The Unicorn Stakes (

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

ユニコーンステークス) is a Grade 3

horse race Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic p ...

for three-year-old

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are c ...

s run in June over a distance of 1600 metres on dirt at

Tokyo Racecourse is located in Fuchu, Tokyo, Japan. Built in 1933 for horse racing, it is considered the "racecourse of racecourses" in Japanese horseracing. It has a capacity of 223,000, with seating for 13,750. Tokyo Racecourse hosts numerous G1 (Grade 1) r ...

. The race was first run in 1996 and has held Grade 3 status ever since. The race was run over 1800 metres at

Nakayama Racecourse is located in Funabashi, Chiba, Japan. It is used for horse racing. It has a capacity of 165,676. It was built in 1990. Physical attributes Nakayama Race Course has two grass courses, a dirt course, and a jump course. The turf's measures 1840 ...

in 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2000. Past winners of the race have included

Taiki Shuttle Taiki Shuttle (, foaled March 23, 1994; died August 17, 2022) was an American-bred, Japanese-trained thoroughbred race horse and stallion. He won races at the highest level both home and abroad, most notably winning the Mile Championship (twice), ...

Agnes Digital Agnes Digital (foaled May 15, 1997 – December 8, 2021) is an American born Japan-based Thoroughbred racehorse and the winner of the 2003 Yasuda Kinen. Career Agnes Digital's first race was on September 12th, 1999, where he came in 2nd at ...

and

Kane Hekili Kane Hekili (February 26, 2002 -May 25, 2016) was a Thoroughbred racehorse named after "The Thunder God" in Hawaiian mythology. In 2005 and 2006 he won four Grade 1 races on dirt in Japan and finished fourth to Electrocutionist in the 2006 Dubai ...

Records

Record time (1600 metres): * 1:34.9 - Cafe Pharoah ''2020'' Most wins by a

jockey A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used to describe the individual ...

: * 2 -

Yukio Okabe Yukio Okabe (Japanese: 岡部幸雄, ''Okabe Yukio'', born October 31, 1948) is a Japanese former jockey. He belonged to the Japan Racing Association (JRA) from 1967 to 2005. From January 1995 to July 2007, he held the record for the most wins as ...

''1996, 1997'' * 2 - Katsumi Ando ''2003, 2008'' * 2 -

Yutaka Take (born March 15, 1969 in Kyoto, Kyoto) is a Japanese jockey. A legend in Japan, Yutaka Take made his riding debut in 1987 and currently holds seven all-time records in his native country. Take has won at least one Grade 1 races for 23 straight ...

''2005, 2007'' * 2 -

Yuichi Fukunaga is a Japanese jockey who has won 29 Grade 1 races in Japan and abroad. He is affiliated with the Japan Racing Association (JRA) in Rittō. His father is former jockey Yoichi Fukunaga who was said to be a "genius" during his active career, and his ...

''2012, 2019'' Most wins by a trainer: * 2 - Sei Ishizaka ''2001, 2013'' * 2 - Katsuhiko Sumii ''2005, 2019'' * 2 - Noriyuki Hori ''2012, 2020''

Winners

Gold Tiara and I Am Actress were

fillies A filly is a female horse that is too young to be called a mare. There are two specific definitions in use: *In most cases, a ''filly'' is a female horse under four years old. *In some nations, such as the United Kingdom and the United States, t ...

References

{{reflist Dirt races in Japan

Records

Winners

See also

References