Civil War

Civil War (7yo, horse)Hirofumi Toda (trainer)
“His fast work this week was a bit light because we have the trip down ahead of us. Still, he finished well. Everything is going according to plan. Last time out he had had some time off. I think, considering that, his last race was a good one. He has improved since then. The main question will be whether he can get the position he needs. I think if we move out early he will have the stamina needed. I’d like him to settle around midfield.”

Yoshinori Saito (assistant trainer)
“Last outing, he slipped just out of the gate, couldn’t get away quickly and got left behind. Then at the top of the final bend he was able to move up quickly but it wasn’t easy going. Still, even though he wasn’t close to the winning horse, it’s something that he could hold on for second place. He recovered well and he’s handled all the work we’ve given him since then. We worked him in tandem on the 22nd, had him chase the other horse and finish together. His movement was good as usual. His condition is holding steady and I think he’ll be in the same shape as he was for his last race. He’s a horse who gets stronger by himself and unlike before, he’s able to run his own race now. It’ll be the first JRA race in a while and it looks like it a strong lineup. I think 1,800 meters is within his ability so we’ll just have to see how well he can do.”

Danon Come On

Danon Come On (6yo, horse)Yasutoshi Ikee (trainer)
“In the Musashino Stakes he got a position further back than I would have liked. And with the shape he was in I would have thought he’d have gotten second place, but with his size and it being his first race in a while I think he did well. He concentrated till the end and that was good. He showed us some good strength and for the jockey being up for the first time I think he did a good job. The horse has gotten the usual work since then and I think he has improved. A week ago we worked him up the hill and he wasn’t bad. With his big size, racing him once will usually result in quite a bit of improvement. He’s not very good on the turns, so the best for him is really the Tokyo mile. We have four turns with a Hanshin 1,800 so that is the main concern.”

Kenichi Ikezoe (jockey)
(after fast work this week)
“He has power and his movement wasn’t bad. He was a bit ornery at times so I don’t think he’ll be too keen in the race. One question is going to be whether he can maintain his concentration. I want to be able to bring out his ability, which he has.”

Espoir City

Espoir City (7yo, horse)Akio Adachi (trainer)
“His last start was after we’d brought him back from a rest and we had the long haul down from Hokkaido as well. I think he was in good shape and he had a good trip and a good race. After that, we’ve kept him at the training center. The ground was bad on the hill course on the 21st so we worked him over the woodchip course. He’d been eager to go from the start so the wrap was a bit slow, but it was a good workout. This week he was in a good frame of mind and had good spirit. He quickened well. It’s enough. He’s a very balanced runner and I think he is looking quite good. I think he’ll give us a good race.”

Yutaka Take (jockey)
“Last week he had a fast time (92.7 seconds over 7 furlongs on the woodchip course), so I was told not to push him too much. He really feels good. In the first half he was a bit keen so I rode him trying to calm him down. His condition is good.”

Grape Brandy

Grape Brandy (4yo, colt)Takayuki Yasuda (trainer)
“With the 58 kg he was carrying last race, he wasn’t able to quicken in the end. He did show us some good moments though, and I think he finally is back with the kind of power reserves he has when he’s at his best. We gave him a short little rest after that to get him refreshed and breezed him last week. He looked good. This year, he’s gotten a little better each time he’s raced. Because he’d had 10 months off, it took a while to get him back in shape, but I think he’s finally at his best again. This week in work we eased off in the first half but the last furlong was good at 12.6 seconds. He’s moving. And he’s peaking. I’d say this is the best he’s been in recent months. Whether he runs from the front or the back, he has good racing sense and the course doesn’t matter. From the start, I’d had great expectations for him because he is quality material. This time, we won’t have the big differences in the weight he’ll be carrying and I think he’ll be competitive at the G1 level as well.”

Hatano Vainqueur

Hatano Vainqueur (3yo, colt)Mitsugu Kon (trainer)
“He’s up and eager to run. He has really changed. This time will be different.”

