Cassius

Hisashi Shimizu, trainer
“Whether he’ll get further than a mile, I’m unsure, but up to mile I think he can adjust, and he has run at Tokyo. It’s a long home straight, but the jockey knows him well. He’s coming along fine for a young horse. He’s up against some strong opponents, but I want to see what he can do here.”

Michihiro Oshita, assistant trainer
“In his last piece of work, we didn’t push him that hard, and there’s no change with him. The key to him will be getting him to settle well, and then producing something over this trip.”

Danon Smash

Takayuki Yasuda, trainer
“We’ve been concentrating on getting him into a good rhythm, and having the jockey get the feel for this. The horse’s movement is good.”

Keiichiro Yasuda, assistant trainer
“He ran on his debut in Niigata, so I think there’s no problem with transporting him far. While he will develop a lot more from now, the way he currently is, it will be interesting to see what he can do in the race.”

Delta Barows

Kazutomo Mori, assistant trainer
“He’s recovered from some tiredness after his last race and is now very well in himself. He won on his debut at Tokyo over 1,600 meters, so that got his career off to a good start. The horse possesses good speed. However, it is important to get him to adjust to things, and hopefully all will be smooth with him leading up to the race, so that he can get to run in the best way possible.”

Encore Plus (horse #9)

Yasuo Tomomichi, trainer
“I think she’s the type to show her best over 1,600 meters, and she should be suited by the long Tokyo straight. She has a good late turn of foot, as well as a will to win. While she’s up against the colts this time, I believe she can do well if she produces her best.”

Kota Fujioka, jockey
“Last Sunday she trained well, finishing off strongly in the last half mile of her work. Her movement’s good, and there’s a good feel to her now she’s more relaxed.”

Fast Approach

Kazuo Fujisawa, trainer
“The horse has been good in training. The race jockey has been riding the horse and reports everything to be fine. I think the Tokyo mile will suit him perfectly.”

Daisuke Tsumagari, assistant trainer
“He hasn’t run at Tokyo since his debut, but I think he’s suited by the track. In his races up to now, he hasn’t been beaten by that much, and I think he’s capable of producing another good race where he won’t be far away.”

Frontier

Teruhiko Saruhashi, assistant trainer
“He looks to be improving. He races well going left-handed, as we saw in his maiden win, the Niigata Nisai Stakes, and most recently the Falcon Stakes. There’s an extra furlong this time, but he has won over a mile. With the condition he’s in, I think he can run a big race.”

Hiroyuki Uchida, jockey
“He did his hard work last week, so I just confirmed that everything is well with him in his most recent trackwork. He responded well, and he’s an easy horse to ride.”

Gibeon

Hideaki Fujiwara, trainer
“He was very relaxed in his final piece of work. He’s shown that he can run well at Tokyo which I think is a plus.”

Nobuyuki Tashiro, assistant trainer
“He’s an honest type and mentally strong too, so he’s able to perform well and keep to his task, doing what the jockey wants him to do too. I think he’ll be fine over the shorter trip this time, and Tokyo should suit his big stride. While he’s still young, he has a good enough chance here, and it being a Grade 1, I’m really looking forward to it.”

Mirco Demuro, jockey
“He’s a good horse, and the Tokyo track looks good for him.”

Katsuji

Kaneo Ikezoe, trainer
“He’s a horse that doesn’t have any bad habits and is easy to ride. His condition is about the same as it was for his last race. He’ll be going left-handed for the first time, but I don’t think it’s a worry, and the way he ran last time, the switch to Tokyo would seem to be fine. His strong point would be he can run in any kind of race. A ground saving run would be ideal, so that he can be produced late down the outside.”

Kohei Matsuyama, jockey
“Since his debut he’s seemed like a good horse. He’s easy to ride and can race from any position. He showed a lot of ability last time too. It’ll be his first time at Tokyo, so I want to make sure I ride him well. One key will be how he handles the transportation over. His last piece of work was good, and together with trainer Ikezoe, I want to win this Grade 1.”

Keiai Nautique

Osamu Hirata, trainer
“While his mother didn’t get results on left-handed tracks, this horse seems more flexible and has a good running style, leading me to believe that a long home straight is a plus for him. In his last piece of work, we weren’t worried about the time, he just had a light run not even taking the bit. This was just right for him where he’s at now. He’s had experience transporting a long way for a race, so I think all things considered, he has a good enough chance.”

Yusuke Fujioka, jockey
“He’s an easy horse to control, even when working with other horses. He has a good stature. The first contact with him, he felt light, but strong. He has a big stride and runs with a good rhythm, so I think the change to a more open track will suit him. I want to ride him to the best of my ability and get a good result.”

