Awardee

Mikio Matsunaga, trainer
“His start wasn’t the best in the Kawasaki Kinen and after that, Glanzen got ahead of him and he wound up racing from further back than what I’d envisioned. He gained ground in the end, but with the strong horses up front going strong at that kind of pace, well, they couldn’t be stopped easily. He wasn’t able to keep up. Recently, he’s been looking good, not looking his age at all, so his condition is not a problem. It’ll be his first time at the mile, but I think he’s more suited to fast dirt and with the start of the 1,600 at Tokyo being over turf, I think he’ll be able to handle the distance if he races from about midfield.”

Best Warrior

Hakuei Koizumi, assistant trainer
“He missed the Negishi Stakes due to phlegmon but we treated it quickly and he recovered quickly. The week after, he was working up the hill course again and things have gone well. He had his fast work two weeks out on Feb. 7 over the woodchip flat course and there were no problems. He’s at about 520kg now and, even with a bit of time off work, his weight hasn’t changed. I don’t know if it’s because he’s older, but he doesn’t lose as much weight in transport as he used to. If he can maintain this weight for the race, it’ll be good. The sheen on his coat is good for this time of year and I think he’s in the shape needed to be able to fully draw on his power. The lineup is strong and it won’t be easy, but the Tokyo 1,600 is his best race. I’m hoping he’ll do his best.”

Gold Dream

Osamu Hirata, trainer
“The Champions Cup didn’t really unfold in a way that you could say suited him, but when the jockey asked him to move, he really gave it his best. And from that race, we could see that if he’s traveling well in hand and keeps something in reserve, then he give us the kind of turn of foot he showed us, even at 1,800 meters. We’d been giving him pool work and he had limbered up. I think it also helped him mentally as well. After that race we took him to Northern Farm Shigaraki for some rest, then brought him back to the training center on Jan. 17. He was a bit heavy in the beginning, but with work he has gradually toned up. On Feb. 7, we worked him in the latter half of the morning and he clocked 51.1 seconds with a 12.1-second final lap. It was sufficient work for two weeks out. We put enough pressure on him and his movement was solid. I think we’ve established that the Tokyo 1,600 is his best race. There is a problem with the gate though. If he doesn’t miss the break too badly, I think he has a chance this year too.

Incantation

Tomohiko Hatsuki, trainer
“I’d been looking forward to the Tokyo Daishoten but, looking at his results there, I’d have to say that 2,000 meters around a full course is a bit too long for this horse. We kept him at the training center after that and have targeted him for this race. He wasn’t tired from his last race and he’s been able to handle everything we’ve given him. On Feb. 8, he worked on the flat in tandem over the woodchip course. It was his usual work. This week we worked him on the same course and concentrated on the final stages. His late speed isn’t quite what it used to be so, I think this time as well, we’ll have him race from a forward position. He should settle well at this distance and he’s on his toes so I’m looking forward to the race.

K T Brave

Tetsuya Meno, trainer
“He’s not a very agile horse, so it’s better for him to take the lead and run at his own pace than to try to adjust his pace to that of the others. Most importantly is that he ran a strong race last out in the Kawasaki Kinen. We breezed him up the hill course on Feb. 8 and he was on his toes as usual. We have the trip to the track this week so I wanted to keep his fast work’s total time to about 55 seconds. It was a bit fast with the jockey up, just under 52 seconds up the hill. He finished sixth in last year’s February Stakes and it wasn’t a bad race. I don’t think the pace will be that fast again this year considering the condition of the Tokyo course now. If he can keep up with the pace, I think he’ll be more than able to handle it. This will be my last Grade 1 bid as a trainer and, fortunately, I’m able to send him to the gate in good shape. I want him to do his best and it would be fabulous if he could win.”

