The JRA Special Award is an award issued by the Japan Racing Association (JRA). Unlike most awards issued by the JRA, it is not awarded every year and is only awarded when there is a subject that deserves special recognition in a given year. While the main recipients are racehorses, it is occasionally awarded to individuals, such as in 2024, when Yutaka Take received the award for reaching 4,500 JRA wins in his jockey career. Equine recipients of the JRA Special Award must be selected by at least three-quarters of the selection committee and also must be approved by the chairman of the JRA, while human recipients are awarded only by the chairman of the JRA.[1]

The predecessor of the Special Award was the Popularity Award, which was won by Haiseiko in 1973 when the JRA Awards were known as the Yūshun Awards. Later, in 1978, Ten Point received it as a Media Award, and Monte Prince in 1982 received the Dream Award. The name "Special Award" was first used when Amber Shadai was given the award in 1983. It was succeeded by the JRA Awards in 1987. In 2004, it was given the unique subtitle of "Special Fighting Award" when it was awarded to Cosmo Bulk.[2]

Recipients during the Yūshun Awards era

YearRecipientSexAgeReasonBreederTrainerOwnerJockey(s)
1973HaiseikoStallion4Responsible for the first horse racing boom in Japan, which became known as the "Haiseiko Boom" due to his popularity.Takeda RanchKatsutaro SuzukiHorseman ClubSueo Masuzawa
1978Ten PointStallion6In response to his death which was caused by a fracture during the Nihon Keizai Shinshun Hai. After fracturing his leg, Ten Point underwent 43 days of treatment before his death.Yoshida RanchSasuke OgawaHisanari TakadaAkira Shikato
1982Monte PrinceStallion6Monte Prince became known as the "uncrowned emperor" due to him placing in the top three of four of Japan's Eight Major Races. In 1982, he won the Tennō Shō (Spring) and the Takarazuka Kinen, his first wins which were a part of the Eight Major Races.Kineusu Saito FarmKichisaburo MatsuyamaKihachi MoriMasato Yoshinaga
1983Amber ShadaiStallion7In 1983, Amber Shadai won the Tennō Shō in his fifth try.Shadai FarmToshio NihonyanagiYoshida YoshiyaKazuhiro Kato

Recipients since 1989

Racehorses

YearRecipientSexAgeReasonBreederTrainerOwnerJockey(s)
1989Oguri Cap[3]Stallion5A week after winning the Mile Championship, Oguri Cap came second in the Japan Cup with a time equal to the speed record for the race.Inaba BokujoTsutomu SetoguchiToshinori KondoKatsumi Minami
1993Tokai Teio[3]Stallion6In 1993, Tokai Teio won his first G1 race in 363 days, the Arima Kinen, after suffering from impairments such as fractures, parasites and injuries to the gluteus medius.Nagahama RanchShoichi MatsumotoMasanori UchimuraSeiki Tabara
1995Rice Shower[3]Stallion7In 1995, Rice shower won the Tennō Shō after disappointing race performances for the last two years. However, in his next race, the Takarazuka Kinen, he dislocated his first left knuckle and suffered a communited fracture during the race and had to be euthanised behind a curtain on the track itself.Utopia RanchKoji IizukaHideo KuriyabashiHitoshi Matoba
1998Silence Suzuka[3]Stallion5Silence Suzuka won six consecutive races until he was injured and had to be euthanised in the Autumn Tennō Shō.Inahara FarmMitsuru HashidaKeiji NagaiYutaka Take
1999Grass Wonder[3]Stallion5In 1999, Grass Wonder won both Grand Prix races (the Arima Kinen and Takarazuka Kinen).Philip Slacing Partnership & John PhillipsMitsuhiro OgataHanzawa Co., Ltd.Hitoshi Matoba
Special Week[3]Stallion5Special Week won both Tennō Shōs (Spring and Autumn) in 1999.Hidaka Taiyo FarmToshiaki ShiraiHiroyoshi UsudaYutaka Take
2001Stay Gold[3]Stallion7Stay Gold was the first Japanese bred racehorse to win an overseas G1 race (the Hong Kong Vase).Shiraoi FarmYasuro IkeeShadai Racehorse Co.Yutaka Take
2004Cosmo Bulk[2]Stallion3Despite being an NAR horse, Cosmo Bulk ran well in JRA races such as the Satsuki Shō and the Japan Cup, finishing second in both races.Kano RanchKazunori TabeMisako OkadaFuyuki Igarashi
2007Vodka[3]Mare3Vodka was the first mare to win the Japanese Derby in 64 years.Country RanchKatsuhiko SumiiYuzo TanimizuHirofumi Shii
Meisho Samson[3]Stallion4Meisho Samson won both Tennō Shōs in 2007.Hayashi Koki FarmShigetada TakahashiYoshio MatsumotoYutaka Take Mamoru Ishibashi
2009Company[3]Stallion8Company was the first 8-year-old horse to win a G1 flat race in Japan.Northern FarmHidetaka OtonashiEiko KondoNorihiro Yokoyama
2016Maurice[4]Stallion5Maurice achieved three G1 victories in 2016, with two of these being in Hong Kong.Togawa RanchNoriyuki HoriKazumi YoshidaJoão Moreira Ryan Moore
2020Chrono Genesis[5]Mare4Chrono Genesis won both Grand Prix races in 2020.Northern FarmTakashi SaitoSunday Racing Co., Ltd.Yuichi Kitamura
2023Ushba Tesoro[6]Stallion6Ushba Tesoro was the second Japanese horse to win the Dubai World Cup (the first one on dirt surface).Chiyoda FarmNoboru TakagiRyotokuji Kenji Holdings Co., Ltd.Kazuo Yokoyama Yuga Kawada
2024Forever Young[7]Stallion3In 2024, Forever Young won four graded races in Japan and internationally, and came third in the 2024 Kentucky Derby and Breeders' Cup Classic.Northern FarmYoshito YahagiSusuma FujitaRyusei Sakai
2025Calandagan[8]Gelding4In 2025, Calandagan was the first foreign horse to win the Japan Cup in 20 years.Aga Khan Studs SceaFrancis-Henri GraffardAga Khan IVMickael Barzalona

