Lovcen (horse)
| Lovcen ロブチェン[1] | |
|---|---|
Lovcen after the 2025 Hopeful Stakes. | |
| Breed | Thoroughbred[1] |
| Sire | World Premiere[1] |
| Grandsire | Deep Impact[1] |
| Dam | Songwriting[1] |
| Damsire | Giant's Causeway[1] |
| Sex | Colt[1] |
| Foaled | April 9, 2023[1] |
| Country | Japan[1] |
| Colour | Dark Bay[1] |
| Breeder | Northern Farm[1] |
| Owner | Forest Racing |
| Trainer | Haruki Sugiyama |
| Jockey | Kohei Matsuyama |
| Record | 3: 2-0-1[1] |
| Earnings | ¥ 88,709,000[1] |
| Major wins | |
| Hopeful Stakes (2025) | |
| Last updated on February 15, 2026 | |
Lovcen (Japanese: ロブチェン; foaled April 9, 2023) is a Japanese racehorse most well known for winning the Hopeful Stakes in 2025.[1]
Background
Lovcen is a dark bay colt with no white markings bred by Northern Farm. He was sired by Kikuka-shō and Spring Tennō Shō winner World Premiere, and his dam, Songwriting, is a winless mare out of multiple Grade 3 winner Embur's Song.[2] As a weanling, he was offered at the Northern Farm Mixed Sale and was bought by Kazumasa Kobayashi for 21 million yen.[3] He was sent into training with Haruki Sugiyama, who also trained Justin Palace and 2020 Triple Tiara winner Daring Tact.
Lovcen is named for the mountain range of the same name in Montenegro.[3]
Racing career
Two-year-old season (2025)
Lovcen made his debut on November 9th, 2025 over 2000 meters on a soft track at Kyoto Racecourse with Kohei Matsuyama in the saddle. Leading the entire way, he pulled away in the final straight to win by three lengths in front of second place Alpenglow. In an interview conducted after the race, Matsuyama remarked that "I was worried about the start, but the entire time he felt good to ride, and he was strong at the end. It might not be a good point of reference for the future since the track was heavy today, but I'm glad that he could hold the distance."[4]
On December 27th, Lovcen made his second and final start of the year in the Hopeful Stakes. Leading up to the race, his connections were confident, and said that his experience on heavy ground would serve him well on race day in Nakayama.[5] He was sent off as the seventh favorite in a field of sixteen, Lovcen settled mid-pack and made a strong charge in the final 200 meters, surging past fourth favorite Forte Angelo in the final strides to win by three quarters of a length. His jockey, Matsuyama, told interviewers after the race, "I'm very happy. Last year, trainer Sugiyama and I got second in this race with Giovanni, and because of that I was able to win in this way today. Unconsciously, I welled up with tears."[6]
Three-year-old season (2026)
Lovcen started the season off with the Kyodo Tsushin Hai, a race that Sugiyama chose intending to "test out if he can run a counter-clockwise course" and also to give an interval to the horse between the Satsuki Shō and the Tōkyō Yūshun.[7] During the race, he made a good start but quickly fell back in to the middle of the pack. The horse started to move up on the final stretch, but was unable to catch up to Realize Sirius, and was also passed by Bereshit, ultimately finishing third.[8][9][10]
Racing statistics
The following form is based on information available on netkeiba.com and JBIS-Search.[11][12]
| Date | Track | Race | Grade | Distance
(Condition) |
Entry | HN | Odds
(Favored) |
Finish | Time | Margins | Jockey | Winner
(Runner-up) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 – two-year-old season | ||||||||||||
| Nov 9 | Kyoto | 2YO Debut | 2,000 m (Soft) | 8 | 4 | 2.9 (2) | 1st | 2:04.5 | -0.5 | Kohei Matsuyama | (Alpenglow) | |
| Dec 27 | Nakayama | Hopeful Stakes | GI | 2,000 m (Firm) | 16 | 7 | 19.8 (7) | 1st | 2:01.0 | -0.1 | Kohei Matsuyama | (Forte Angelo) |
| 2026 – three-year-old season | ||||||||||||
| Feb 15 | Tokyo | Kyodo Tsushin Hai | GIII | 1,800 m (Firm) | 9 | 3 | 4.2 (3) | 3rd | 1:45.5 | 0.0 | Kohei Matsuyama | Realize Sirius |
Legend:
Turf
- Notes:
Pedigree
| Sire World Premiere 2016 dk. b. |
Deep Impact 2002 b. |
Sunday Silence | Halo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wishing Well | |||
| Wind in Her Hair | Alzao | ||
| Burghclere | |||
| Mandela 2000 ch. |
Acatenango | Surumu | |
| Aggravate | |||
| Mandellicht | Be My Guest | ||
| Mandelauge | |||
| Dam Songwriting 2013 dk. b. |
Giant's Causeway 1997 ch. |
Storm Cat | Storm Bird |
| Terlingua | |||
| Mariah's Storm | Rahy | ||
| Immense | |||
| Embur's Song 2007 b. |
Unbridled's Song | Unbridled | |
| Trolley Song | |||
| Embur Sunshine | Bold Ruckus | ||
| Vevila |
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "Lovcen(JPN)". JBIS-Search. Retrieved 2026-02-15.
- ^ "Embur's Song (ON)". Equibase.com. Archived from the original on 2022-04-10. Retrieved 2026-02-15.
- ^ a b "ロブチェン 公益財団法人 ジャパン・スタッドブック・インターナショナル". studbook.jp.
- ^ "ワールドプレミア産駒ロブチェンが父へJRA初Ｖプレゼント 松山騎手「強かったです」／新馬戦 - ２歳馬特集 | 競馬 : 日刊スポーツ". nikkansports.com.
- ^ "【ホープフルS・厩舎直送】新種牡馬ワールドプレミアにJRA初勝利を届けたロブチェンは試金石の一戦". 東スポ競馬. December 22, 2025. Archived from the original on January 20, 2026. Retrieved February 15, 2026.
- ^ "【ホープフルS】ロブチェンGⅠ昇格後初2戦2勝2歳中距離王者 来春クラシックへ視界良好 松山弘平騎手「思わずこみ上げてくるものがありました」". サンスポZBAT! (in Japanese). 2025-12-28. Retrieved 2026-02-15.
- ^ "ホープフルS勝ち馬ロブチェンは共同通信杯で始動 杉山晴師「左回りを試すというのが一番（の理由）」". サンスポZBAT! (in Japanese). 2026-01-21. Retrieved 2026-02-15.
- ^ "【共同通信杯結果】リアライズシリウスが押し切り重賞2勝目 GI馬ロブチェンは3着". netkeiba (in Japanese). 2026-02-15. Retrieved 2026-02-15.
- ^ "【共同通信杯】スタートが「誤算でした」松山弘平騎手悔やむ ホープフルＳ覇者ロブチェンは３着どまり". UMATOKU (in Japanese). Hochi Shimbun. 2026-02-15. Retrieved 2026-02-15.
- ^ "【共同通信杯】（東京）リアライズシリウスが後続の猛追を凌ぎ切り勝利". ラジオNIKKEI (in Japanese). 2026-02-15. Retrieved 2026-02-15.
- ^ "Lovcen Race Record and Form". netkeiba. Retrieved 2026-02-15.
- ^ "Race Records | Lovcen(JPN)". JBIS-Search. Retrieved 2026-02-15.
- ^ "Five-generation Pedigree Table". JBIS-Search. Retrieved 2026-02-15.
- ^ "PEDIGREE (5-GEN)". netkeiba. Retrieved 2026-02-15.