The Japan Dirt Classic (ジャパンダートクラシック) is a Domestic Grade 1 flat horse race in Japan for three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies run over a distance of 2,000 meters (approximately 1 mile 2 furlongs) at the Oi Racecourse, Shinagawa, Tokyo in early October. It is the third and final leg of the Japanese Triple Crown of Dirt.
History
The race was first run in 1999 as the Japan Dirt Derby and was the Japanese equivalent of the American Kentucky Derby. Though the race was the last leg of triple crown of minami-kanto keiba (nankan keiba), while Kentucky Derby is the first one of American triple crown races.
The majority of winners comes from the Japan Racing Association (JRA), another Japan horse racing governing body, as JRA do not host any dirt Grade 1 race exclusively for 3-year-old horses.
In June 2022, it was announced that from 2024 that it would become the third leg of the Japanese Triple Crown of Dirt along with Haneda Hai and Tokyo Derby. The name of the race was changed to Japan Dirt Classic and the schedule was moved to October. Geldings will no longer be able to enter and prize money for 1st place was increased to ¥ 70,000,000.
Trial races
Trial races provide automatic berths to the winning horses or placed horses as specified.
- Notes:
Winners since 1999
References
- Netkeiba:
- 1999 en, 2000 en, 2001 en, 2002 en, 2003 en, 2004 en, 2005 en, 2006 en, 2007 en, 2008 en, 2009 en, 2010 en, 2011 en, 2012 en, 2013 en, 2014 en, 2015 en, 2016 en, 2017 en, 2018 en, 2019 en, 2020 en, 2021 en, 2022 en, 2023 en, 2024 en
