Procyon Stakes

The race is named after Procyon, the brightest star in the constellation Canis Minor and part of the “Winter Triangle” asterism alongside Sirius and Betelgeuse.^[2]

The Procyon Stakes is a Grade II dirt Thoroughbred race in Japan open to horses aged four years and older.^[1] It is held annually in late January at Chukyo Racecourse over a distance of 1,800 meters on dirt.^[1] The race is run under weight-for-age conditions: 56 kg for 4-year-olds, 57 kg for 5-year-olds and up, with fillies and mares receiving a 2 kg allowance.^[3] Additional weight penalties apply based on recent graded stakes performances.^[3]

Eligibility includes JRA-trained horses (excluding maidens and unraced horses), up to four certified regional (NAR) horses, and foreign-trained horses with priority entry.^[4] The first-place prize in 2026 was ¥55 million.^[1] The winner receives the "Local Racing National Association Chairman’s Prize" and earns automatic priority entry into the February Stakes (G1).^[4]

The Procyon Stakes was inaugurated on April 13, 1996, at Hanshin Racecourse over 1,400 meters on dirt as part of the Japan Racing Association’s (JRA) initiative to develop a dedicated dirt stakes program.^[5] Originally restricted to horses aged five and older (equivalent to four-year-olds under current international age standards), it allowed up to five NAR horses and permitted foreign-bred entries from the outset.^[1]

In 2000, the race shifted from spring (April) to summer (June–July), and the age condition was lowered to four years and older.^[6] Following Japan’s adoption of international age standards in 2001, the eligibility was briefly listed as “3-year-olds and up,” though this effectively remained four-year-olds in practice.^[7] The race became an international event in 2005, allowing up to four foreign-trained horses; this quota later expanded to eight in 2007 after Japan’s elevation to IFHA Part I status.^[8]

The venue changed several times due to infrastructure projects: it moved to Kyoto in 2006, then permanently to Chukyo Racecourse in 2012, where it remained through 2023, except for temporary relocations during track renovations (e.g., to Kokura in 2021, 2022, and 2024 due to Hanshin stand refurbishment).^[9] In 2025, the race underwent a major transformation: it was upgraded to GII, moved to January, extended to 1,800 meters, and repositioned as a direct prep for the February Stakes, effectively swapping roles and scheduling with the former Tokai Stakes.^[1]

• Horse racing in Japan
• List of Japanese flat horse races