Clarente

Shinsuke Hashiguchi, trainer
“He started well last time in the Tenno Sho (Autumn), and overall it wasn’t such a bad result. He’s come out of that race well and there’s no tiredness remaining. He’s well in himself and has trained to expectations. This time Yasunari Iwata will ride him. He’s won three big races with him and knows the horse well. Hopefully he can do his best here.”

D'accord

Hiroki Kawashima, assistant trainer
“He’s recovered well from his three runs in the summer. He recently posted a time of 53.2 seconds, with a last furlong time of 13.2 seconds, on a heavy track in training. He seems in good condition, and this week worked with the jockey. He’s won four times at Kyoto, and while it’s a strong field, with his regular jockey back on board, we’re hoping he can respond well in the mile, and have some extra left at the finish.”

Danon Shark

Ryuji Okubo, trainer
“Considering his age, he’s doing pretty well, and everything’s been as usual with him in his regular training pattern. He’s definitely suited to the mile at Kyoto, and if the race develops favorably for him, I don’t think he’s without a chance.”

Decipher

Futoshi Kojima, trainer
“He’s given good responses in training, and particularly so when the track has been a little rough. In the Yasuda Kinen, he was able to get a good early position and ran a good race, and there’s no reason why he can’t do the same at Kyoto, where the straight should favor him. I hope he can run a good race.”

Fiero

Hideaki Fujiwara, trainer
“There’s no Maurice or Logotype in the lineup, so in many ways it opens the race up, and a lot of the runners have chances. He’s trained well, and he might be seven, but he can still run well. It’s probably his last chance to win a Grade 1.”

Nobuyuki Tashiro, assistant trainer
“He doesn’t feel like a 7-year-old. He’s finished second in this race two years in a row, so we have no worries with him from that point of view. Racing well from a good position will be the key, and we really want to win a big race with him.”

Garibaldi

Hideaki Fujiwara, trainer
“He has a slightly weak constitution, but having said that he’s a talented horse and is developing well. He’s done well in training and always moves well. I think he can handle the uphill part of the track at Kyoto, and with jockey Yuichi Fukunaga riding, I can see him running a big race, especially now he has a race under his belt.”

Yuichi Fukunaga, jockey
“He’s in good shape and has a lot of power. He won a big race at Chukyo going left-handed, but I think he’s probably better going right-handed, and he’ll have that this week.”

Isla Bonita

Hironori Kurita, trainer
“His times in training have been just right. He seems to move better now, compared to how he ran in his last race, and there’s a lighter feel about him.”

Ryuji Sato, assistant trainer
“He’s worked well, and in particular, has been finishing strongly in training, without necessarily having a horse in front of him. He has a slight issue breaking from the gate, but we’ve worked on that, so it shouldn’t be a problem. He does have a turn of foot, as we saw last year when he finished third in the race.”

Lord Quest

Shigeyuki Kojima, trainer
“The pace was slow in the Fuji Stakes and he didn’t get away so well. Since then, we’ve taken care of him in training and things are fine. It’s his first time at Kyoto, but I’m not worried about that, and I think he’ll handle the outer course fine. He’s a horse that can switch gears easily and the jockey understands him. I’m looking forward to seeing how he can put his strengths to good use here.”

Kenichi Ikezoe, jockey
“He’s been running well, doing what I’ve asked of him. While it’s his first time at the track, I think there’ll be no problems. He’s improved since the spring.”

Magic Time

Tadashige Nakagawa, trainer
“She’s in good condition and has trained well, with no problems. It’ll be interesting to see what she can do here up against the male horses.”

Toshiaki Sasajima, assistant trainer
“She came back from Northern Farm Tenei on Nov. 4. She seemed relaxed and better for the break. The race she ran in the Sekiya Kinen is the kind of race she needs to be able to run, where she can finish strongly. I want her to do her best here against the male opposition.”

Mikki Isle

Hidetaka Otonashi, trainer
“As an older horse, he’s been running at a fast pace a lot. He’ll sometimes take the bit and not go forward in a race, but it seems best that if he does take the bit he should go forward. I’m not saying he has to race like this though, and to some extent it comes down to what the jockey thinks is best. We could see a different Mikki Isle this time.”

Suguru Hamanaka, jockey
“He’s in the same condition as usual, but has matured. He’s a horse with speed and the best thing for him is to run at his own natural pace. He starts well, and I need to get the best out of him when running at a good rhythm. I really want to win another Grade 1 with him.”

Neorealism

Atsunori Hashimoto, assistant trainer
“He’s done enough in training. I think the shorter distance this time won’t be a problem for him after running such a strong race last time over 2,000 meters. Obviously it’s different over a mile, but if he gets into the flow of the race, and that will be the most important thing, he should do well here.”

Satono Aladdin

Yasutoshi Ikee, trainer
“In his last piece of work he tracked another horse two or three lengths in front of him, and in the final 300 meters finished off well clocking a good time. He seems in better shape than he was for the Swan Stakes. The extra furlong isn’t really a worry. The weather is a concern, as I’d like firm ground. He’s a horse capable of running a final three furlong time in 32 seconds or so, but that might be difficult if it comes up wet. He’s a muscular horse with a big stride, and these are his qualities.”

Yuga Kawada, jockey
“He seems in top condition, feels easy to handle, and really wants to run. There’s an extra furlong this time, but he’s usually composed leaving the gates, and finding his rhythm is the most important thing. Maurice is not in the field, so I want to prove he’s the best here.”

Satono Lupin

Shinichi Kanoya, assistant trainer
“The key is to get him working to a nice rhythm and not overdoing things in the lead up to this race. This is what we’ve done satisfactorily. He’s been running in races over shorter distances and it’s been a while since he’s run at a mile. Settling well and conserving himself are the key things.”

Mirco Demuro, jockey
“He felt easy to handle in training. He’s an intelligent horse who seems to know what’s expected of him.”

Snow Dragon

Noboru Takagi, trainer
“He’s been training uphill and in the pool. He’s quite an easy horse to train and can look after himself. His movement and times have been good. It’s been a while since he’s run over a mile on turf, but he’s been breaking well from the gate and racing smoothly.  There could be some rain around, and every drop would be good for him.”

Sunrise Major

Tamio Hamada, trainer
“He’s had one run since a spell, and he’s a horse that will come on for that, and we’ve seen that in his training. He’s done well over a mile at Kyoto previously, and with the same jockey aboard this time. I’d like an inside gate and for him to get some cover.”

Takashi Suzuki, trainer
“He’s gone well coming into this race and is the type to get better with a race under him after a break.”

Minoru Oguri, assistant trainer
“We’ve managed to get some of the tightness out of him, and he’s in better condition now than last time.”

Win Primera

Ryuji Okubo, trainer
“She’s come into herself well this year and has won a big race. She’s done well in training, despite the track being heavy at times. She doesn’t need hard work, and does things her way. Thinking later of her becoming a broodmare, it would be good to see her run a big race here.”

Young Man Power

Takahisa Tezuka, trainer
“With last year’s winner not in the lineup, our horse can be a challenger here. He’s developing well and looks more muscular. He raced in last year’s Arlington Cup, and so the long transportation is not a worry, although it’s his first time at Kyoto. I think he can handle the track.”

Mickael Barzalona, jockey
“He carries his head a little high, but he feels good, and I think with the condition he’s in, he can run well.”