Admire Lead

Naosuke Sugai, trainer
“The Hanshin Himba Stakes was a frustrating race. She really gave it her all but the competition was Grade 1 level. Still, it was a good experience for her to race with top-level horses. She was tired from that race and it took a while to recover. Now, she’s fine and last week we worked her with two others and she looked good, got a good time, and her wind was fine. This week we just gave her an easy gallop. I think she’ll be in top shape on race day. She’s had experience at Chukyo so the left-handed track shouldn’t be a problem and her running style tells me she shouldn’t have a problem with the long Tokyo stretch either. The key factors will be whether she can keep her tension down and her weight up over the long trip to the track. She has been calm lately and I think she’ll weather the trip better than she did for the Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks).”

Asuka Biren

Hidemasa Nakao, trainer
“Unlike two races ago, where she was tense and failed to quicken in the finish, last time out she traveled well and finished splendidly. After that everything has gone as usual. She was sluggish in the finish in work last week but with that workout and this week’s and the haul to the track, she should have improved by the race. I think the mile to 1,800 meters suits here and Tokyo does as well. She’s also calmer now and the trip to the track shouldn’t take so much out of her. She has more muscle now and though the competition is stiff, if the pace is brisk, it’ll make things easier for her. I’d like her to race from midfield, so I’m hoping we won’t get drawn too far to the outside.”

At the Seaside

Keiichi Asami, assistant trainer
“It was raining for the Hanshin Himba Stakes and the track was pretty slow. And her start before that was over a track that was less than fast. She hasn’t been lucky with the weather. The usual routine is to give her time off and then bring her back to the training center shortly before the race. All has gone well. On April 30 she worked up the hill, which was slow at the time, and she clocked 51.3 seconds. That’s a good time for her and she looked good. Her weight may be down after the trip to the track, but looking at how she did at Tokyo last time she was there, I’d say she’ll be handle to handle the change in venue. Her best distance is 1,400 meters so we’ll see how much she’ll be able to keep in reserve.”

Denko Ange

Jun Sato, assistant trainer
“With the tight turns of Fukushima making it difficult to win, I wanted her to move early in the Fukushima Himba Stakes. And that made things harder in the end, but she made it to fourth and it was good enough. She loses weight during the trip to the track and I think a drop of about 10 kg compared to when she’s racing near home can’t be helped. But I don’t think she was too thin and her weight is back up now anyhow. It’ll be another long haul to the track this time so we just breezed her on the weekend and again this week should have her just right. A mile to the left is a plus for her. She has won a graded stakes race at Tokyo and with the long straight, if she keeps something in reserve, then moves out in the stretch, she should do well even if she hangs out to the right a bit. Question is whether she’ll be able to hold back nicely like she did in her last start.”

Frontier Queen

Sakae Kunieda, trainer
“This last time out in the Fukushima Himba Stakes, I think she was a lot calmer than she had been in the race before that, the Nakayama Himba Stakes. She was in a good frame of mind, had an eye on the top contenders ahead of her, and had a ground-saving run. I think it was a good race and she got beaten at the very end. She’s been doing fine since then. She has always been rather high-strung and there’s no need to give her too much hard work. With a blowout this week, that should do. She hasn’t raced at this distance for a while, but she has run second to Major Emblem over the Tokyo 1,600 and she should be able to handle the long stretch. The competition is strong, but if it’s a race that favors late speed, I think she’ll give us a good showing.”

Eiji Nakano, trainer
“She ran solidly to the end in her last start and I think overall the race was a good one. Her racing has stabilized recently. She used to be very on edge before a race, and even acting up in the barn. Now, however, she has calmed down more and I think that is helping her get better results. I also had the Shonan Stakes in mind for her so there’s no problem with her condition. She’ll be in good shape on race day and I have no concerns. Of course, the competition is going to be strong but this horse is different from before. I’m looking forward to seeing just how well she’ll do.”

Hiruno Matera

Mitsugu Kon, trainer
“Since the weather has warmed up, she’s been looking good but I thought she was a bit heavy so we pushed her hard up the hill on May 3. She tends to lose weight during a long trip to the track, so two blowouts after that and the trip should have her just right. Being an open-class horse means she has to be able to do well on any kind of ground. Up until now, she has gotten pulled along, gotten into traffic problems and has at times not had the going to her advantage but until moving to the open class, she had always been able to get the position needed. And that may be the problem in her recent poor results. She is suited to the Tokyo 1,600 and I’m hoping she’ll get a fast track. She’s up against some top horses.”

Jour Polaire

Masato Nishizono, trainer
“In the Hanshin Himba Stakes, the ground was soft and she couldn’t get traction in some places, but she did hold her ground well until the end. The winner Mikki Queen was strong but this filly wasn’t bad. On May 3 she looked good and clocked 52.8 seconds up the hill, with a last furlong of 12.5 seconds. She wasn’t tired from her last race and has been able to handle all her work. This week we gave her a solid workout and that should have her in top shape. She has had regular races and has gotten a lot stronger. She can cover the final 3 furlongs in the 32-second range, so with a fast track she should be able to do better than last race. She has good racing sense and she’s good with this jockey. I’m looking forward to it.”

Kurino Lahore

Shohei Kimura, assistant trainer
“For the last race, the Hanshin Himba Stakes, she was just back from a spell and wasn’t ready yet. She also couldn’t get traction on the wet track. She prefers a faster track. She did recover quickly from that race and regained the weight she’d lost. Her weight is now back up to about 450 kg and I don’t think there are any problems. Her time up the hill on May 3 was in the 56-second range and average, but her movement was good. I think she has improved with the sharpener. Last year when she returned from time off she was quieter and easier to ride. Now, she’s more fired up and harder to ride but I do think she’ll be able to handle the trip to the track without losing too much weight.”

