Topic
- The race conditions of Yasuda Kinen was changed from over 4 years old to over 3 years old.
- The race conditions of Queen Elizabeth II Cup was changed from 2400 meters for 3-year-old fillies to 2200 meters for fillies over 3 years old.
- Shuka Sho (G1) was newly established.
The third classic title for fillies was switched from Queen Elizabeth II Cup to Shuka Sho.
(Strictly speaking, Shuka Sho is not a classic race, but on this site I regard it as a classic race.) - The 2000 meters G2 race, Takamatsunomiya Hai, became a G1 race of 1200m.
The race became the first G1 race at Chukyo Racecourse.
In this year’s race, Narita Brian’s entry was the topic of conversation.
His connections who sent the Triple Crown winner to the sprint race were also much criticized. - NHK Mile Cup (G1) was newly established.
The race was also called “the Derby for Foreign-bred Horses” because foreign-bred horses were not allowed to run in classic races such as Derby at that time.
In this year, the first to the eighth place finishers were foreign-bred horses. - Hokuto Vega made a big splash in dirt races.
- This year’s Arima Kinen is still listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the race that sold the most tickets.
The total amount of tickets sold was about 87.5 billion yen.
G1 races
| Races | Track | age / (Colt Filly Gelding) | 1st |  |
| Oka Sho | Hanshin T1600 |
3 / F | Fight Gulliver | ◆ |
| Satsuki Sho | Nakayama T2000 |
3 / CF | Ishino Sunday | ◆ |
| Tenno Sho (Spring) | Kyoto T3200 |
over 4 / CF | Sakura Laurel | ◆ |
| NHK Mile Cup | Tokyo T1600 |
3 / CF | Taiki Fortune | ◆ |
| Takamatsunomiya Hai | Chukyo T1200 |
over 4 / CFG | Flower Park | ◆ |
| Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) | Tokyo T2400 |
3 / F | Air Groove | ◆ |
| Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) | Tokyo T2400 |
3 / CF | Fusaichi Concorde | ◆ |
| Yasuda Kinen | Tokyo T1600 |
over 3 / CFG | Trot Thunder | ◆ |
| Takarazuka Kinen | Hanshin T2200 |
over 3 / CFG | Mayano Top Gun | ◆ |
| Shuka Sho | Kyoto T2000 |
3 / F | Fabulous la Fouine | ◆ |
| Tenno Sho (Autumn) | Tokyo T2000 |
over 3 / CF | Bubble Gum Fellow | ◆ |
| Kikuka Sho | Kyoto T3000 |
3 / CF | Dance in the Dark | ◆ |
| Queen Elizabeth II Cup | Kyoto T2200 |
over 3 / F | Dance Partner | ◆ |
| Mile Championship | Kyoto T1600 |
over 3 / CFG | Genuine | ◆ |
| Japan Cup | Tokyo T2400 |
over 3 / CFG | Singspiel (UK) | ◆ |
| Hanshin Sansai Himba Stakes | Hanshin T1600 |
2 / F | Mejiro Dober | ◆ |
| Asahi Hai Sansai Stakes | Nakayama T1600 |
2 / CG | Meiner Max | ◆ |
| Sprinters Stakes | Nakayama T1200 |
over 3 / CFG | Flower park | ◆ |
| Arima Kinen | Nakayama T2500 |
over 3 / CFG | Sakura Laurel | ◆ |
JRA Award
| Horse of the Year | Sakura Laurel |
| Best Two-Year-Old Colt | Meiner Max |
| Best Two-Year-Old Filly | Mejiro Dober |
| Best Three-Year-Old Colt | Dance in the Dark |
| Best Three-Year-Old Filly | Fabulous la Fouine |
| Best Older Male Horse | Sakura Laurel |
| Best Older Filly or Mare | Dance Partner |
| Best Sprinter or Miler | Flower Park |
| Best Dirt Horse | Hokuto Vega |
| Best Steeplechase Horse | Polaire |
| Best Horse By Home-bred Sire | Flower Park |
| Leading sire in Japan | Sunday Silence |
| ← 1995 | All | 1997 → |