King's Guard

Ryo Terashima, trainer
“I think taking on the 1,400-meter Negishi Stakes was difficult for him after he’d just run over 1,800 meters. But he did get a better position than I thought he would and he does seem to be suited to the shorter distance. But from the results, the brisk pace and the heavy track, I’d say he is suited to a faster track, just as he was over the turf. At Tokyo, the start is on the turf, so if he races from about midfield, I think he’ll be able to handle this distance.”

Katsunori Arayama, trainer
“Before her last race, I wasn’t able to give her the final workout I’d wanted to because of snow. So, she wasn’t quite ready and I think that’s why her late speed wasn’t her best. Also, the going was a factor. Because of the sloppy ground, she did have some fatigue in her hindquarters after that race. She felt good in work on Feb. 7, so I see no problems now. I’ve been wanting to race her in a JRA Grade 1 race, but this isn’t an easy race to get into. The competition is much stronger, so I won’t go on about her chances. This will be her last race though. It’s an honor to have her run her final race at this venue and I’m hoping she’ll give us a race that is characteristic of her and that she’ll go on to be a good mother.”

Let's Go Donki

Tomoyuki Umeda, trainer
“In the Hong Kong Sprint, she was slow out of the gate and raced from behind. She did make up good ground in the stretch. But with the going the way it was, racing from the back made for a tough race. And it being an overseas excursion for her, her mental state was different too. After Hong Kong, we sent her off to the farm for refreshment. She came back to the training center refreshed and in good shape. Last week, she did a fast workout up the hill course. It wasn’t quite up to snuff but her time was good. She’s still not as well in hand as she could be, but this week should have her ready. She had some time off so she really could have used a sharpener, but she is moving well in morning work. And most importantly, she is able to relax now. She’ll be racing on dirt so I’m hoping for a smooth trip.”

London Town

Kazuya Makita, trainer
“His last two starts followed his trip to Korea and it would appear that he was not quite ready for them. Also, last start, the deep sand of Ohi Racecourse didn’t seem to suit him and the 2,000 meters was likely too long. At the beginning of the year, he had about two weeks off, then came back to the training center and all has gone well. Just prior to his workout on Feb. 7, there’d been an accident and some tack was on the track so we weren’t able to work him that hard. Still, I think his movement was good. He had a hard workout on Feb. 14 and the shorter distance this time should be a plus. The start on turf also shouldn’t be a problem. He should be able to do better than he has in his last two starts, so I’m looking forward to it.”

Meisho Sumitomo

Katsumi Minai, trainer
“He’d drawn wide in the Kawasaki Kinen and he was bit slow out of the gate, so he had to play catchup from the start. That, and at the first turn he had the bit in his teeth. If he had been more patient he would have been able to gain more ground in the finish. But the way it was, it was tough. He’s been raced regularly so there’s no great improvement expected, but all has gone according to plan. He’s in the same shape. It’s a Grade 1 so there’ll be a lot of very good horses. But the distance is 1,600 this time and I think he’ll be able to give us a good finish. I’m hoping he’ll get a trip that suits.”

Nishiken Mononofu

Yasushi Shono, trainer
"I considered the weight he was assigned and his suitability to the distance when thinking what could led to his 15th-place finish last out, but the horses around him were fast and surrounded him right away and he wasn't able to move. He ran here last year and I think it is a bit far for him, but despite having a poor trip, he did manage a fifth place. If he'd run in the Negishi Stakes, he'd have been assigned 59kg, but we don't have to worry about that because the weights are all the same here. There hasn't been that much time since his last race so we gave him a light workout on Feb. 8, another breeze on Feb. 11 and then a hard workout on Feb. 14, all up the hill course. He normally improves with a sharpener and I see improvement this time as well. Looking at the lineup, the battle for the front spots will be heated but he does better running from a forward position. A Grade 1 race isn't easy, so I'm hoping he'll get a good draw and a good trip."

