February Stakes Preview: The G1 Racing Season Starts in Tokyo

Japan Racing Association Grade 1 action returns for the first time in 2026 on Sunday, February 22, when the February Stakes will be run at Tokyo Racecourse over the distance of 1,600 meters on dirt.

With the start on turf in the backstretch, the Tokyo Mile just has one turn, which can suit certain horses better than tighter tracks with four corners over similar distances. It is one of just two Grade 1 races on dirt ― the Champions Cup in December is the other ― among the 15 graded races that are run on dirt every year.

Although the Tokyo dirt track dates back to 1961, it wasn't until 1984 that a race known as the February Handicap was run as a Grade 3. Its status has gradually evolved since its early beginnings, and in 1994, it became a Grade 2 race. Just three years later, it was made a domestic Grade 1, before receiving its international Grade 1 acclaim in 2007.

There has just been one runner from overseas since 2007. That was Shirl's Speight in 2023, when the American runner finished ninth. History was made in 2025 when Rachel King became the first female rider to win a JRA Grade 1 flat race, piloting Costa Nova to victory.

Information on the February Stakes

Despite big races coming up in the Middle East, there are 22 nominations for a maximum 16-runner field. Four-year-olds and up are permitted to run, with horses carrying a set weight of 58 kg, and a 2-kg allowance for fillies and mares. Also, four favorites have made it to the winner's enclosure in the past 10 years, and four 5-year-olds have won in that same time period.

The record time for the race was set by Cafe Pharoah in 2022, with a winning time of 1 minute, 33.8 seconds. This year's (2026) race sees a boost in prize money, with ¥150 million JPY (nearly $1 million USD) going to the winner, out of a total purse of ¥260 million (roughly $1.7 million).

Two events leading into Sunday, February 22nd's big race were the Grade 2 Procyon Stakes, run at Kyoto in January over 1,800 meters, and the Grade 3 Negishi Stakes, run at Tokyo early in February over 1,400 meters. The Grade 1 February Stakes has been a part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series of races since 2016, and the winner receives an automatic entry to the Breeders' Cup later in 2026.

Post time for the race on Sunday, February 22 is 3:40 PM, and it is Race 11 on the Tokyo card.

Here's a look at some of the runners expected to take on the 43rd running of the February Stakes:

W Heart Bond, Sakai to Team Up

W Heart Bond's win in the Champions Cup on December 7, 2025, was as narrow as it could have been. And once again, the 5-year-old mare is putting her credentials on the line for another big run here, as trainer Ryuji Okubo explained.

"After the Champions Cup, we considered the options for her, including overseas, but have set our sights on the February Stakes," Okubo said. "She didn't pull in her last race, and with the speed she has, she was able to take up a good position before battling it out at the finish. [And] she should be fine over the 1,600 meters at Tokyo."

Ryusei Sakai returns from Saudi Arabia and his fine victory again on Forever Young to take the ride on W Heart Bond. History, however, will certainly be against him here, with just one filly and mare winning in the 42-year history of the February Stakes. That was Hokuto Vega in 1996.

Costa Nova Back in the Spotlight

Lord Kanaloa progeny Costa Nova, who is 6 years old, is back to defend his title. He is aiming to become just the third horse in the history of the race to win in consecutive years. Copano Rickey (2014 and 2015) and Cafe Pharoah (2021 and 2022) are the other two.

Assistant trainer Yu Ota said, "Prior to his last race, his balance was a bit off, and his weak point is his right hindquarters. It's taken some time to get things right with him. We'll start to up his training from now, but he's a tough character who doesn't give up easily."

Christophe Lemaire rode him last time in the Grade 3 Musashino Stakes at the end of 2025. The Frenchman will also ride Costa Nova on Sunday, looking for his fifth win on the horse.

Champions Cup Showed Wilson Tesoro's Ability

Wilson Tesoro, a 7-year-old, remains as good as ever on the Japan dirt racing scene, as he showed in his latest run in the 2025 Champions Cup, when he just barely lost out in a tight photo finish.

Trainer Noboru Takagi also thought he was a bit unlucky.

"He ran on the inside last time, and while the advantage was with the eventual winner on his outside, he did his best right up to the finish in a heads-up, heads-down situation," Takagi said. "It has been three years in a row that he's finished second in the race, so it's a bit frustrating. The lighter dirt surface in JRA races is better for him. He has had a break at the farm, with this race as his next target."

Perhaps this time, there will be some consolation for Wilson Tesoro, who hasn't won a JRA dirt race since 2023.

Read the rest of this article about the February Stakes and the Japanese horses in contention on JRA News.