Copano Rickey

Copano Rickey – The 5-year-old Gold Allure-sired Copano Rickey has proven a consistent runner, with 11 of his 15 runs ending in the money, eight of them in the winner's circle. His win of the February Stakes last year as the least popular pick of the race was far from surprising considering his overall performances before that. More surprising was the fact that he had fallen so quickly from grace at the betting windows after returning from a layoff to run 10th and ninth. The third time was the charm, however, and Copano Rickey went on to score two more firsts and a second at NAR tracks before taking on the G1 Champions Cup in December. The race favorite in the reincarnation of the Japan Cup Dirt, he missed the break and disappointed with a 12th-place finish, but ran a solid second to Hokko Tarumae next time out in the 2,000-meter Tokyo Daishoten on Dec. 29. On Jan. 25, Yutaka Take took the reins for the first time and brought him home in first, winning by 4 lengths in the G2 Tokai TV Hai Tokai Stakes at Chukyo over 1,800 meters. Though this will be his first time over a mile in six races, Copano Rickey obviously finds the distance at Tokyo to his liking. He is said to be looking good and chances of back-to-back wins, the first of the February Stakes, are considered high.

Incantation

Incantation –The 5-year-old Sinister Minister-sired Incantation took on the Champions Cup last year after scoring three wins straight – first in two open-class races and then in the G3 Miyako Stakes. The conditions were against him on the big stage, however, and a wide draw and inability to get a clear run proved factors in his 10th-place finish. This year he came back for the G2 Tokai Stakes and ran third just a nose off runnerup Grand City. Apart from two wins in G3 events, it was likely his best performance yet, one that saw him running from the far back after he stumbled just out of the gate. Into the stretch, however, he turned in a blistering drive that won him marks far higher than his third-place finish. Though it was a solid loss to Copano Rickey, the run will surely have done much to sharpen him from the 10-kg gain posted for that race and put him in a better place this time out. Incantation has only had one race over dirt at Tokyo, a fourth place. But three wins at Niigata over dirt and two at Chukyo over the same, indicate counterclockwise tracks are to his liking. His ability to perform well from any position is a plus.

Best Warrior

Best Warrior – A 5-year-old from the stable of Sei Ishizaka, Best Warrior has posted 1–5–11 from his last three outings, all in top class races. His win came at Morioka in the Mile Championship Nambu Hai on Oct. 13, followed by a fifth-place run at the same venue in the JBC Classic on Nov. 3. His last race was the Dec. 7 Champions Cup. From his last two races, Best Warrior would have seemed to have grown dull, but he is a horse that wants a mile, nothing more, maybe less. He has scored four wins, one second and a third from his seven runs over the mile, but has failed to win anything longer, though he did come close, with a second in a 1,870-meter race at Sonoda. Though this will be his first race since early December, Best Warrior has been trained up the hill course at Ritto from the end of January and has performed well. His ability to run his own race is a plus.

Kazenoko

Kazenoko – The 4-year-old Kazenoko, a son of Agnes Digital broke his maiden on his eighth try, in what was his third run on dirt since switching from turf, He has gone on to post three wins in his seven races since. After three wins culminating in his first big race win, the Japan Dirt Derby at Ohi, he ran seventh in the JBC Classic at Morioka, then seventh again in the Champions Cup at Chukyo. In late January, however, he ran second at Kawasaki in the Kawasaki Kinen over 2,100 meters, finishing just ¾ length behind Hokko Tarumae. Kazenoko prefers to run from the rear and if the pace is high on Sunday, he may be able, with a bit of luck and his powerful late drive, to match his sire's win of the February Stakes in 2002.

Roman Legend

Roman Legend – Roman Legend is a 7-year-old son of Special Week. Debuting at 3, this colt was near legendary, as he scored nine wins from 13 starts and, at one time, marked a six-win streak. Since 2013, however, his race results have been peppered with finishes out of the money and he currently has 10 wins from 21 starts. Still, his third in the Champions Cup following a win of the G3 Elm Stakes at Sapporo would indicate he is not yet resting solely on his laurels. His last start was the Dec. 29 Tokyo Daishoten at Ohi in which he ran fifth. Raced predominately over 1,800-2,000 meters, this will be only his second time at the mile and first time since May 2013, when he ran third in the Kashiwa Kinen at Funabashi. Roman Legend has yet to win a JRA big race, but his third in the Champions Cup saw him but 0.2 seconds off winner Hokko Tarumae. Despite the time between races, Roman Legend has shown he does better with a bit of time between runs. He is one to keep an eye on this Sunday.

Sambista

Sambista – A 6-year-old mare trained by Katsuhiko Sumii, Sambista, by Suzuka Mambo, has run 15 of her 20 races in the money. She has won eight, including three last year and her last outing, an all-female TCK Jo-O Hai at Ohi on Jan. 21. Sambista ran fourth, just 0.4 seconds off the winner in the Champions Cup last year. She will, however, be taking on her first mile and running at Tokyo for the first time, only her second time to the left. Still, Sambista is one to give the boys a run for the money. If she should win, she would be the first female to win since Hokuto Vega in 1996, when the race was still a G2. The best result since the race was made a G1 in 1997 was a second-place finish by Gold Tiara in 2000.

Wonder Acute

Wonder Acute – Not to be overlooked is another oldtimer, the 9-year-old Wonder Acute, by Charismatic. 2014 saw Wonder Acute score one first and two thirds from six starts, not lame considering they were all top class races, two of them JRA events – the February Stakes (sixth place) and the Champions Cup (fifth place). After the Champions Cup, Wonder Acute ran seventh in the Tokyo Daishoten at Ohi and has not been raced yet this year. Wonder Acute has experience over the Tokyo mile. He won the Musashino Stakes in 2009 and though it's been a while, he is physically not showing age. He ran third in both the 2012 and 2013 February Stakes and may once again be able to make the top spots. If he would win, he would be the first 9-year-old to win a JRA G1 ever. Francis Berry is slated to ride.