Admire Morale

Hiroyuki Uehara, trainer
“It took him a few races to post a win but he keeps getting drawn wide and he wasn’t able to give it his all. Last race was a step up in class and he did well. We aimed him for this race and last week on Dec. 10 we worked him with an older horse. We pushed him hard over 6 furlongs with him running ahead of the other horse and finishing ahead. This week we just breezed him, which should be enough. He has good racing sense and he’s an honest runner. He’s won at Nakayama over the mile so I have no concerns about the distance. Everything has gone according to plan so far and if he can clear the haul to the track, things should continue to do so. He’s a consistent colt so I think he’ll give it his all up amid the strong competition.”

Air Spinel

Kazuhide Sasada, trainer
“The Daily Hai [Nisai Stakes] was his second start and he settled in a good position on an outside track, then moved out smartly. He went up against a strong horse with three wins but was able to win strongly himself. He’s still immature in some ways but he’s able to concentrate in a race now. After that race, we worked him on the hill on Dec. 9 and his movement wasn’t bad for work at that point in the game. This week too the plan was to give him a fast gallop up the hill but we went easy instead. It’s a Grade I and the lineup will be a strong one but he won his debut at the same venue. If he can show his strength, we should get good results.”

Ball Lightning

Hiroshi Miyamoto, trainer
“From his work I felt he was a very strong horse. He’s by Daiwa Major and high-strung. That was a concern but he went forward well in his debut and in the graded-stakes race, even with the big field and wide draw, he got a good position with no problem. He stayed on the pace well and from the way he moved out nicely, he seems to have good racing sense. Last week in fast work we pushed him hard over the last furlong and he clocked 12 seconds flat over it. His movement was good. If he runs, he runs well, but like for last race, we are taking pains to keep him calm and working him more easily the week of the race. He has come along as expected and is in good shape mentally and physically. The competition will be strong with it being a Grade I but after seeing his last race I’m looking forward to this one.”

Copano Deal

Hiroki Sakiyama, trainer
“We focused on the finish up the hill on Dec. 17 and his movement was good. He’s moved up from local racing but he had speed from the beginning and can handle the turf. It would be good though if the ground would be heavy and put the others at a disadvantage. He doesn’t have his starts down well yet but his morning work is in order. He did break well last out and I think he can give us a solid run at the mile.”

Hallelujah Boy

Yasuhito Tamura, trainer
“He looked good breaking his maiden and so my expectations were up that he would do well in a graded-stakes race. But in his last two starts, he had jockeys riding him for the first time. They rode him a bit too gingerly in the first half of the races and he still had too much left in the second half. He ran fifth up against strong horses, so I think if he’d gotten a better position he could have made third. I’d thought of racing him at Nakayama but this race had fewer nominations than I’d expected so he was able to get in here. He has maintained his condition. He has good late speed so I think the Hanshin outer course will suit him. He’s competed against strong horses before and I think he can measure up so I’m hoping for him to do his best.”

Immortal

Naosuke Sugai, trainer
“In his last race, there were traffic problems in the stretch and he got into them. He lost by only a little bit so it was frustrating. Still, he showed that he has a lot of talent. He had shin splints after that so we gave him a bit of time off. He’s fine now though and there are no problems. He lagged in his fast work last week but his movement wasn’t bad and neither is his condition. Even though his weight is up he doesn’t seem heavy at all. He seems like he would do better with a bit of distance so to be honest I’d like about a furlong more. But the track is wide open, the stretch long and with a hill, and I think he can handle it. I think that talent-wise he measures up and I’m hoping he can turn in a performance that will stand him well for the future.”

Leontes

Norihiko Kishimoto, assistant trainer
“He’s a blue-blood colt and last out in his debut we’d expected him to do as well as he’d been doing in work. He got pushed to the outside and was raring to go, but in the stretch he still was able to move out smartly. I think he gave us a good performance. After his training in the pool was finished, we worked him in tandem on the flat on Dec. 9. You could say he lagged behind but I’d say he just wasn’t overdoing it. He was nice and balanced, which is the most important thing. This week the jockey rode and just checked his responses. It’ll be a mile this time out but with the Hanshin outer course I don’t think there’s a need to hustle to secure a position and he can take it more easily. This colt has a lot to draw on. It’s a Grade 1 and the lineup is strong and I’m looking for a race that will show us the way toward the future.”

Saimon Seele

Tomoyuki Umeda, trainer
“Last out he went easily forward to second position and had a smooth run. He went into the stretch with a lot in reserve but when asked to move out he needed just a little more. He was coming off a layoff and the Asahi Hai [Futurity Stakes] was our goal, so I’d left a bit of room for improvement, which is what came out in the end. I’d planned to give him one race after the layoff and before coming here and things went according to plan. He had a fast gallop up the hill course on Dec. 10 and his movement was good. The last race has sharpened him up. The competition will be stronger this time and the distance longer. He has the speed to quickly go to the fore and can surely get a good position. After that, it will be seeing just how well he can quicken.”

