Tokyo Racecourse
 Aerial Photo at the Tokyo Racecourse | |
| Location | Fuchū, Tokyo, Japan |
|---|---|
| Owned by | Japan Racing Association |
| Date opened | 1933 |
| Screened on | TV Tokyo (Saturday) Fuji Television (Sunday) NHK (both General TV and BS-hi; select Sundays) TVG Network (USA broadcasting) Horse Racing TV (occasional USA broadcasting) |
| Course type | Flat, Steeplechase |
| Notable races | Japan Cup Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) Yasuda Kinen Tenno Sho (Autumn) February Stakes NHK Mile Cup Victoria Mile (G1) |
| Official website | |
Tokyo Racecourse (東京競馬場, Tōkyō Keiba-jō) is located in Fuchu, Tokyo, Japan.[1] Built in 1933 for horse racing, it is considered the "racecourse of racecourses" in Japanese horseracing.[1] It has a capacity of 223,000,[2] with seating for 13,750.
Tokyo Racecourse hosts numerous G1 (Grade 1) races, including the Japan Cup, Tokyo Yushun (the Japanese Derby) and the Yasuda Kinen, a part of the Asian Mile Challenge.[1]
Physical attributes
Tokyo Race Course's grass course measures 2083m (1¼ miles + 234 feet) with two chutes (1800m and 2000m). Races can be run on the "A Course" rail setting (on the hedge), the "B Course" setting (rail out 3 meters), the "C Course" setting (rail out 6 meters), the "D Course" setting (rail out 9 meters) or the "E Course" setting (rail out 12 meters).[3]
The dirt course measures 1899 meters (1⅛ mile + 290 feet), with a 1600m chute.[3]
The jump course measures 1675 meters (1 mile + 215 feet).
There was a chute for 3200m races (used for the Tenno Sho Autumn races), but when the race was shortened to 2000m, the 3200m chute was useless and is not in use as of today.
The course was renovated in 2007 (started in 2000), adding the world's largest video screen and upgrading a grandstand, named the "Fuji View Stand", which in today is the main grandstand of the course. The "Memorial 60" grandstand was also added. The HD screen measured 218 feet (66 m) wide by only 37 feet (11 m) high at 8,066 square feet (749.4 m2). In 2009 Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri took the world's largest title with an 84-foot (26 m) by 104-foot (32 m) is 8,736-square-foot (811.6 m2) screen.[4]
Transportation
The racecourse is linked to Fuchūkeiba-seimommae Station by a footbridge.
Notable races
| Month | Race | Distance | Age/Sex |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade I | |||
| Feb. | February Stakes | Dirt 1600m | 4yo + |
| May. | NHK Mile Cup | Turf 1600m | 3yo c&f |
| May. | Victoria Mile | Turf 1600m | 4yo + f |
| May. | Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) | Turf 2400m | 3yo f |
| May./Jun. | Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) | Turf 2400m | 3yo c&f |
| Jun. | Yasuda Kinen | Turf 1600m | 3yo + |
| Oct./Nov. | Tenno Sho (Autumn) | Turf 2000m | 3yo + |
| Nov. | Japan Cup | Turf 2400m | 3yo + |
| Grade II | |||
| Apr. | Flora Stakes (Oaks Trial) | Turf 2000m | 3yo f |
| Apr./May | Aoba Sho (Derby Trial) | Turf 2400m | 3yo |
| May | Keio Hai Spring Cup (Yasuda Kinen Trial) | Turf 1400m | 4yo + |
| May | Meguro Kinen (Handicap) | Turf 2500m | 3yo + |
| Oct. | Mainichi Okan (Tenno Sho Autumn Trial) | Turf 1800m | 3yo + |
| Oct. | Fuchu Himba Stakes (Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup Trial) | Turf 1800m | 3yo + f |
| Nov. | Copa Republica Argentina (Handicap) | Turf 2500m | 3yo + |
| Nov. | Keio Hai Nisai Stakes | Turf 1400m | 2yo |
| Grade III | |||
| Jan./Feb. | Tokyo Shimbun Hai | Turf 1600m | 4yo + |
| Jan./Feb. | Negishi Stakes (February Stakes Trial) | Dirt 1400m | 4yo + |
| Jan./Feb. | Kyodo News Service Hai | Turf 1800m | 3yo |
| Feb. | Diamond Stakes (Handicap) | Turf 3400m | 4yo + |
| Feb. | Queen Cup | Turf 1600m | 3yo f |
| Jun. | Unicorn Stakes | Dirt 1600m | 3yo |
| Jun. | Epsom Cup | Turf 1800m | 3yo + |
| Oct. | Fuji Stakes (Mile Championship Trial) | Turf 1600m | 3yo + |
| Oct./Nov. | Musashino Stakes (Champions Cup Trial) | Dirt 1600m | 3yo + |
| Nov. | Tokyo Sports Hai Nisai Stakes | Turf 1800m | 2yo |
| Nov. | Artemis Stakes | Turf 1600m | 2yo f |
| Unlisted Races | |||
| Jan. | Crocus Stakes | Turf 1400m | 3yo |
| J-Grade II (Steeplechase) | |||
| Jun. | Tokyo High-Jump | Turf 3300m | 3yo + |
| J-Grade III (Steeplechase) | |||
| Oct. | Tokyo Autumn Jump | Turf 3300m | 3yo + |
References
- ^ a b c The Japan Association for International Horse Racing. "Racecourses (JRA): Tokyo Racecourse". Archived from the original on 2007-02-16. Retrieved 2007-02-26.
- ^ "Tokyo Racecourse". Archived from the original on July 4, 2008. Retrieved July 13, 2019.
- ^ a b The Japan Association for International Horse Racing. "Tokyo Racecourse". Retrieved 7 December 2009.
- ^ Kansas City Royals to get 'world's largest' HD LED scoreboard – endgadeget.com – Retrieved May 18, 2009