Inaugurated 1999 Distance 2000 meters Track Right-handed | Race type Thoroughbred Surface Dirt | |
Location Oi Racecourse
Shinagawa, Tokyo, Japan | ||
The Japan Dirt Derby (ジャパンダートダービー) is a Japanese Domestic Grade 1 flat horse race in Japan for three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies run over a distance of 2,000 metres (approximately 1 mile 2 furlongs) at the Oi Racecourse, Shinagawa, Tokyo in late July.
It was first run in 1999 and is the Japanese equivalent of the American Kentucky Derby. But this race is the last leg of triple crown of minami-kanto keiba (nankan keiba), while Kentucky Derby is the first one of American triple crown races.
The majority of winners comes from the Japan Racing Association (JRA), another Japan horse racing governing body. As JRA do not host any dirt Grade 1 race exclusively for 3-year old horses. It is also the only 3-year old Grade 1 race in Japan that Geldings can enter.