He was bred in Florida and exported as a two-year-old to Japan where he began his career on dirt and won two races before switching to turf to win the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes.

[6][7] For his final run of the season, Asia Express was switched to the turf and moved up sharply in class for the Grade 1 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes over 1600 metres at Nakayama Racecourse on 15 December.

Ridden by the visiting English jockey Ryan Moore he was made the 7.7/1 fourth choice in a sixteen-runner field behind Atom, Pray And Real and Bel Canto (Fantasy Stakes).

[11] On his first run as a three-year-old Asia Express contested the Spring Stakes (a major trial race for the Satsuki Sho) over 1800 metres at Nakayama on 23 March he was made the 1.3/1 favourite but sustained his first defeat as he was beaten into second place by Rosa Gigantea.

[13][14] After a two-month break Asia Express returned to the Tokyo dirt track but ran very poorly as he finished unplaced behind Red Alvis when odds-on favourite for the Grade 3 Unicorn Stakes.

On 26 March 2015 the colt began his third campaign in the Listed Nagoya Daishoten in which he started odds-on favourite but was beaten half a length by the six-year-old Meisho Columbo.

[17] In his two other races that year he finished fifth to Incantation in the Grade 3 Heian Stakes at Kyoto Racecourse in May and fourth to Danon Liberty in the Listed BSN Sho at Niigata in August.