Let's Go Donki

Yoshiaki Terada, assistant trainer
“She traveled well on the inside in the Takamatsunomiya Kinen and moved up well in the stretch on the inside as well. The winner was strong, but this horse ran very well too. She worked up the hill two weeks ago and clocked in the 54-second range without urging. She climbed the hill with ease and her wind was fine. Her time on the hill on May 3 was 51.3 seconds. Her running was smooth in the first half and with some pressure over the last furlong it got even better. Everything has gone well and I think she’s ready. She’s been breezed twice since then. She’s finished in the top spots under all sorts of conditions and she is a talented mare. She has experience at the mile too and mentally she’s more mature now. She has the ability to do well if she gets a smooth trip and settles well.”

Lethal Weapon

Yasuo Takeichi, trainer
“In her last race, the Fukushima Himba Stakes, she had an outside draw but broke well, got a good position, and traveled well from there. Everyone was carrying 54 kg and she did her best and managed to finish only 0.5 seconds off the winner in fifth place. She transferred to my stable after the Aichi Hai in the beginning of the year and she was rather weak behind. That has steadily improved. This will be her third race since then and I feel that she is definitely stronger now. This time it’s a Grade 1 and a lot of very good horses are running. With the change to Tokyo, she’ll be at a disadvantage if it comes down to speed alone. I’m hoping she’ll be able to give it all she has and keep up with the pace.”

Mikki Queen

Yasutoshi Ikee, trainer
“Her work before the Hanshin Himba Stakes was some of the best yet. And in the race, she had a decent start and was able to get into position. Her responses were a bit dull so she had to take advantage of cover for quite some time but when she got her engine revved her acceleration was excellent. We once had thought we would have to retire her but I think she has made a complete comeback. We kept her at the training center after the last race and other problems she had been having are also cleared up. Her workout on May 4 showed she is improving. As a female ages, her hormones change and take the edge of her competitive spirit. This horse, however, is very tough mentally and in many ways she’s still a youngster. Her only poor showing so far was in the Japan Cup as a 3-year-old. She learned how to handle a soft track early on and I don’t think anyone can beat her on a fast track.”

Queens Ring

Keiji Yoshimura, trainer
“I suppose her result in the Hanshin Himba Stakes was due in part to the fact she was coming off a layoff. She was a bit hurried in the first half and I think she affected her mentally. And, because she had an inside draw, she had no choice but to travel over ground that was pretty rough. She also lost a shoe and couldn’t give it all she has. She is still maintaining her condition so we worked her in tandem over the flat last week and pushed her hard in the finish. The jockey said she felt good and I think it let her work off some steam. We have the trip to the track this week so she just breezed up the hill. Compared to last year, she has a lot more muscle on her hindquarters and I’d say she’s in good shape.”

Rouge Buck

Masahiro Otake, trainer
“I think if she’d have had a smoother trip in the Kinko Sho, she’d have made at least second. We gave her time off as usual after that and once refreshed she did work on the hill course at the farm. She came back to Miho on April 29 and worked on the flat in tandem on May 4. She’s gotten a little unwilling at times since she’s gotten older and her shoulder seems a little tighter now but her weight is the same and she looks to be in good shape. Last year’s Victoria Mile was the only time Keita Tosaki wasn’t riding. She kept up with the pace of the mile but her timing was a bit off. I think she can handle the mile, but I do think it will be a tough race.”

Smart Layer

Taketoshi Yamaguchi, assistant trainer
“In the Kyoto Kinen she didn’t clamp down on the bit as she has in the past and she has learned to pace herself over the distance better. She put up a good fight in a tough field and is showing no signs of slowing down. She’s looking good in work as usual and the way she’s running I’d say she’s fully recovered from her last race. She has gotten good at longer distances but, that said, she has gotten good results at the mile too. She’s not great hauling in but she has done well at Tokyo. I think it’s a wonder she hasn’t won a big race at Tokyo yet. She has ample chance in an all-female field. I am hoping for a smooth trip.”

Solveig

Ippo Sameshima, trainer
“She just wasn’t herself from the very start of the Takamatsunomiya Kinen. I do think the ground was a big factor and things would have been different if the going had been fast. I think you can throw that result out. We gave her time off and brought her back to the training center on April 19. The jockey rode work up the hill course on May 3 and she got a time of 53.2 seconds. She ran solidly to the end and her movement was good. She didn’t look heavy for her last race but I do think her ideal weight is 470 kg. When she looks quite lean, she actually does much better than expected. She’s working hard and that should be a plus. It’s the first time over a mile since the Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas). Her finishing order was poor but she was boxed in and couldn’t move. I don’t think you can say she’s not suited to the distance just from that one race. She has won a graded stakes race over 1,400 meters and the trip she gets will be crucial. I want her in a forward position and hope she’ll travel well.”

Ukiyono Kaze

Takanori Kikuzawa, trainer
“She doesn’t do well on the pace, so as usual, we had her race from behind in the Fukushima Himba Stakes. At the top of the final turn one of the top picks made her move and I thought this one had missed hers. But, things seemed to have turned out in her favor after all because the other horse moving gave her a good target. She did a great job reaching the top in the short Fukushima homestretch. I think she’ll be able to handle the rather tight schedule this time since she came out of her last race well. We worked her lightly up the hill course on May 5 with fraction times of 55.2-40.4-26.1-12.7. Her movement was good and she’s not stiff like she was before last year’s Victoria Mile. We breezed her this week as well. Last year, she did close the gap in the stretch, but it was far from enough, and she ended in seventh place. She has won the Queen Cup and she’s suited to the course. I’m hoping the second time with the same jockey will be a plus and I’m looking forward to the race.”