Mitsuo Uegomori (assistant trainer)
“Even into the straight last time, he failed to quicken and I just don’t know what happened. He’d been top rate among the 3-year-olds and I didn’t think he’d be that far off the older horses. He had improved compared to before his layoff and any increase in his weight was due to his having matured. He wasn’t heavy so I can only write it off to it having been the first time back in a while. He is working well up the hill course and Shii, who has been riding him in the mornings, has said he feels better than he did before his last race. The horse has had no problems with the course and the distance is the same so I’m not worried about the conditions. With a race behind him, I don’t think we’ll have the problems we had last time out. I just hope he can get a good trip.”

Hirofumi Shii (jockey)
“He ran well in work last week. In the spring, he ran with some other very strong horses and we could do that because he’s good. He has power.”

Hokko Tarumae

Hokko Tarumae (3yo, colt)Katsuichi Nishiura (trainer)
“His last outing was the first after a spell and I think he did well. Coming into the bend he didn’t quite have enough to secure the position we wanted, but then from there he reached down and gave us some more. Normally, a horse would just fade from there but he showed us some real heart. After that race, we set our sights on this one. In work this week, the ground was slow, but he ran well. Giving him that last race helped his wind. In the spring too, he got better with each race. He’s had ample work. He gets stronger each time out, so with the last race as a sharpener I think he’ll be better this time. He needs that to get his head around it. The competition will be strong but I’m looking forward to seeing just how much he can do.”

Ijigen

Ijigen (3yo, colt)Noriyuki Hori (trainer)
“He’s still growing and we have a lot of areas that need improvement but I think, even so, he’s at the G1 level.”

Atsunori Hashimoto (assistant trainer)
“He was good in the gate in his last race, the Musashino Stakes, but because they were kept waiting so long, the horses on both sides of him started jumping around and I think that was the main reason for his missing the break. It was the worst timing, but nonetheless he was able to catch up quickly and make his move. I think it really showed his ability. After that race, things went as usual and we were back galloping him that Friday. In gate practice, he didn’t show any problems like he did in the race. He loaded and stood with no problems. This time the competition is going to be a lot tougher than it has been in his other races. If he wants to do well, he’s going to have to give it his all. In any case, the gate has become an issue, so we’re giving him good practice there and hope for the best.”

Ryan Moore (jockey)
(after work this week)
“He moved well and his responses were good. I was really impressed with him last race. But, this time I hope he’ll make the break as well as he does in gate practice.”

Miracle Legend

Miracle Legend (5yo, mare)Hideaki Fujiwara (trainer)
“She’s maintained her condition and this time we’re putting Kawada up. In work this week, they did just as I’d thought they would. I think they’ll have a good race. I wanted to race her in mixed company once more and I’m excited to think how she may do.”

Yuga Kawada (jockey)
(after work this week)
“I was told to focus on the finish and, as I’ve ridden her in work many times, I can say she is in good shape. She doesn’t have the image of being a difficult ride and even though it’s been in all-female company she has given some strong performances. I’m going to do my best to beat her highly touted brother.”

Nobuyuki Tashiro (assistant trainer)
“After the JBC Ladies Classic, we had planned to take her to the Queen Sho at Funabashi and I think she would have done very well among females. But, the top weight would have been 57.5 kg and the trainer and owner discussed it and decided to take on the Japan Cup Dirt. After her last race, we exercised her in the pool, then worked her up the hill on the weekend two weeks ago. She did well with a pace of 15-15. Last week, we did fast work on the 23rd over the woodchip and got her wind up. She’s eager and running well. She had a wide draw last year and ran into some traffic and couldn’t move well. But normally she’s good going around. She is mentally tough and can come up and split through other horses without a problem. It’s a real honor to be running siblings together in a G1. She’s in good shape and I’m looking forward to the race. I had hoped to get an inside draw. This way we won’t have to cover extra ground.”

