Tōkyō Yūshun

The Tōkyō Yūshun (東京優駿), also called the Japanese Derby (日本ダービー, Nippon Dābī) is a Grade 1 flat horse race in Japan for three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run over a distance of 2,400 metres (approximately 1 mile 4 furlongs) at the Tokyo Racecourse, Fuchū, Tokyo in late May or early June.

ClassGrade 1

LocationTokyo Racecourse, Fuchū, Tokyo

InauguratedApril 24, 1932

Race typeThoroughbred Flat racing

Quick facts Class, Location ...

Tōkyō Yūshun
Japanese Derby
東京優駿
日本ダービー

Wagnerian in the 85th Japanese Derby
Class	Grade 1
Location	Tokyo Racecourse, Fuchū, Tokyo
Inaugurated	April 24, 1932
Race type	Thoroughbred Flat racing
Race information
Distance	2400 meters
Record	Do Deuce, 2:21.9
Surface	Turf
Track	Left-handed
Qualification	3-y-o, Colts & Fillies
Weight	Colt 57 kg, Filly 55 kg
Purse	¥ 648,000,000 (as of 2025) 1st: ¥ 300,000,000 2nd: ¥ 120,000,000 3rd: ¥ 75,000,000 [1]
Bonuses	Classic Triple Crown Winner of Satsuki Shō, Tokyo Yūshun, Kikuka Shō[2] ¥ 300,000,000

Close

It was first run in 1932 and is the Japanese equivalent of the English Epsom Derby. It is the second leg of the Japanese Triple Crown, preceded by the Satsuki Shō (the Japanese equivalent of the English 2,000 Guineas) in mid-to-late April and followed by the Kikuka Shō (the Japanese equivalent of the English St. Leger Stakes) in mid-late October.

Since 2010, the Japanese Derby (along with several other JRA Japanese domestic Grade 1 races, including the other Japanese classics such as the Satsuki Sho and the Kikuka Sho) is open to international competition due to Japan's inclusion in the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities' ICS Part I category, in which all graded black-type races in the JRA calendar are open to international competition.

Races prior to 2001 (along with the other Japanese classics) were only limited to Japanese-bred horses. Since 2001, foreign-bred horses are allowed, but until 2010 this race (and the other classics) were only limited to Japanese-trained horses. Since 2010, up to 9 foreign-trained or bred horses can enter the race.^[3]