Admire Spica

Hiroyoshi Matsuda (trainer)
“(The May 31 Meguro Kinen) was his first race in a while but compared to the winter, he was focused in all the training and was actually in pretty good shape. He traveled well during the race itself but didn’t accelerate on the straight. I’m pinning it down on the layout of Tokyo, that it was a counterclockwise race. He doesn’t do well when you rush him into a race. He’s got to travel at a pace he likes first and foremost. Running right-handed will improve his chances and I’m hoping for the best, but the field is stacked here.”

Curren Mirotic

Osamu Hirata (trainer)
“He worked about a second faster than we had planned – we were hoping for something around 53 seconds over four furlongs. But I guess that says how fit he is at the moment. He’s had a better season going into the race this year than last year. I think he’s still improving as a racehorse, and it would be great if the weather holds up.”

Denim and Ruby

Suguru Hamanaka
“I’ve been told she’s in good condition and having worked her myself I can’t find anything wrong with her. She’s in better form than she was a year ago. Our best shot will be on the final straight, at a slow pace. She can handle the rain and I think Hanshin at this time of the year suits her.”

Yasuyuki Tsujino (assistant trainer)
“We were on a very tight schedule last year. She came back from Dubai, went through quarantine and straight into the Victoria Mile and Takarazuka Kinen. This year, though, we had plenty of time in between starts so getting her ready has been a lot easier. We finished fifth in last year’s race so considering the buildup we’ve had this year, she should do better. I hope she turns over a new leaf.”

Dia de la Madre

Katsuhiko Sumii (trainer)
“She used to be able to last the longer races. If she can remember to race to her strength, which is the closing rush, the distance should not be an issue.”

Yasuyuki Tsujino (assistant trainer)
“She used to be pretty edgy but she’s matured as of late and can maintain her weight now. She’s been putting in plenty of work at the stable and is in good condition. We’re going up against the best of the boys this time but we think she finishes just as strong as them. On top of that she’s got a good track record at Hanshin. If she can get into a nice rhythm at 2,200 meters, she should be able to compete.”

Gold Ship

Norihiro Yokoyama
“He was on his best behavior last week, but he was even more relaxed this week. I don’t think it’s got anything to do with our relationship; I think he just happened to be in a good mood today. Everything’s been great so far. I don’t think he really needed to take a gate test but at least it gave us more time to work with him.”

Naosuke Sugai (trainer)
“Couldn’t ask for more out of him. He responded so smoothly when we asked for something out of him. I think he knows he’s got a big race coming up; Nori (Yokoyama) has been saying the same thing. I’ve learned a lot from Gold Ship, and I think I’ll continue to learn from him as long as he continues to race. If he wins it, I think it’ll give Gold Ship and racing fans in general a lot to look forward to.”

Lachesis

Christophe Lemaire
“She can really quicken and can handle any kind of going, which is a huge plus for her. Gold Ship is an incredible horse but the distance this time is totally different from the Tenno Sho (Spring). The Takarazuka Kinen at 2,200 meters will get the most out of Lachesis; it will show her pace and acceleration. We’ve got a shot here.”

Katsuhiko Sumii (trainer)
“She worked hard last week so I didn’t want to overwork her this week. She seems like she’s ready, though. She has her appetite and she’s filled out. It’s about time, if you ask me.”

Lovely Day

Yasutoshi Ikee (trainer)
“I wanted to make sure that he wasn’t overworked with just two weeks in between starts. He’s doing well. He’s been in such good form that we decided to give him one more start before the Takarazuka Kinen. He had to learn to settle at the long distance in the Hanshin Daishoten and the Tenno Sho (Spring), and that helped him travel perfectly in (the Naruo Kinen). It was an excellent performance. He’s in the best condition that he can possibly be in at the moment. I’m hoping he can stay that way to the day of the race. With the race being the last Grade 1 race to the first half of the season, the field is what you would expect it to be. But he’s really getting stronger, and we’re looking forward to seeing what he can do this time around – especially on the track at Hanshin.”

Neo Black Dia

Yuichi Shikato (trainer)
“We had the workout we were hoping to have, and his condition is pretty good. Ideally, we want him to lead the race but he’s quite moody so we’ll have to see.”

Nuovo Record

Makoto Saito (trainer)
“She worked solo today because we didn’t want her getting too excited having run a 1,600-meter race. She’s calm, and she’s been training like we had hoped she would. I’m a lot more confident in her form this time around. The tougher the race gets, the better she runs. She’s such a mentally strong racehorse. You need power and strength to win at Hanshin, which is ideal for her.”

Ocean Blue

Yasutoshi Ikee (trainer)
“Never mind how he worked, he’s got so many issues back at the stable that he can’t condition himself.”

One and Only

Mirco Demuro
“He’s a lot fitter compared to last week. He’s noticeably better. He’s an easy ride, and he knows a race is coming up. The 2,200 meters at Hanshin is a good situation for him, too.”

Kojiro Hashiguchi (trainer)
“He worked about a second slower than what we had in mind, but he was sharp. He wasn’t sluggish at all in the way he moved.”

Red Davis

Fuma Matsuwaka
“He worked with such ease today, his time so fast. He’s in really good shape. I’m really grateful for the opportunity, can’t thank the trainers and connections enough. I know the horse well; he’s easy to ride. We’re going for broke here.”

Shonan Pandora

Tomokazu Takano (trainer)
“She was worked – hard - by the jockey (Kenichi Ikezoe) the last two weeks so she just breezed this morning. The field is pretty strong here but we’re all in. The Sankei Osaka Hai turned out to be a tough race on real bad going. She had to recover from that before going on to the Victoria Mile, so it’s been a lot easier this time around. It’s fair to say she’s in the best shape she’s ever been in. We’re up against a strong field but we’re not taking a backseat. Hopefully the going will hold up.”

Toho Jackal

Manabu Sakai
“I worked him myself two weeks before and now today. He’s put in the work that he needs to this point and I’m happy with the way he’s trained so far. He’s never not raced as long as he has; he’s had an accident this spring but in terms of potential, I don’t think he takes a backseat even though he is going up against the older horses for the first time in his career.”

Tosen Stardom

Yasutoshi Ikee (trainer)
“Everything went according to plan. He was in great form for his last race in Australia. He may not be at that level but he’s not bad. The going was pretty heavy in his last race but he was still fighting, trying to get forward. He’s gotten a lot stronger mentally.”

Toshin Monstera

Akira Murayama (trainer)
“He’s not giving off bad vibes. Hanshin should be a good course for him. Hopefully the experience here will lead to bigger and better things in the future.”