Cavallerizzo announced himself as Japan’s leading two-year-old miler of 2025 with a sharp, last-gasp victory in the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes (G1), delivering a decisive statement on yielding ground.

Sent off as the second choice, the Saturnalia colt had shown steady progression coming into the race. He broke his maiden over a mile at Chukyo in late August, then chased home Admire Quads when second in the Daily Hai Nisai Stakes (G2) at Kyoto on November 15. On Sunday, that foundation paid off at the highest level.

Settled midfield, Cavallerizzo traveled smoothly on the outside of Ecoro Alba, tracking Corteo Soleil as the field began to compress approaching the turn. When the race opened up in the straight, Cristian Demuro resisted the temptation to swing wide. Instead, he committed to a narrowing gap along the inside rail. The response was instant. Cavallerizzo quickened sharply, locked onto pacesetter Diamond Knot by the 200-meter mark, and powered past in the final strides to score by three-quarters of a length, posting the fastest closing sectional in the field.

Demuro, riding in Japan on a short-term license since November 1, described the decisive moment afterward: “After a normal start, I had a good position behind Yuga (Kawada). 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, the fifth pick and a son of Bricks and Mortar, broke alertly and controlled the tempo, opening up a clear advantage by the 800-meter marker. He dug deep under pressure and refused to fold, only yielding late to the winner and holding on gamely for second.

Race favorite Admire Quads endured a tougher trip from a wide draw. Unhurried early, he advanced boldly from the outside before the final turn and launched a sustained run down the stretch. While unable to match the winner’s late burst, he showed resilience in the closing stages, edging out rivals to secure third.

The result carried major significance beyond the immediate honors. Trainer Tatsuya Yoshioka landed his second JRA Grade 1 victory, following last year’s Takarazuka Kinen with Blow the Horn. For Demuro, it marked his sixth career JRA-G1 success, his most recent prior triumph coming in the 2024 Queen Elizabeth II Cup aboard Stunning Rose. Perhaps most notably, the win delivered a milestone for Saturnalia. The 2019 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) hero, now standing at stud since 2021, recorded his first Grade 1 winner as a sire.