Shadow Approach

Naosuke Sugai, trainer
“In the Keio Hai Nisai Stakes it took a little time to bring him wide in the stretch and pick up speed and that meant he couldn’t make the line in time. It was a frustrating race. But he showed that he can pick it up nicely in the finish, which I think should serve him well in future races. There have been no changes since that race and his work has gone according to plan. He worked with Immortal on the hill course last week and passed him at the end. His movement wasn’t bad and I think he has maintained his good condition. His last two races have been over 1,400 meters but he has run solidly to the end. Looking at that, I don’t think the mile will be a problem and looking at how he has matured and his conformation, I think he can handle the distance. I hope he can get a smooth run and show off his strengths.”

Shonan Rise

Hiroyuki Uehara, trainer
“He got a nice position in the Kurumi Sho last out. He was a bit keen but I’d say it was a good solid win. He worked together with an older horse on Dec. 9 and looked good. This week we’ll just go easy. There are no concerns about him physically and all has gone well. He has good racing sense and can secure a good position easily. He responds well when asked to move out and though he does tend to get a bit keen, his rider in morning work on Dec. 9, [Kenichi] Ikezoe said, ‘He knows how to be patient.’ The extra furlong should be OK.”

Shuji

Kojiro Hashiguchi, trainer
“He lugged out at the start but then, in making up for that, he took the bit and went to the front. He really hung on well despite that kind of trip, so I don’t think he lost due to the distance or the track condition. [Yasunari] Iwata has ridden him in work and gotten him nicely tuned up. On Dec. 9 he worked over the woodchip course with another horse ahead of him by about 4 or 5 lengths. In the stretch he passed him easily. He’s well in tune with the rider and I think it was an excellent workout. I felt he still was not quite at peak for his last race, but he has improved with that race. He has both speed and power so I’m not worried about the track condition. Ideally, I’d like him to settle well in a good position. I think he has ample chance.”

Taisei Summit

Yasuhiro Shibuta, assistant trainer
“In the Tokyo Sports Hai Nisai Stakes, not only did another horse jump over at him at the start but another moved in on him in the straight. Even with all that interference he wasn’t that far off the winner so I’m not considering the loss any great tragedy. It was his first time with a long haul to the track but he didn’t show any fatigue and things have gone well since. He doesn’t yet have the strength to get a forward position and give it his all but I think he’ll show improvement. I feel he has a future. If it comes down to a stretch battle on Sunday, I don’t think he’ll be far off the front. We’ve had good luck with this race and I’m hoping he’ll do his best.”

Thrilla in Manila

Ryo Takei, trainer
“He won his last two races and the level of competition may have helped but he did show good late speed and I think he won nicely. Jockey [Yukito] Ishikawa said too that ‘he still had a lot left at the end.’ He’s come along nicely since and isn’t showing any signs of fatigue. He’s in really good shape. His racing changed from about two races ago. He no longer hangs out and his running is much more solid than before. If he can get a run like last start I think he will be able to handle the mile. He’s had good runs on turf but I would like to have a bit of rain and a slower track.”

Two M Legend

Kaneo Ikezoe, trainer
“He quickened nicely last out, even though he traveled on the outside and got bumped going into the stretch. His time wasn’t bad either and if he hadn’t had the interference I think he’d have won even more easily. There’s not much time between starts and last week we worked him on the flat with a focus on the finish. All is going well and this week we just breezed him, which is enough. He has lost the fat so I think we’ll see improvement. He’s a good finisher so I think the Hanshin outer course will suit him. He’s had interference in his last two races but rallied in both of them which shows he has guts and a strong competitive nature. It’s a jump up in class but I’m looking forward to it.”

Win Oscar

Yuzo Iida, trainer
“He has matured and, returning from the layoff due to a fracture, he was still a bit heavy. Still, he gave it more than I’d expected he would. It shows he really does have talent. After last race, we targeted him for the Asahi Hai and he is well toned now. Last week he worked solo and his movement wasn’t bad. He looks like he’ll be going into the race in good shape. This is the first time he’s had a proper rotation and I think he’ll show quite a bit of improvement. He has the speed to stay right on the pace and I’ll be looking forward to seeing how well he fares amid this kind of competition.”

Yu Change

Koichi Kiyonaga, assistant trainer
“Last out in the Ivy Stakes he lost by a neck. Another horse moved over on him from the inside late in the stretch and things were a bit hairy. I was reminded of what a quality horse he is. He had given it his all and so he took a while to recover from that run. His return to the training center was delayed. Jockey [Yuga] Kawada rode him in fast work and he gave us a good time, so there are no more worries. It takes a while for him to get his engine revved so the pace of the mile may see him left behind. The competition will be stiff so I’m hoping that the times over the final 3 furlongs will be a bit slow.”