Kawasaki Kinen

Kawasaki Kinen

Domestic Grade I (JpnI) race
2020 Kawasaki Kinen winner, Chuwa Wizard
Location	Kawasaki Racecourse, Kawasaki, Kanagawa
Inaugurated	1951
Race type	Thoroughbred flat racing
Race information
Distance	2,100 meters (About 10and1/2 furlongs)
Surface	Dirt
Track	Left-handed
Qualification	4-y-o & up
Weight	4-y-o horses & geldings 56kg/mares 54kg/5-y-o & up horses & geldings 57kg / mares 55 kg
Purse	¥170,000,000 (as of 2024) 1st: ¥ 100,000,000 2nd: ¥ 35,000,000 3rd: ¥ 20,000,000

The Kawasaki Kinen (Kawasaki Memorial) (川崎記念) is a Japanese thoroughbred horse race on dirt track for horses aged four years or older. It was graded as a domestic grade 1 race in 1998. It is held in early April, so it is the first (domestic) grade 1 race in Japanese horseracing season. Its name "Kawasaki" comes from that of the racecourse, Kawasaki Racecourse, which in turn is named after the city that it is situated in; Kawasaki city in Kanagawa prefecture.

This race was formerly regarded as a preparation race for the Dubai World Cup, along with the February Stakes. Although some past winners (such as Smart Falcon [ja] and Vermilion) ran the Dubai World Cup after winning this race, only Ushba Tesoro won both the Kawasaki Kinen and the Dubai World Cup. But in 2024, the race schedule was moved from January to April, losing the race's status as a preparation race for the Dubai World Cup and February Stakes.^[1]