Nobo Baccara

Shoichi Temma, trainer
“In the Negishi Stakes he was running nicely, with a nice rhythm, but was blocked in the stretch. If he had been able to move out smoothly, I would have liked to see just how well he could have accelerated. The jockey didn’t push him unnecessarily and like in the Capella Stakes, he recovered his wind quickly. On Feb. 8, jockey Miyabi Muto rode him for a fast solo workout and he’s been breezed twice since then. In the Mile Championship Nambu Hai, it took a long time to recover his breathing after the race and I think he’d given it quite the effort. When he can’t run at his own pace, he doesn’t run full out or if he just can’t get a handle on the race, but when he has less time between races he tends to get better results. He was lucky to get into the lineup, so I’m hoping he can make the best of this opportunity.”

Nonkono Yume

Yukihiro Kato, trainer
“He gained some 10kg from the Champions Cup and his muscle tone was good so I’d had my hopes up for the Negishi Stakes. It was his first time over 1,400 meters but I have no complaints about the ride he got, moving him out as he headed into the stretch. He was carrying 58kg but it came down to a duel in the final stages and he was able to catch and pass Sunrise Nova. It was a hard enough track to make it a record time and he got shin splints so I was worried how that would affect him. But he got over them right away, which is the most important thing, and he’s full of energy now. On Feb. 7, we worked at a 15-15 pace up the hill course and on the weekend too. The jockey (Hiroyuki Uchida) breezed him this week. That should be enough. With it being a mile this time, it should be an easier race to run, but I’d like to see him go wide in the stretch, like he did last time and avoid the kickback. He carried 58kg last time but this time all horses will carry the same weight so he’ll be at an advantage. I’m hoping for a good race.”

Sound True

Noboru Takagi, trainer
“In the Kawasaki Kinen last race, he reared up at the break and ended up racing from behind. Still, he handled the slow pace well but the winner K T Brave did a real nice job. This horse didn’t get the trip he needed, but that can’t be helped. He was a bit tired after that and wasn’t using his hindquarters quite enough. I’d thought I’d see how things went and decide whether to run him here or not but everything is looking good. He was eighth in last year’s February Stakes. The start over the turf is a point of concern and probably that will be a factor again this time. The Tokyo mile is a bit busy for him. Still, he has a good turn of foot and if the pace is strong and the field opens up, I think he’ll be able to show us his best. Unlike the relaxed pace of the NAR races open to JRA runners, the pace of the JRA races are more suited to his racing style.

Sunrise Nova

Hidetaka Otonashi, trainer
"The pace was pretty good in the Negishi Stakes, but he looked to be handling it well. In the end, I think the difference came down to his having moved out just a bit earlier than the winner. But I think the jockey gave him a perfect ride. Even though his time was the same as the winning record time, he came out of the race well and everything has gone according to plan since. Last weekend, he worked at a 15-15 pace and this week he had his fast work on Feb. 14. With that, I think he'll be ready. In the Musashino Stakes, he fell back during the race and on top of that the pace slowed. He normally gets good results over 1,800 meters but this time things were a bit confusing and that did him in. He has won the Unicorn Stakes too, so I think a furlong more than the Negishi Stakes will be a plus. The competition will be stronger but if the pace is halfway decent, he'll be able to show his best."

T M Jinsoku

Kazuyoshi Kihara, trainer
“The winning margin in the Tokai Stakes may not have been large, but it was a perfect race – he allowed the second place horse to follow easily during the trip and Yoshihiro Furukawa said he ‘still had a lot left’ after the race. I had him working up the hill course right away at a relaxed 15-15. He has a big stride so his time is often faster than you expect it will be just by watching him. He’s fresh and full of energy. Last week, we worked him on the woodchip course on the flat and, from the time he got out on the track, he was very relaxed. He traveled nice and smoothly without getting worked up. This time we have the start over grass and only one turn. It’s his first time over 1,600 meters and it’s his first time to make the trip to eastern Japan. It’s closer than Kokura though, so I think he’ll be OK but there are a lot of new things he hasn’t experienced yet. It’s a Grade 1 race and I’m hoping he’ll take heart from the others and give us a race we won’t regret.”