Copa Republica Argentina (G2) - Preview

Albert

Suave Richard

Seda Brillantes

Denim and Ruby

Touching Speech

Prestwick

Curren Mirotic

Recondite

The action to watch is once again at Tokyo Racecourse on Sunday, though the slew of Grade 1s has paused for a week. In the spotlight is the 55th running of the Copa Republica Argentina, a 2,500-meter Grade 2 turf handicap open to 3-year-olds and up. This year 17 horses have been nominated to vie for the 57 million yen first-place prize.

The Tokyo 2,500-meter course starts before the grandstand just at the base of the stretch hill, which means the hill has to be climbed twice. Not only does this race demand late speed in the final drive but stamina as well. The Copa Republica Argentina is only one of two Graded races (the other is the Meguro Kinen) run over the distance at Tokyo.

Recent years indicate the top finishers tend to not be those with a weight advantage. Long layoffs before taking on this race also do not bode well. Only one horse in the past decade, last year's Cheval Grand, has won coming off a layoff of 3 or more months. Only one such, last year's Albert, has finished second. Those who have been raced regularly leading up to the race tend to fare better. Winners tend to come from the top finishers in the Tenno Sho (Spring), Stayers Stakes, Diamond Stakes, and Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger).

The race is the 11th race on the Sunday card of 12 at Tokyo Racecourse. Post time is 15:35 local time. Here’s a look at the expected top choices.

Albert: The 6-year-old Admire Don-sired Albert followed his second place in last year's race with his second win of the Grade 2 Stayers Stakes and a seventh in the Arima Kinen (Grand Prix). He started the year with a win of the Grade 3 Diamond Stakes over 3,400 meters, then ran fifth in the Tenno Sho (Spring), which was won in record time. Following five months off, he returned to take on the 2,200-meter Grade 2 All Comers on Sept. 24 at Nakayama. Interference hampered him in the third turn and he finished in seventh place, 0.5 seconds off winner Rouge Buck. Though Albert has failed to win any of his three Grade 1 bids, he can hold his own at the Grade 2 level. He raced at his heaviest weight yet last start (482kg) and Sunday he'll be asked to carry 58.5 kg, the most he's ever carried. He won the Diamond Stakes under 58 kg but will be carrying 1.5 kg more than any other runner in this race.

Suave Richard: A Heart's Cry 3-year-old, Suave Richard finished second in the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) this spring. It was the longest race he'd run until that point and he hasn't had a start since, the longest of his six career starts. Sixth in the Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas), he had come first or second in his four starts prior, including the Grade 3 Kyodo News Service Hai at Tokyo run over 1,800 meters. He'd also notched a second in the Grade 3 Tokyo Sports Hai Nisai Stakes over the same distance in November the year before. Mirco Demuro gave him a hard workout over 6 furlongs on Oct. 26 for a time of 84.1 seconds. It'll be the first time the colt will compete against older horses.

Seda Brillantes: Also 3 years old, Seda Brillantes (by Deep Impact out of Silk Universal) is 3-for-3 after a late debut in December over dirt. He moved to turf from his second race five months later and then leapt from that start in the one-win class to a win of the Grade 3 Radio Nikkei Sho next out in July at Fukushima Racecourse. The colt runs from a forward position and will be competing against older horses for the first time. Whether he can handle 3-1/2 furlongs more remains to be seen, although going from his sire it is not expected to pose too high of a bar. He has been prepared for the race in a hurry after being withdrawn from the Sept. 18 Asahi Hai St. Lite Kinen and has not been raced since July. His brother Mondo Intero finished fourth in this race last year.

Denim and Ruby: Denim Ruby joins Touching Speechas the only two females in the field this year. Denim and Ruby, a 7-year-old by Deep Impact, has not had a win in over four years. She did have two seconds in Grade 1 company, but even the latter of those was more than two years ago – the 2015 Takarazuka Kinen. She ran eighth last out in the All Comers. She finished second in both the Japan Cup in 2013 and Grade 2 Hanshin Daishoten over 3,000 meters in 2015, indicating she can handle both the distance and most likely the Tokyo 2,500 meters. Denim and Ruby has good late speed and if it comes down to it in the finish, she may be good for the money.

Prestwick: Prestwick, a Daiwa Major 6-year-old, finished in 10th place in this race last year after running fourth in the open-class Tancho Stakes over 2,600 meters. This year, he won the Tancho Stakes (his first win in some 15 months) and both years he has been piloted by Christophe Lemaire, who is up again on Sunday. Prestwick ran into interference at the first turn in this race last year, but with a smooth run things may go better this year, despite running under 1kg more. If anyone is best suited to the distance, it's Prestwick. He has been raced predominately in the range of 2,000-2,600 meters with six wins, four seconds and four thirds from those, with 10 of those starts at 2,400-2,600 meters.