Cavallerizzo caught front-runner Diamond Knot nearing the finish of the Asahi Hai Futurity (G1) Dec. 21 at Hanshin Racecourse and won by 3/4 length to claim bragging rights as Japan's best 2-year-old miler.
On the evidence, though, Cavallerizzo's 3-year-old season might find him stretching out beyond that distance.
The Saturnalia colt came into the race off a win in his debut at Chukyo Racecourse and a second in the Daily Hai Nisai Stakes (G2) Nov. 15 at Kyoto. The latter race was won by Admire Quads, who finished third as the favorite in the Futurity.
Cavallerizzo and jockey Cristian Demuro looked to be in a bit of a pickle as the 14-horse field raced out of the backstretch and around the turn. After lingering well back of the early speed, Cavallerizzo was caught inside rivals and Demuro had to take his chances with an inside move.
That paid off as he found daylight turning into the straight, only to find Diamond Knot and Christophe Lemaire had surged to a clear lead over the yielding turf course. Diamond Knot then began to shorten stride as he hit the uphill climb to the finish and Cavallerizzo eased right by outside him for the victory, finishing in 1:33.2.
"After a normal start, I had a good position," Demuro said. "In the last corner I had a little bit of a trouble with another horse next to me but when I asked my horse to go inside, he had a good reaction, a good turn of foot. Christophe (Lemaire) was trying to escape but my horse was very strong in the end."
Diamond Knot, a Bricks and Mortar colt, was one of the most-experienced runners in the field with two wins and a second from five previous starts. He won the Keio Hai Nisai Stakes (G2) at Tokyo Racecourse in his previous outing but had never ventured beyond that 1,400-meter distance and the extra 200 meters proved his undoing.
Admire Quads suffered his first loss but was gaining through the final strides of the Futurity.
The winner's sire, Saturnalia, who entered stud in 2021, got his first grade 1 winner. Saturnalia is a son of ace sprinter Lord Kanaloa, by King Kamehameha. Cavallerizzo, bred by Northern Farm, was produced by Balladist, by Heart's Cry, in turn a son of Sunday Silence.
Cavallerizzo carries the powder blue with red dots colors of Silk Racing.
Can the colt go beyond the mile in the 2026 season?
Trainer Tatsuya Yoshioka, who garnered his second grade 1 win following Blow the Horn in the 2024 Takarazuka Kinen (G1), had indicated before the Futurity that Cavallerizzo could produce a late run and might benefit from a bit more distance.
"He's trained well, and things have been as expected, with him saving things for some speed at the end of his work. Ever since his debut, he's done well and has matured a lot," the trainer said. "The distance of the race seems good for him, and you have to remember that his sire performed well over 2,000 meters."
Saturnalia in fact captured the 2018 Hopeful Stakes (G1) at age 2 going that distance and returned the following season to win the Satsuki Sho (Japanese Two Thousand Guineas, G1) also at 2,000 meters.
While the Futurity generally is regarded as a proving ground for future milers, it also launched Do Deuce into a career that saw him win the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby, G1) and the Japan Cup (G1), both at 2,400 meters.
The December-long run of Japanese 2-year-old action concludes Dec. 27 at Nakayama Racecourse with the Hopeful Stakes. The Hopeful usually attracts youngsters looking toward the Japanese Derby.
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