Discover Insider Tips and Enjoy Horse Racing Weekends at Ando Katsuki’s Ankatsu Bar!

“I want to enjoy a lot of horse racing while drinking from the afternoon on weekends, alongside a former jockey!”

It seems that “Ankatsu,” the former famous jockey who is now also active as a horse racing commentator, is about to make this dream come true for core horse racing fans.

Ando Katsuki (64), widely known as “Ankatsu” among horse racing fans, opened a tavern called “Ankatsu Horse Racing B\ar” in Tokyo this June.

For 1,500 yen per hour, you can drink all the beer and wine you want!

“When it comes to Ankatsu, he’s a pioneer who opened the doors for local jockeys to succeed in central horse racing. During his time at the local Kasamatsu racetrack, he served as the main jockey for the legendary racehorse Oguri Cap, and after moving to central racing, he won 22 G1 races and was awarded the JRA Award for Highest Winning Percentage twice. Many in the racing community regard his ability to move horses and his competitive spirit as superior to that of Yuichi Kato.” (Horse racing insider)

The izakaya opened by Ankatsu features a remarkably affordable pricing structure, offering all-you-can-drink for just 1,500 yen (tax included) for the first hour, with 500 yen for each additional 30 minutes.

“I wanted to create a place where people can drink as much as they want at a low cost and enjoy gathering with fellow fans,” says Ankatsu.

Given this pricing, some might wonder if they can only drink shochu or sour cocktails. However, the drink selection is impressively varied, offering not just shochu, sake, and various sours, but also draft beer, red and white wines, sparkling wine, and even homemade sangria—all available for unlimited refills.

There are seven large-screen TVs installed throughout the establishment, ensuring that no matter where you sit, you can watch the horse racing broadcasts, creating an atmosphere reminiscent of an off-track betting location.

The izakaya opens at 2 PM on Saturdays and Sundays when central horse racing is held, allowing guests to leisurely enjoy the races while sipping on drinks from the special races.

 

“On weekdays, we have a lot of local horse racing fans as customers. On weekends, we see more dedicated racing enthusiasts who are also part-owners of racehorses traveling from afar. What surprised me was that during the Nakayama race events, we didn’t have many customers during the day. When you think about it, Nakayama Racecourse is relatively close to our shop, so everyone was going there. That’s why we get busy around 5 or 6 PM when the races finish,” says Shunsuke.

On the day of the interview, since it was before the main race at Nakayama, there were indeed still many empty seats, but the sight of customers intently studying the race cards on newspapers and smartphones was prominent.

The izakaya truly has the feel of an off-track betting venue, but the menu features a lot of French and Italian-inspired dishes. One option is “Garlic Shrimp Fried Rice,” which was taught to them by someone from Hong Kong, challenging the stereotype that horse racing fans only eat yakitori. Shunsuke is a culinary professional who trained at a hotel in Nagoya and served as the head chef at a restaurant in Osaka, so he is particular about the food. The top recommendation is the A5-ranked black wagyu dishes, with roast beef priced at 900 yen and Italian steak at 1,500 yen.

“It’s a great deal, and I highly recommend it. We buy in bulk, which allows us to offer these prices,” Shunsuke explains.

This means that not only horse racing fans but anyone can enjoy gourmet dining at reasonable prices.

Although Ankatsu currently lives in Osaka, he plans to move near the restaurant around September next year.

“On G1 days, I have work as a racing commentator, so I won’t be able to come, but on most other weekends, I’ll probably be here a lot. The TV screens are big, and there are various drinks,” he says.

The fact that Ankatsu will be at the restaurant means that after watching the paddock, customers could get his last-minute predictions, like “This horse will win!”

“I think I wouldn’t really know just from watching the paddock. I don’t do paddock analysis on racing shows, right? I can tell if a horse is in good condition, but that’s about it. Just because I can see that doesn’t mean I can make accurate predictions (laughs),” Ankatsu adds.

His down-to-earth personality has not changed since his days as a jockey.

“When he won the Derby in 2004 on King Kamehameha, he commented, ‘I rode poorly, but the horse was strong enough to win.’ Normally, a top jockey wouldn’t honestly admit to a riding mistake like that. But that’s part of his charm. If you talk to him at the bar, I think you’ll hear some interesting, candid stories,” says turf writer Shinichiro Seto.

While there are nice bars near racecourses and off-track betting locations, how about watching the races at ‘Ankatsu Keiba BAR’ while placing your bets online?