a good start but quickly fell back in to the middle of the pack. The horse started to move up on the final stretch, but was unable to catch up to , who set a new race record, and was also passed by Bereshit, ultimately finishing third.

His next race would be the first jewel of the Japanese Triple Crown, the Satsuki Shō. He was sent off as the weak favorite at 4.0 odds in a field of eighteen. Both his jockey and his trainer expressed confidence leading up to the race, with his assistant trainer commenting that transport was not an issue, and that he was eating well and had been slowly improving since the Kyodo Tsushin Hai. Leading the entire race, he pulled away in the final stretch after a fast-paced race to win it by of a length over rival Realize Sirius. Lovcen's victory broke the record set by Museum Mile the year before in 2025; it was broken by half a second. After the race, jockey Kohei Matsuyama spoke about the fierce duel between Lovcen and Realize Sirius in the final stretch, saying, "There was a moment when it looked like we might get past, but he fought back. He showed real toughness. His final kick is exceptional, and he also has the stamina to win in record time, like today."

Following the Satsuki Shō, he continued on the path of the Triple Crown to the Japanese Derby. He drew the outside post of 17, and was sent off as the favorite at 2.7 odds. Lovcen broke well from the gate, and was held mid-pack by jockey Kohei Matsuyama for the majority of the race before rallying in the final meters to win by a head over , with a finishing time of 2:22.7. He became the first Derby winner for jockey Matsuyama, owner Forest Racing, and trainer Haruki Sugiyama. Lovcen became the first to achieve the Double Crown since Contrail in 2020, and is the first horse since Wagnerian to win from gate 17.

After being sent to pasture for the summer season, Lovcen returned to racing by challenging the Kobe Shimbun Hai, a preliminary race to the Kikuka Shō. He drew the innermost gate of 1, and was the overwhelming favorite at 1.4 odds. After breaking from the gate, he was reared to mid-pack once more but found himself surrounded by several other contenders and fell further behind. However, his jockey Kohei Matsuyama took advantage of an opening mid-race to shift him to the outside, from which he began his spurt after rounding the final corner. He ultimately narrowly passed Altramuz in the very final meters and won the race in a photo finish.

Racing statistics The following form is based on information available on netkeiba.com and JBIS-Search. DateTrackRaceGradeDistance (Condition)EntryHNOdds (Favored)FinishTimeMarginsJockeyWinner (Runner-up)2025 – two-year-old seasonNov 9Kyoto2YO Debut2,000 m (Soft)842.9 (2)2:04.5 3 lengthsKohei Matsuyama(Alpenglow)Dec 27NakayamaHopeful StakesGI2,000 m (Firm)16719.8 (7)2:01.0 lengthKohei Matsuyama(Forte Angelo)2026 – three-year-old seasonFeb 15TokyoKyodo Tsushin HaiGIII1,800 m (Firm)934.2 (3)1:45.5(neck)Kohei MatsuyamaRealize SiriusApr 19NakayamaSatsuki ShōGI2,000 m (Firm)1844.0 (1) lengthKohei Matsuyama(Realize Sirius)May 31TokyoTōkyō YūshunGI2,400 m (Firm)18172.7 (1)2:22.7headKohei Matsuyama(Peintre Naif)Sep 21HanshinKobe Shimbun HaiGII2,400 m (Firm)1111.3 (1)2:25.9noseKohei Matsuyama(Altramuz)Oct 26KyotoKikuka-shōGI3,000 m

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Pedigree

References