Namura Titan

Namura Titan (6yo, horse)Yuki Ohashi (trainer)
“In the Musashino Stakes, he got boxed in and couldn’t move out and it was hard moving from the back of the pack. And the pace eased off partway through, which made it even harder to move from that position. Even so, he was only 0.5 seconds off the winner. Before that race, in the Nambu Hai, the rider fell right after the break. Since he didn’t race, the Musashino Stakes could be seen as his first outing after his layoff. With that and it being a bad trip, I’d say he ran pretty well. He’s not good in hot weather, so from the Nambu Hai, he needed to improve both mentally and physically, and now he has improved in both areas. The Nakayama March Stakes was the same 1,800 meters. And even though he was coming from a spell in that, he held his ground well. And, recently, since he’s not so eager to run, the longer distance is better for him.”

Shigefumi Kumazawa (jockey)
(after work this week)
“I was told to concentrate on the final lap and he felt good, like last week, but better. He’s nearly back to where he was at his best.”

Nice Meet You

Nice Meet You (5yo, horse)Kojiro Hashiguchi (trainer)
“I’d been looking forward to the Miyako Stakes since he’d won his last two races, the Miyazaki Stakes and Sirius Stakes. But the pace was fast and it was just too much of a chase for him. It looked like he was simply outraced. We ran him in tandem with Rose Kingdom on the 21st and he’s not the kind of horse who looks flashy in morning work. I guess you could say he did his usual work. He’s about the same as far as his condition goes. He’s won on a tight-turned course like Kokura so I don’t think he’ll have any trouble with Hanshin. And having had good results there is a big plus. But this time, the lineup is going to be a lot stronger than it was the last time he was at Hanshin and to be honest, I’d say it’s not fair to him to be wondering if we’ll win or lose. My feeling is that we’re taking it on as a challenge and I’m hoping for a good race.”

Nihonpiro Ours

Nihonpiro Ours (5yo, horse)Yuki Ohashi (trainer)
“The winner of the Miyako Stakes really was out to get that path. This horse got inside and quickened well. The winner’s finish was decisive and I do the difference there but I think this horse took the lead just a bit too soon. I think if we had just moved a little bit later, it wouldn’t have been a surprise if he’d won it. He’s not good in hot weather so we had given him a break and come back from the Hakusan Daishoten. For the Miyako Stakes his weight was up 11 kg from the Hakusan Daishoten but he wasn’t fat. Rather I’d say that he has finally filled out. It’ll be his third race since coming back into work and I think that he will show improvement. Last year in this race he hung out going into the first turn and that unfortunately had an effect (ninth place). Without a doubt, he has more power now and he no longer is lagging around the final bend but is carrying himself well. His movement wasn’t bad this week. It was just about right. There are G1 winners and flashy horses in the lineup but I think he can hold his own.”

Roman Legend

Roman Legend (4yo, colt)Hideaki Fujiwara (trainer)
“Iwata really had a good handle on him, but we’re putting Demuro up and there won’t be any problems. I told him to concentrate on getting a nice connection with the colt and to get a reading on him. I left the rest up to the jockey, what he would do over the last furlong and, considering that the track was heavy, I think the horse moved well. This race has been our main goal for a long time and he is in top condition.”

Mirco Demuro (jockey)
(after work this week)
“It’s an honor to ride a horse like this. I rode against him in the Miyako Stakes and he looked powerful, a very good horse.”

Nobuyuki Tashiro (assistant trainer)
“In the Miyako Stakes when he came into the stretch there was a wall ahead of him, but he didn’t panic in anyway, just waited patiently until things opened up, then moved up for the win. He was working as one with the jockey and I think it was a race that really gave us confidence in his ability. After that race, as always, we just let him stretch his legs a bit for a few days and then worked him up the hill course from that Thursday. He’s put on muscle on his hindquarters compared to the spring and he recovered well and is full of energy. He’s shown his prowess on the dirt and his competitive spirit with good results all along. Last time out, he also showed that he can handle a strong pace. He’s improved each time out and is running nice and balanced. I’m looking forward to the race. He doesn’t have a problem in the gate especially, but I’m glad he got an even number, since they are loaded later. He’s a confident runner so I’m not worried about the trip.”