Lucas

Kazutomo Mori, assistant trainer
“He’s filled out a lot more and should be going into the race just fine. While not necessarily thinking of him as a miler, his full brother Maurice was, of course, so strong over a mile. It’ll be his first run over a mile, so it will be something new for him, but it will be interesting to see nonetheless.”

Mr Melody

Nobuyuki Tashiro, assistant trainer
“He’s won on dirt also, so he can handle either surface well. He pulled a bit in the early stages last time, but soon settled down once he got cover. I think the extra distance will be no problem. He’s a horse with ability. He doesn’t have any trouble handling the transportation to the track, and he has gotten results racing left-handed. I think he has a chance here too.”

Yuichi Fukunaga, jockey
“In training, as in the race, the most important thing has been to match the horse’s running with his breathing. He’s a horse with natural speed, rather than one to save everything for a late finish. His power comes from that speed. He started well over 1,400 meters last time and got a good early position, so I think he can adjust easily to 1,600 meters. I’d like to get to the homestretch without losing any of the horse’s power up to that point, and of course want to ride him in the best way possible.”

Pax Americana

Teruhiko Saruhashi, assistant trainer
“He hasn’t raced left-handed since his debut at Niigata, when he was a little unbalanced in the home straight. Since then, however, his balance has improved. In training the jockey (Yuga Kawada) has worked him and things have gone satisfactorily. He now finishes off well, and being more balanced, I hope for him to run a strong race going left-handed this time.”

Primo Scene

Tetsuya Kimura, trainer
“The jockey seems happy with her. She’s in good condition and more relaxed than previously.”

Yu Ota, assistant trainer
“She’s come back in good condition after her break at Northern Farm Tenei. She’s the kind of horse that needs an extended run to get into stride well, and hopefully she can do that this time. I want her to show her true ability here.”

Keita Tosaki, jockey
“She couldn’t run to her full potential last time, and that was a pity. She’s been moving well in training though, displaying speed, and carrying on past the finishing line until the next corner.”

Red Veyron

Sei Ishizaka, trainer
“The race jockey’s been working him, and the horse has maintained his condition. He’s a colt I think something of, so I think he can run a good race here in a Grade 1.”

Yasunari Iwata, jockey
“He’s an easy horse to ride. In his last piece of work, he responded well without posting such a fast time due to the frantic pace set by the other horses.”

Rock This Town

Kazuo Fujisawa, trainer
“She’s more relaxed now than she was for her last race. She’s a good filly who didn’t show what she can do last time, so I’m hoping she’ll do better this time.”

Daisuke Tsumagari, assistant trainer
“She’s trained well uphill recently. She’ll just have the one turn in the race this time over the mile at Tokyo, and this will be better for her. Hopefully she can adjust to the way the race is run.”

Ryono Tesoro

Ryo Takei, trainer
“Even though he lost last time, I don’t put it down to the distance. Changing to racing left-handed will be better for him this time, as well as the longer homestretch, and what’s more, he’s shown his ability at Tokyo. I’m wondering to what extent he can bounce back here.”

Hayato Yoshida, jockey
“He’s done well in training these past two weeks, so he’s in good shape. It seems like he can put in a good performance at Tokyo this time.”

Tetradrachm

Kazuo Konishi, trainer
“She’s had enough of a break, and she came back to the stable relaxed. We’ve tried not to overdo things with her, especially last week in training when the track was heavy. She used to be tense, but isn’t so now. Hopefully in the race the jockey can get a good position and think about things as the race unfolds. It’s good to have one of the leading jockeys ride her. She’s up against the colts, but fillies have done well in the race recently, so I’m looking forward to her effort here.”

Hironobu Tanabe, jockey
“There are other strong horses in the field, but I think mine can give a good account of herself, and that she has a chance. She usually starts well and can get into a position that’s good, and it’s important that she gets to run her own race. She won a big race last time, and I want to try my best to get her to win a Grade 1.”

Tower of London

Kazuo Fujisawa, trainer
“Some are saying 1,400 meters is best for him, but it was a strong run last time, and if he can run like that, there’s no problem with the distance. Two starts ago, he didn’t run so smoothly in the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes, but last time was different. He had a tendency to just pull a little, but now he doesn’t. It’s not so long since his last race, so we’ve just trained him uphill, not worrying about fast times. He doesn’t have to travel far to the track this time, so that’s a good thing. He’s done well since his debut, and even though the Tokyo straight is long, and there are a lot of fast horses in the race, I think he can get a good result.”

Daisuke Tsumagari, assistant trainer
“It’s important for him to find his rhythm and get into the flow of the race. Having said that, he’s perfectly capable of doing so.”