The is a dirt Grade III (JpnIII) flat horse race in Japan, organized by the Aichi Prefecture Racing Association and held at Nagoya Racecourse. Since 2024, the official name is the , with the Chunichi Shimbun newspaper providing the winner's trophy.
The race is named after the kakitsubata (燕子花), the prefectural flower of Aichi Prefecture.
Overview The Kakitsubata Kinen was established in 1999 as a nationally designated exchange graded stakes race for JRA and NAR horses. From the 1st to the 23rd edition, it was run over 1,400 metres at the former Nagoya Racecourse. Since 2022, following the relocation of Nagoya Racecourse, the distance has been 1,500 metres. Since 2024, it is run annually in late February.
Conditions and prize money (2026) Eligibility Thoroughbreds aged 4 years and older (JRA and NAR exchange). The winner of the Umidzuki Hai receives priority entry. Weight Grade-based. Base weight 57 kg (55 kg for fillies). GI/JpnI winners carry an additional 3 kg, GII/JpnII winners 2 kg, GIII/JpnIII winners 1 kg. Prize money 1st: ¥30,000,000; 2nd: ¥10,500,000; 3rd: ¥6,000,000; 4th: ¥4,500,000; 5th: ¥3,000,000; 6th and below: ¥300,000 Subsidiary prizes Chunichi Shimbun Award, JRA Chairman's Award, Japan Horse Owners' Association Federation Chairman's Encouragement Award, NAR Chairman's Award, NAR Breeding Farm Award, Japan Local Racing Horse Owners' Promotion Association Chairman's Award, Aichi Prefecture Horse Owners' Association Chairman's Award, Aichi Prefecture Racing Association Administrator's Award, Race Steward Chairman's Award.
History 1999 – Established as a nationally designated exchange graded stakes (Unified GIII) for horses aged 5 to 10 years. 2001 – Age condition changed to "4 to 9 years" following the international standardization of horse age notation. 2004 – Eligibility changed to "4 years and older." 2007 – Grade notation changed to JpnIII following Japan's promotion to Part I country status. 2017 – Weight conditions changed from grade-based to handicap. 2020 – Held without spectators due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the state of emergency declared under the Special Measures Act. 2022 – Distance changed from 1,400 m to 1,500 m following the relocation of Nagoya Racecourse. Total betting turnover of ¥962,160,400 set a new record for the race. 2024 – As part of the nationwide dirt racing system reform, the race was moved from early May to late February, weight conditions were changed from handicap back to grade-based, and the official name was changed to "Chunichi Shimbun Hai Kakitsubata Kinen." 2026 – Base weight set at 57 kg (55 kg for fillies).
Past winners All editions run on dirt. Editions 1–23 held at the former Nagoya Racecourse (1,400 m); editions 24–28 held at the current Nagoya Racecourse (1,500 m).
Ed.DateCourseDist.WinnerSex/AgeOrg.TimeJockeyTrainerOwner11999-05-04Nagoya1400mMeisho MotonariC5JRA1:26.2Yasuhiko YasudaIsao YasudaYoshio Matsumoto22000-05-04Nagoya1400mGold TiaraF4JRA1:26.1Yutaka TakeKunihide MatsudaKazuko Yoshida32001-05-03Nagoya1400mBroad AppealF7JRAKent DesormeauxKunihide MatsudaMakoto Kaneko42002-05-06Nagoya1400mSouth VigorousC6JRAYoshitomi ShibataYasutaka TakahashiHisashi Nanba52003-05-01Nagoya1400mBiwa ShinseikiC5JRA1:25.5Norihiro YokoyamaHiroshi MatsudaBiwa Co. Ltd.62004-05-03Nagoya1400mMaruka SenryoC6Nagoya1:25.0Minoru YoshidaSatoru SetoguchiKazuko Onishi72005-05-03Nagoya1400mYoshino IchibanboshiC4Nagoya1:27.2Minoru YoshidaIsao NishikiMasaaki Noda82006-05-03Nagoya1400mRocky AppealC8Kawasaki1:27.2Seiji YamazakiHiroyoshi YamazakiMakoto Kaneko92007-05-03Nagoya1400mMeisho ButlerF7JRA1:27.8Yutaka TakeShigetada TakahashiYoshio Matsumoto102008-05-06Nagoya1400mKongo RikishioC6JRA1:27.1Shinji FujitaKenji YamauchiHisao Kanaoka112009-05-04Nagoya1400mSmart FalconC4JRA1:25.5Yasunari IwataKen OzakiToru Okawa122010-05-03Nagoya1400mSmart FalconC5JRA1:25.3Yasunari IwataKen OzakiToru Okawa132011-05-03Nagoya1400mSei CrimsonC5JRA1:25.9Hideaki MiyukiToshiyuki HattoriShigeki Kaneda142012-05-04Nagoya1400mSei CrimsonC6JRA1:26.1Yasunari IwataToshiyuki HattoriShigeki Kaneda152013-04-29Nagoya1400mT Up WildC7JRA1:26.4Shu IshibashiKatsuichi NishiuraNoboru Tanaka162014-04-29Nagoya1400mTagano ZingaroC7Hyogo1:27.2Ken KimuraMasashi AtarashiHideyuki Yagi172015-05-04Nagoya1400mCorin BerryF4JRA1:25.1Kohei MatsuyamaMasami ShibataKeiko Ito182016-05-03Nagoya1400mNobo BaccaraC4JRA1:27.0Mirco DemuroShoichi TenmaLS.M Co. Ltd.192017-05-03Nagoya1400mTokei TigerC6Hyogo1:26.8Shoichi KawaharaAsao SumiyoshiNobuhiko Kimura202018-04-30Nagoya1400mSuccess EnergyC4JRA1:25.9Kohei MatsuyamaNaruhito KitadeTetsu Takashima212019-05-01Nagoya1400mGold QueenF4JRA1:25.1Yoshihiro FurukawaTomoyasu SakaguchiMitsuhiko Kato222020-05-04Nagoya1400mRaptusG4JRA1:25.3Hideaki MiyukiMasahiro MatsunagaHidaka Breeders Union232021-05-03Nagoya1400mRaptusG5JRA1:25.2Hideaki MiyukiMasahiro MatsunagaHidaka Breeders Union242022-05-03Nagoya1500mIgniterC4HyogoManabu TanakaMasashi AtarashiYoshimi Noda252023-05-02Nagoya1500mWilson TesoroC4JRAYuga KawadaHitoshi KotegawaRyotokuji Kenji Holdings262024-02-29Nagoya1500mSunrise HawkG5JRA1:32.6Mirco DemuroMitsunori MakiuraLife House Co. Ltd.272025-02-24Nagoya1500mLord FonsC5JRA1:33.5Kazuo YokoyamaShogo YasudaLord Horse Club282026-02-23Nagoya1500mDanon FigoC4JRA1:32.2Yuga KawadaYasuo TomomichiDanox Co. Ltd. = course record
See also Horse racing in Japan List of Japanese flat horse races Procyon Stakes Hokkaido Sprint Cup
External links Kakitsubata Kinen – ahonoora.com
References