Solitary King

Solitary King (5yo, horse)Sei Ishizaka (trainer)
“In the JBC Classic, I think he had a smooth first half but when the horses came up on the outside, his responses were a touch slow and I think he got left behind a bit there and that hurt in the end. He had been in good shape as always, but compared to the Nippon TV Hai Hai at Funabashi, his responses were just too bad. It could have been that he just didn’t like the ground at Kawasaki, with the inside deep and the outside shallow. With the best dirt horses in the lineup, it’s not going to be an easy race. But, coming from the deep sand and tight turns of Kawasaki, the different track at Hanshin will probably be a plus. He had three wins in a row with the summer in between and I think we can at least have some expectations.”

To the Glory

To the Glory (5yo, horse)Yasutoshi Ikee (trainer)
“He’d gotten back in shape after having come back from a layoff looking quite slack, but an accident delayed his trip to Tokyo and so he had lost weight by race day last time out. He didn’t quite have the tone he needed, which was unfortunate but there was nothing we could do about it. He’s in shape again and in his fast work on the 22nd we didn’t even have to urge him on. It’s been colder than usual recently and that has helped him improve. I’d wanted to try him over dirt before. His dam too, To the Victory, was the same. A mile at Tokyo is an easy race, but a 1,800 at Hanshin has four bends and it’s a G1, so the conditions will be taking a steep climb upward. We’ll just have to see how well he can do.”

Hiroshi Kanetake (assistant trainer)
“I would have liked a post position a bit wider, but where he is good. He may get caught in or get a lot of kickback, but there shouldn’t be any problem with the break. Not knowing just what he can do is exciting.”

Transcend

Transcend (6yo, horse)Takayuki Yasuda (trainer)
“On top of it being his first race in a while, he had a wide draw last time out, he got his tongue over the bit, the trip was a tough one, and the conditions were tough. But still, he kept on till the end. I think he showed us what he’s made of. We’ve tried all different things but regular work just isn’t enough to get this horse in the best condition. Even if he doesn’t look any different from the outside, he needs a race to get his wind good and change physically on the inside. With him too, the mental aspect is important. We’ve worked him on the woodchip course behind other horses to get him to wait and we’ve done work with him to bring out his competitiveness. I’m hoping we can have him in the right frame of mind. He looked good this week in work and with the sharpener he has improved. His breathing is different. We’re going to tie his tongue down this time, and we are going back to the place we’ve won two races in a row. We don’t have to lead, just as long as he can keep his concentration like he did in his last race, he can hang on and I think he can do better than last race. I want him to show his strength.”

Wonder Acute

Wonder Acute (6yo, horse)Masao Sato (trainer)
“Last race he was calm and he wasn’t too light, as one might think with him being 21 kg lighter than the race before. In fact, I think you could say that he looked more like a racehorse. We had given him a lot of work between races and I think that was the reason. During the race, he kept this attention forward and ran nicely balanced. He quickened well when asked to and I’d say he won strongly. Since that race, we’ve been careful to maintain his condition. We had Wada take him up the hill last week and push him in the end and that will have sharpened him up nicely. This week, he looks good. I have no complaints at this point as everything as gone according to plan. He’s used to the Hanshin course and he ran a good race last year. If he can remain calm, he should do OK. He has matured mentally too. The lineup is even stronger but I think, with the shape he’s in now, we can look forward to the race.”

Ryuji Wada (jockey)
(after fast work this week)
“It’s been a while since he raced. We were focusing on getting his wind right. The last furlong was fast (11.9 seconds) so I don’t think there’s anything to worry about. He’s in good shape as usual, about the same as last race. If he can break even halfway well, he’ll be able to get a good position. And after that, if I can just keep my own cool and ride him calmly, I believe the results will follow. He has good racing ability. “