Japan: Satono Reve makes early move for sprint championship

Satono Reve was the 2025 champion sprinter in Japan and made an early claim for the same title this year with a late rally to win the Grade 1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen at six furlongs at Chukyo Racecourse on Sunday for the second consecutive year.

Ridden by Christophe Lemaire, Satono Reve closed steadily from the middle of a field of 18 through the final quarter-mile. Satono Reve reached contention with a sixteenth of a mile remaining in the turf race, and won by two lengths.

Satono Reve was timed in a stakes-record 1:06.30, just shy of the course record of 1:06.20. The previous stakes record of 1:06.70 was held by Big Arthur in 2016.

On Sunday, Satono Reve was favored in American pools and paid $5.60. Lemaire, riding Satono Reve for the first time, said the 6-year-old horse was comfortable racing from off the pace.

“He’s a very strong horse,” Lemaire told Japan Racing Association publicity. “The pace was fast from the start, but he knows what he’s supposed to do, so I just let him run in his own rhythm.

“Once we entered the stretch, he really accelerated. It was my first time riding him, but having raced alongside him many times, I knew him well.”

Red Mon Reve (52-1) closed from behind Satono Reve to finish second, a neck in front of Win Carnelian, the winner of the Grade 1 Sprinters Stakes in Japan last fall.

The Takamatsunomiya Kinen and Sprinters Stakes are the only Grade 1 sprint races on turf in Japan.

The $2.05 million Takamatsunomiya Kinen was the eighth win in 12 starts for Satono Reve, who is by Lord Kanaloa. Satono Reve races for Hajime Satomi and trainer Noriyuki Hori.

Sunday’s win ended a four-race losing streak for Satono Reve since the 2025 Takamatsonimiya Kinen.

Satono Reve was fourth in the Sprinters Stakes in September, and ninth behind the brilliant Ka Ying Rising in the Grade 1 Hong Kong Sprint at Sha Tin Racecourse in Hong Kong in December.

With the win on Sunday, Satono Reve joins Kinshasa no Kiseki (2010-2011) as a two-time winner of the Takamatsunomiya Kinen.

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