Cavallerizzo delivered a performance of composure and resolve at Hanshin on Sunday, capturing the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes and emerging as Japan’s leading two-year-old miler of 2025. Settled with patience before producing a decisive late surge, the colt confirmed his upward trajectory on one of the season’s most demanding juvenile stages.
The Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes, contested over 1,600 metres on yielding turf and carrying total prize money of ¥152,900,000, unfolded at a genuine tempo set by Diamond Knot, who broke sharply and dictated matters from the front. Cavallerizzo, ridden with confidence by Cristian Demuro, travelled midfield on the outer through the early and middle stages, conserving energy as the field negotiated the final turn.
As the runners fanned across the course turning for home, Demuro resisted the temptation to swing wide. Instead, he guided Cavallerizzo inside, threading through a narrow opening along the rail. The response was immediate. Once clear, the son of Saturnalia lengthened impressively, closing down the leader inside the final 200 metres before asserting in the final strides to score by three-quarters of a length.
Diamond Knot, brave throughout, held on well for second after setting the pace, while Admire Quads, making a sustained move from the rear, finished strongly down the centre of the course to secure third. Ecoro Alba, who had tracked the leaders from a wide position, stayed on for fourth after briefly disputing the minor placings late on.
Behind the principals, Realize Sirius lacked a finishing kick after racing prominently, while Good Piece and Tagano Aralia weakened only in the closing stages after being involved early. White Orchid and Storm Thunder made minor late gains from the back, but never threatened the leaders.
Trainer Tatsuya Yoshioka added a second top-level success to his résumé following last year’s Takarazuka Kinen, while Demuro, riding in Japan on a short-term licence, recorded another elite victory marked by precision and calm under pressure. The result also carried significance for Cavallerizzo’s sire Saturnalia, who recorded his first Group 1 winner since beginning stud duties in 2021.
Cristian Demuro later reflected on the colt’s professionalism, noting his ability to respond instantly when asked and to quicken decisively in tight quarters, traits that often separate high-class juveniles from their peers.
With his victory in the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes, Cavallerizzo adds a defining chapter to the early-season narrative and positions himself as a central figure heading toward the classic mile races of the coming year.
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