Kikuka Sho 2026: Can Lovcen Win Japan's Triple Crown?

Kikuka Sho 2026: Lovcen's shot at history

Yes, Lovcen can win Japan's Triple Crown: if he wins the Kikuka Sho 2026 at Kyoto on Sunday, Oct. 25, he becomes the ninth Japanese Triple Crown winner and the first since Contrail in 2020. He has already won the first two legs, so only 3,000 meters of turf stand between him and the history books.

The colt (ロブチェン in Japanese) is trained by Haruki Sugiyama and ridden by Kohei Matsuyama. He runs for Forest Racing and was bred by Northern Farm.

The key facts:

• Race: Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger), Grade 1
• When: Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026, post time 15:40 Japan time
• Where: Kyoto Racecourse, 3,000m on turf, right-handed
• Who can run: 3-year-old colts and fillies (no geldings), up to 18 starters
• Weights: 57 kg for colts; fillies get a 2 kg allowance
• Prize: ¥200 million to the winner

The odds of history are not on his side. The JRA notes Lovcen is the 25th colt to win both spring classics, and only eight of those went on to win the Kikuka Sho.

Who is Lovcen? A 5-for-6 record

Lovcen is a dark bay colt foaled on April 9, 2023, by World Premiere out of Songwriting, a daughter of Giant's Causeway. He has won 5 of his 6 starts, and Matsuyama has ridden him every time.

• Nov. 9, 2025: Won his debut at Kyoto over 2,000m on turf.
• Dec. 27, 2025: Won the Hopeful Stakes (G1, 2,000m) as a 2-year-old.
• Feb. 15, 2026: Third in the Kyodo News Hai (G3, 1,800m), his only defeat.
• April 19, 2026: Won the Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) gate-to-wire in a record 1:56.5, by three-quarters of a length over Realize Sirius.
• May 31, 2026: Won the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) over 2,400m by a head over Peintre Naif.
• Sept. 21, 2026: Won the Kobe Shimbun Hai (G2, 2,400m), his Kikuka Sho prep, by a nose over Altramuz.

That last win was closer than fans wanted. Matsuyama told Idol Horse the colt almost reared in the starting gate, but also said there is another level of improvement to come. He added that he wants to practise properly and prepare the colt thoroughly before Kyoto.

What is the Japanese Triple Crown?

Japan's colts' Triple Crown is three Grade 1 races for 3-year-olds, modeled on England's classics. Each leg gets longer, so a winner has to show speed in spring and stamina in autumn.

1. Satsuki Sho (April, Nakayama, 2,000m): the speed test, like the 2000 Guineas.
2. Tokyo Yushun (late May or early June, Tokyo, 2,400m): the Japanese Derby.
3. Kikuka Sho (late October, Kyoto, 3,000m): the stamina test, like the St Leger.

Here is how it compares with the two crowns most fans know:

The big difference is timing. The US races are packed into about five weeks, and Britain's run from early May to September, about four months. Japan spreads them over six months, so a colt has to stay sound and in form from April to October.

If you're new to race classes, our guide to what a Grade 1 race is explains the grading system. Canada has its own version too: see the Canadian Triple Crown.

Japan Triple Crown winners list

• St Lite (1941)
• Shinzan (1964)
• Mr. C.B. (1983)
• Symboli Rudolf (1984)
• Narita Brian (1994)
• Deep Impact (2005)
• Orfevre (2011)
• Contrail (2020)

Symboli Rudolf, Deep Impact and Contrail did it unbeaten. Lovcen can't join that subgroup because of his February loss, but the crown itself counts the same.

Why 3,000 meters is such a stamina test

The Kikuka Sho is about 1 mile 7 furlongs. That's 600 meters longer than the Derby, and for most of the field it will be the longest race of their lives so far.

Three things make it hard for a 3-year-old:

• They're still growing. In late October these colts are only about three and a half years old, and few have raced beyond 2,400m.
• The course works them twice. The trip takes nearly a lap and a half of Kyoto, so runners climb and come down the hill on the far turn twice, and pass the grandstand twice.
• Settling matters more than speed. A horse that pulls hard early burns the fuel it needs in the final 400m. Jockeys spend the first half trying to get their horse to relax.

That last point is the real question for Lovcen. He won the Satsuki Sho from the front but came from the back half of the field in the Kobe Shimbun Hai, so he can race either way. Watch whether he settles in the first 1,000m.

For anyone who rides, it's the same principle as pacing a long trail ride or an endurance course: rhythm first, speed last. Our disciplines guide covers how different sports test fitness.

The pedigree angle: following his father

Lovcen's sire, World Premiere, won the Kikuka Sho in 2019, beating Satono Lux. He later won the Tenno Sho (Spring) over 3,200m, so stamina runs on the sire's side.

World Premiere is a son of Deep Impact, the 2005 Triple Crown winner. Contrail, the last winner, was also by Deep Impact, so a Lovcen win would keep the crown in the same family line.

The question mark is on the dam's side. Giant's Causeway was a tough champion at a mile to 1¼ miles, not a marathon type. Pedigree hints at what a horse can do, but it never guarantees it.

What to watch: rivals, the field and the draw

The race drew 21 nominations for a maximum field of 18, netkeiba reported on Oct. 12. The final field is set at declaration on Thursday, Oct. 22, and the post-position draw is expected on Friday, Oct. 23.

Neither the final field nor the draw is confirmed yet. Check the official field before race day.

Names worth knowing among the nominations:

• Justin Chicago: won the St. Lite Kinen, the other main Kikuka Sho trial, in September.
• Danon History: comes in on a two-race winning streak and is listed with Christophe Lemaire, who shares the record of five Kikuka Sho wins.
• Altramuz: missed by only a nose against Lovcen in the Kobe Shimbun Hai.
• Going to Sky and Basse Terre: fourth and third in the Derby.

Race-week checklist:

1. Oct. 22: Look for the final field and riding assignments.
2. Oct. 23: Check the draw. Inside or outside matters less over 3,000m than in sprints, but it shapes early position.
3. Race day: Watch Lovcen at the gate, then in the first turn. A calm start is a good sign.
4. The second hill: Moves made on the final downhill run often decide the Kikuka Sho.

Horse Academy doesn't give picks or betting advice. Enjoy it as a sporting moment.

How to watch the Kikuka Sho from abroad

Post time is 15:40 Japan time on Sunday, Oct. 25, which is 06:40 UTC. Clocks change in Europe that same morning, so double-check your local time.

• New York / Miami: 2:40 a.m. Sunday
• Los Angeles: 11:40 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24
• Mexico City: 12:40 a.m. Sunday
• London: 6:40 a.m. Sunday (GMT)
• Madrid: 7:40 a.m. Sunday

Ways to follow it:

• Your local racing channel or licensed racing app. Coverage of Japanese racing varies by country and year, so check listings early in the week.
• The JRA's English site (japanracing.jp). It posts the field, the results and race reports in English.
• The JRA's official YouTube channel. It posts race footage, although what you can see may depend on your region.
• netkeiba's English site. It publishes the field page, results and news.

If Lovcen wins, the next question will be whether he takes on older horses. Our Japan Cup 2026 preview covers that race, and Forever Young shows how Japanese stars do abroad. For more racing explainers, browse Horse Academy trends.