Energico Clinches the 2025 Kikuka Sho

The Kikuka Sho, first run in 1938, is one of Japan’s most important and acclaimed races, run over 3000m at Kyoto Racecourse. As one of the premier long-distance races in Japan, along with the 3200m Tenno Sho (Spring) that is also run at Kyoto in May, it is one of the only races of this type in the country to hold an international Grade 1 rating. Run every October and restricted exclusively to three-year-old colts and fillies, it forms the final leg of the Japanese Classic Triple Crown, and is also known as the “Japanese St. Leger” due to it being the Japanese equivalent of the St. Leger Stakes, a 2921m-long race run at Doncaster Racecourse in Britain. The 86th running was held on Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025, as the highlight 11th race on the day’s program, under light rain and on good turf.

Young colt Energico launched a dramatic late run to finish two lengths clear of Eri King during a tense homestretch duel. Starting as the 3.8-to-1 favorite in his Grade 1 debut, he was ridden by veteran French jockey Christophe Lemaire. The pair started in barrier 9. Following the break, Energico lagged to settle in the back of the pack, staying there for the majority of the race. Around halfway through the race, Lemaire began to move him to the outside, still positioned well in the back as the pack headed down the backstretch. Coming into the outer chute and turning for home, Energico and Lemaire pushed outside into clear space and drew away to steal victory from Eri King and his jockey, Yuga Kawada, crossing the finish line in exactly three minutes and four seconds. Meanwhile, longshot Excite Bio, with 82.6-to-1 odds, snatched third place from Goltzschtal by a nose in a close photo finish.

This was a major accomplishment for Energico’s seasoned jockey Lemaire, who completed an incredible five career wins in the Kikuka Sho, setting him even with the legendary Yutaka Take. This marked a hat-trick for Lemaire, who also won the last two runnings. After the race, he said during the post-race interview, “I can’t believe I’ve won the Kikuka Sho three years in a row!… Energico showed an excellent turn of foot.” Commenting on his patient riding in the beginning, Lemaire said, “Over this long distance, there’s time to wait.” The Frenchman, who lives in Kyoto, also said that winning in his hometown made his victory even sweeter. “Winning a Group 1 here is very special to me,” he said. Energico’s trainer, Mizuki Takayanagi, was also very happy, as this win marked his third career G1 victory as a trainer.

For Energico, his victory beautifully closed out his season as a three-year-old. The colt, whose father is the champion stallion Duramente, dominated the middle-distance category throughout the season,  winning four of his five starts this year, most notably the TV Tokyo Hai Aoba Sho last April, run at Tokyo over 2400m of turf. He was kept out of Japan’s most celebrated race, the Tokyo Yushun, better known as the Japanese Derby by racing fans, due to health issues, but he made a comeback in late summer, finishing second in the Grade 3 Niigata Kinen, run at Niigata over 2000m of turf. 

With his recent victory, Energico conquered his first Grade 1 and continued the legacy of his champion father, Duramente, who sadly died in 2021 of acute colitis;  Duramente himself won two of the three races in the Japanese Classic Triple Crown, the Satsuki Sho and the Tokyo Yushun, but he could not run in the Kikuka Sho because of an injury. Energico is the third son of Duramente to win the Kikuka Sho, following Titleholder, who won in 2021, and Durezza, who won in 2023. He has proven himself as an excellent stayer who is now a part of Japan’s long racing history.

Sources: Official JRA English and Japanese websites (japanracing.jp, jra.jp), official JRA race replay, netkeiba, idolhorse.com, thoroughbreddailynews.com