Jockeys and trainers

YearRecipientProfessionReason
1994Katsumi Minami[3]JockeyMinami was the first jockey to win five G1 races in one year.
2007Yutaka Take[3]JockeyTake was the first Japanese jockey to win 3,000 races in his career.
2013Yutaka Take[3]JockeyTake was the first Japanese jockey to win 3,500 races and 100 G1 races in his career.
2016Shigefumi Kumazawa[4]JockeyKumazawa was active in both flat and steeplechase racing for many years.
2018Yutaka Take[9]JockeyTake was the first Japanese jockey to win 4,000 races in his career.
2020Kazuo Fujisawa[5]TrainerFujisawa was the second trainer in history to achieve 1,500 wins in JRA races.
2022Yoshitomi Shibata[10]JockeyShibata was the first active JRA jockey to receive the Medal with Yellow Ribbon for his contributions to JRA horse racing and the livestock industry.
2024Yutaka Take[1]JockeyIn 2024, Take was the second active JRA jockey to receive the Medal with Yellow Ribbon and became the first jockey in Japan to achieve 4,500 career wins.
2025Norihiro Yokoyama[11]JockeyYokoyama was the third active JRA jockey to receive the Medal with Yellow Ribbon.

References

  1. ^ "Yutaka Take awarded with JRA Special Award as the first jockey to pass 4500 wins mark | Horse Racing News". netkeiba. Retrieved 2026-01-12.
  2. ^ "2004 JRA Award and NAR Grand Prix Winners". Japan Racing Journal. 13 (1): 8. March 2005. – via Horse Racing in Japan.
  3. ^ "JRA賞　バックナンバー　JRA". jra.jp. Retrieved 2026-01-16.
  4. ^ "2016 JRA Awards｜JRA Awards & NAR Grand Prix｜Horse Racing in Japan". Horse Racing in Japan. Retrieved 2026-01-12.
  5. ^ "2020 JRA Awards｜JRA Awards & NAR Grand Prix｜Horse Racing in Japan". Horse Racing in Japan. Retrieved 2026-01-12.
  6. ^ "2023 JRA Awards｜JRA Awards & NAR Grand Prix｜Horse Racing in Japan". Horse Racing in Japan. Retrieved 2026-01-12.
  7. ^ "2024 JRA Awards｜JRA Awards & NAR Grand Prix｜Horse Racing in Japan". Horse Racing in Japan. Retrieved 2026-01-12.
  8. ^ "2026.01.06 Winners of the 2025 JRA Awards announced - News - Horse Racing in Japan". japanracing.jp. Retrieved 2026-01-12.
  9. ^ "2018 JRA Awards｜JRA Awards & NAR Grand Prix｜Horse Racing in Japan". Horse Racing in Japan. Retrieved 2026-01-12.
  10. ^ "2022 JRA Awards｜JRA Awards & NAR Grand Prix｜Horse Racing in Japan". Horse Racing in Japan. Retrieved 2026-01-12.
  11. ^ "JRA Special Award (Jockey Division) goes to Norihiro Yokoyama for the first time | Horse Racing News". netkeiba. Retrieved 2026-01-12.