Cavallerizzo

Cavallerizzo (Japanese: カヴァレリッツォ, Hepburn: Kavuarerittso; foaled February 28, 2023) is an active Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 2025 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes.^[1][2] At the end of his 2025 season, he was awarded with the JRA Award for Best Two-Year-Old Colt.^[4][5]

He was named after the italian word "Cavallerizzo" which means "Horseman" in english.^[3]

On February 28, 2023, Cavallerizzo was born at Northern Farm in Abira, Hokkaido. He was syndicated in 2024, with Tatsuya Yoshioka as the intended trainer and a total offering price of 45 million yen (90,000 yen per share), offered by Silk Racing Co., Ltd.^[6] Before his debut, Yoshioka commented, “The horse is well put together and looks like he will produce a great deal of speed. Based on physical evaluation, I’d say he can probably run from a mile until 2,000 meters.”^[7]

Cavallerizzo made his debut on August 31 at Chukyo Racecourse over a distance of 1,600 meters on turf, with Yuichi Kitamura booked as the jockey.^[8] He settled in midfield as the race progressed and quickly navigated through a group of horses in the final stretch, drawing five lengths clear and scoring his debut victory.^[9][10] Yuichi Kitamura commented, “He responds quicky. He’s got a good engine,” emphasizing a positive impression. Tatsuya Yoshioka looked back, saying, “He’s still rough around the edges, but he burst through a tight spot with his turn of foot.”^[11] On social media, comments such as “So strong it gave me chills” and “The first time I’ve been this excited in a while” were posted, and it was a performance that led to expectations of him as a leading Classic contender.^[12]

Cavallerizo was set to challenge the Daily Hai Nisai Stakes for his first graded stakes race.^[13] He contested the race in a new partnership with Cristian Demuro, who was in Japan on a short-term jockey license.^[14] When the race started, he was slow out of the gates and failed to settle, ending up racing from the rear of the field early. Nearing the third corner, he moved up to near the front of the field and kept his positioning through the fourth corner. Entering the stretch, he broke through from the inside, but he was unable to win the hard-fought battle with Admire Quads, who came with a furious late charge even further inside, and was defeated by a head, finishing second.^[15][16] Cristian Demuro commented, “I sent him to the inside and had him run under cover. In the straight he had a good turn of foot, but once he drew alongside the other horse at the finish there was a point where he wanted to drift out. I think he needs to grow mentally,” pointing out an area for development.^[17][18]

On December 1, Cavallerizzo's camp announced that he would take on the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes.^[19] After his final workout, Yoshioka said, “We wanted to check his mental side and he was good,” and “Even at a time of day when the track condition was poor, he came back looking no different than usual. I only saw him through the monitor, but his balance looked good as well,” conveying a positive mood.^[20][21] On December 21, on the day of the race, in a wide-open betting situation, he went off as the second favorite behind Admire Quads. During the race he stayed on the inside in mid-division and went into the stretch in that position. When he found a path along the innermost rail, he went past the front-running Diamond Knot just before the finish and achieved his first graded stakes and grade one victory.^[22] This was also the first grade one stakes victory for a progeny of Saturnalia.^[23] Cristian Demuro praised him, saying, “I figured some space will open up in the inside. He was making a good run entering the stretch. Once we went up fairly close to the front, Christophe Lemaire’s horse (Diamond Knot) was showing a good turn of foot, so I was a little worried about whether we could catch him, but in the end the horse really tried hard and caught him firmly.”^[24] Yoshioka, for his part, said, “He’s easy to handle and doesn’t cause any trouble. In that respect he’s similar, and his speed also comes from his sire,” pointing to the elements inherited from Saturnalia, whom he had looked after in his days as an assistant trainer, and added, “He should manage up to 2,000 meters as well as long has he keeps calm. The way he can properly correct his issues even in a short time makes me feel his potential,” expressing his hopes for further development.^[25]

Below data is based on data available on JBIS Search,^[26] and NetKeiba.^[27]

Notes:

• His second dam, Balada Sale, won the 2011 Gran Premio Seleccion (Argentine Oaks) (G1), Gran Premio Polla de Potrancas (Argentine 1000 Guineas (G1), and Clásico General Luis María Campos (G2). Her progeny include Satono Flag, who won the 2020 Yayoi Sho (G2) and Satono Reinas, 2nd in the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies and Oka Sho.
• His fourth dam, La Baraca, won six Argentine graded stakes races, including the 1994 Gran Premio Estrellas Sprint (G1). Her offspring include La Belga (Clásico Eliseo Ramírez).
• Other close relatives include Kalamantianos (second in the Kyodo Tsushin Hai), Laima (Clásico Carlos Tomkinson), Le Blues (Gran Premio Polla de Potrillos), Miss Bamba (Gran Premio Estrellas Juvenile Fillies, among others), and Bamba Jane (Clásico Saturnino J. Unzué).