# Naruo Kinen

The Naruo Kinen (in Japanese: 鳴尾記念) is a Grade 3 middle-distance race for three-year-olds and older horses in the JRA. It is run over 2,000 meters at Hanshin Racecourse in June. The race often serves as a trial race for the Takarazuka Kinen later in the month.

## History

The first race was held in 1951. The race is held once a year was held twice a year from 1951 to 1953. The race was run over a variety of longer distances before being contested over 2,000 meters for the first time in 1997. The distance was 1,800 meters from 2006 to 2011.
The race was run at Chukyo Racecourse in 1959, and at Kyoto Racecourse in 1966, 1969 and 1990.
From 1955 to 1985, the race was for horses over 5 years old, however the requirement was changed to 4 years old in 1987.
Notable winners of the Naruo Kinen have included Ten Point, Bubble Gum Fellow, Tamamo Cross and Lovely Day.

## Weight

53 kg for three-year-olds, 57 kg for four-year-olds and above.
Allowances:
* 2 kg for fillies / mares
* 2 kg for southern hemisphere bred three-year-olds
* 1 kg for southern hemisphere bred four-year-olds
Penalties (excluding two-year-old race performance):
* If a graded stakes race has been won within a year:
** 2 kg for a grade 1 win (1 kg for fillies / mares)
** 1 kg for a grade 2 win
* If a graded stakes race has been won for more than a year:
** 1 kg for a grade 1 win

## Winners since 2000

| Year | Winner | Age | Jockey | Trainer | Owner | Time |
| 2000 | Daitaku Riva | 3 | Mikio Matsunaga | Kojiro Hashiguchi | Midori Jutaku Co Ltd | 1:59.3 |
| 2001 | Meisho Odo | 6 | Yuji Iida | Akihiro Iida | Yoshio Matsumoto | 1:59.8 |
| 2002 | Ibuki Government | 6 | Hiroshi Kawachi | Kojiro Hashiguchi | Ibuki | 1:59.5 |
| 2003 | Win Blaze | 5 | Hatsuhiro Kowata | Yoshitada Munataka | Win Co Ltd | 2:00.0 |
| 2004 | Sakura Century | 4 | Tetsuzo Sato | Shozo Sasaki | Sakura Commerce | 2:00.7 |
| 2005 | Mejiro Mantle | 8 | Yutaka Yoshida | Yokichi Okubo | Mejiro Stud | 2:01.6 |
| 2006 | Sakura Mega Wonder | 3 | Olivier Peslier | Yasuo Tomomichi | Sakura Commerce | 1:46.9 |
| 2007 | Higher Game | 6 | Yusuke Fujioka | Yokichi Okubo | Hiroyoshi Usuda | 1:47.5 |
| 2008 | Sakura Mega Wonder | 5 | Yuichi Fukunaga | Yasuo Tomomichi | Sakura Commerce | 1:46.0 |
| 2009 | Axion | 6 | Shinji Fujita | Yoshitaka Ninomiya | Tetsu Nakata | 1:46.5 |
| 2010 | Rulership | 3 | Yasunari Iwata | Katsuhiko Sumii | Sunday Racing | 1:44.9 |
| 2011 | Red Davis | 3 | Mirco Demuro | Hidetaka Otonashi | Tokyo Horse Racing | 1:45.6 |
| 2012 | To The Glory | 5 | Yuichi Fukunaga | Yasutoshi Ikee | U Carrot Farm | 2:00.1 |
| 2013 | Tokei Halo | 4 | Yutaka Take | Hisashi Shimizu | Nobuhiko Kimura | 1:58.9 |
| 2014 | Air Saumur | 5 | Ryota Tosaki | Katushiko Sumii | Lucky Field | 1:59.1 |
| 2015 | Lovely Day | 5 | Yasunari Iwata | Yasuotoshi Ikee | Kaneko Makoto Holdings | 1:58.8 |
| 2016 | Satono Noblesse | 6 | Yuga Kawada | Yasuotoshi Ikee | Osamu Satomi | 1:57.6 |
| 2017 | Stay in Seattle | 6 | Yutaka Take | Yasuotoshi Ikee | Aoshiba Trading Corporation | 1:59.4 |
| 2018 | Strong Titan | 5 | Mirco Demuro | Yasuotoshi Ikee | Silk Racing | 1:57.2 |
| 2019 | Mer de Glace | 4 | Damian Lane | Hisashi Shimizu | U Carrot Farm | 1:59.6 |
| 2020 | Perform A Promise | 8 | Yuichi Fukunaga | Hideaki Fujiwara | Sunday Racing | 2:00.1 |
| 2021 | Unicorn Lion | 5 | Ryusei Sakai | Yoshito Yahagi | Lion Race Horse | 2:00.7 |
| 2022 | Weltreisende | 5 | Damian Lane | Yasutoshi Ikee | Sunday Racing | 1:57.7 |
| 2023 | Boccherini | 7 | Suguru Hamanaka | Yasutoshi Ikee | Kaneko Makoto Holdings Co., Ltd. | 1:59.1 |
| 2024 | Yoho Lake | 6 | Mirai Iwata | Yasuo Tomomichi | Kaneko Makoto Holdings Co., Ltd. | 1:57.2 |
* 1 2 The race was run on Chukyo Racecourse
* ↑ The race was run on Kyoto Racecourse

## Previous winners

* 1951: Takakurayama
* 1951 (autumn): Track O
* 1952: Hiro Homare
* 1952 (autumn): Queen Narubi
* 1953: Queen Narubi
* 1953 (autumn): Bostonian
* 1954: Royal Wood
* 1955: Royal Wood
* 1956: Sekai O
* 1957: Sekai O
* 1958: Sekai O
* 1959: Katsura Shuho
* 1960: Tokitsu Hiro
* 1961: Caesar
* 1962: Great Stan
* 1963: Ryu Forel
* 1964: Goukai
* 1965: Ballymoss Nisei
* 1966: Eight Crown
* 1967: Apo Onward
* 1968: Yama Pit
* 1969: Fine Rose
* 1970: New Kiminonawa
* 1971: Tama Hope
* 1972: Fi Dor
* 1973: Shinzan Misaki
* 1974: Strong Eight
* 1975: Naoki
* 1976: Taiho Hero
* 1977: Ten Point
* 1978: Erimo George
* 1979: Captain Namura
* 1980: Lindo Pleben
* 1981: Hashi Kranz
* 1982: Marubutsu Winner
* 1983: Kyoei Ascent
* 1984: Hashi Rodi
* 1985: Nishino Raiden
* 1986: Ron Spark
* 1987: Tamamo Cross
* 1988: Yaeno Muteki
* 1989: Mr. Cyclennon
* 1990: Kachiuma Hawk
* 1991: Nice Nature
* 1992: Takeno Velvet
* 1993: Ruble Act
* 1994: Star Man
* 1995: Kanetsu Cross
* 1996: Maruka Diesis
* 1997: Bubble Gum Fellow
* 1998: Sunrise Flag
* 1999: Suehiro Commander