Tokyo Racecourse

Tokyo Racecourse (東京競馬場, Tōkyō Keiba-jō) is located in Fuchū, 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, with seating for 13,750.^[2]

Tokyo Racecourse
東京競馬場

Aerial Photo of the Tokyo Racecourse (2019)
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) Green Channel 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

Main grandstand at the Tokyo Racecourse

Turf Vision video screen

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 2,083 m (6,834 ft) with two chutes (1800 m and 2000 m). 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 1,899 m (6,230 ft), with a 1,600 m (5,200 ft) chute.^[3]

The jump course measures 1,675 m (5,495 ft).

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.

All races have a US style gate run distance of approximately 5 metres, before official timing begins.

The high-definition video 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.^{[note 1]} Another footbridge connects the racecourse with the Fuchuhonmachi Station of JR East.^[5]

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.	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 +

Track records

Source：レコードタイム表 (Record time table) -> 東京競馬場 (Tokyo Racecourse)

• † Reference Time.
• Last updated on November 4, 2023.

Turf course (2yo)

Distance	Time	Racehorse	Sex	Weight	Jockey	Date Recorded
1400m	1:20.6	Corazon Beat	Filly	55kg	Takeshi Yokoyama	November 4, 2023
1600m	1:32.7	Salios	Colt	55kg	Shuu Ishibashi	October 5, 2019
1800m	1:44.5	Contrail	Colt	55kg	Ryan Moore	November 16, 2019
2000m	1:58.5	With Grace	Filly	54kg	Christophe Lemaire	November 28, 2021

Turf course (3yo+)

Distance	Time	Racehorse	Sex	Weight	Jockey	Date Recorded
1400m	1:19.4	Tower of London	Horse 4	56kg	Damian Lane	May 11, 2019
1600m	1:30.5	Normcore	Mare 4	55kg	Damian Lane	May 12, 2019
1800m	1:44.1	Salios	Horse 5	56kg	Kohei Matsuyama	October 9, 2022
2000m	1:55.2	Equinox	Horse 4	58kg	Christophe Lemaire	October 29, 2023
2300m	2:18.4	Albilla	Colt 3	56kg	Christophe Lemaire	April 24, 2021
2400m	2:20.6	Almond Eye	Filly 3	53kg	Christophe Lemaire	November 25, 2018
2500m	2:28.2	Look Twice	Horse 6	55kg	Damian Lane	May 26, 2019
3400m	3:29.1	Mixology	Horse 4	56kg	Atsuya Nishimura	February 18, 2023

Dirt course (2yo)

Distance	Time	Racehorse	Sex	Weight	Jockey	Date Recorded
1300m	1:17.4	Mr Melody	Colt	55kg	Keita Tosaki	November 4, 2017
1400m	1:23.1	Yuwa Hurricane	Colt	55kg	Eiji Nakadate	October 8, 2005
1600m	1:36.2	Le Vent Se Leve	Colt	55kg	Mirco Demuro	October 14, 2017

Dirt course (3yo+)

Distance	Time	Racehorse	Sex	Weight	Jockey	Date Recorded
1300m	1:16.1	Satono Fantasy	Colt 3	56kg	Keita Tosaki	November 12, 2016
1400m	1:21.5	Nonkono Yume	Gelding 6	58kg	Hiroyuki Uchida	January 28, 2018
1600m	1:33.5	Desierto	Colt 3	54kg	Keita Tosaki	October 10, 2022
2100m	2:06.7	Vermilion	Horse 5	57kg	Yutaka Take	November 24, 2007
2400m	2:28.6	Groovin' High	Horse 4	56kg	Katsuharu Tanaka	February 18, 2007

Notes

1. Fuchūkeiba (Fuchu Racecourse) is another name derived from Fuchu City, where the Tokyo Racecourse is located.