Yasuda Kinen (G1) - Handicapper's Report on Japanese Contenders

Persian Knight

Sungrazer

Red Falx

Lys Gracieux

Moonquake

Satono Ares

Real Steel

Aerolithe

Suave Richard

Tower of London

The 2018 Yasuda Kinen will be joined by Western Express (AUS, G6, by Encosta De Lago; 117M) from Hong Kong. Western Express is one of the top milers in Hong Kong and second only to Beauty Generation (NZ, by Road To Rock) who completed a sweep of Hong Kong’s two leading mile races this season and predicted to be a strong candidate for the season’s Horse of the Year title. Runner-up in the both the Hong Kong Mile (G1, 1,600m) last December and his latest start in the Champions Mile (G1, 1,600m) in April, the Encosta De Lago (AUS, by Fairy King) gelding aims to become the first foreign contender since Bullish Luck in 2006 to claim the Yasuda Kinen title.

Meanwhile, neither the 2017 Yasuda Kinen champion, Satono Aladdin (JPN, by Deep Impact) nor proven miler Isla Bonita (JPN, by Fuji Kiseki), both retired to stud as of the end of last year, will be included among the Japanese field to face the challenge from Hong Kong. Air Spinel (JPN, H5, by King Kamehameha), a close runner-up in the Mile Championship (G1, 1,600m) last November, is also unavailable after being given a rest after just one start this spring but the 2018 Yasuda Kinen, with many other proven milers as well as some promising young runners and those seeking challenges from other categories in distance, is anticipated to be another exciting battle between the proven and the emerging new power. Here are some of the key runners that will be making their bid for this year’s title.

2017 Mile Championship victor Persian Knight (JPN, C4, by Harbinger) made great progress after his first grade-race win in the Arlington Cup (G3, 1,600m) early last year and was regarded as a promising three-year-old with a runner-up effort in the Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas, G1, 2,000m) followed by a close seventh in the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby, G1, 2,400m). Focusing on mile distances in the fall, he faced top older milers in the Mile Championship in which the Harbinger (GB, by Dansili) colt won impressively from behind to pin down the leader just before the wire for his first G1 victory. Stepping up in distance (1,800-2,000m) in his first two starts this spring, he did not fail to demonstrate his charge from behind in the Osaka Hai (G1, 2,000m) but was short by 3/4-lengths in second. He has a good chance to claim another big title over a mile, his best distance, in the Yasuda Kinen. He is rated 119I as of his runner-up effort in his previous start, the Osaka Hai.

Sungrazer (JPN, C3, by Deep Impact) came off a four-race winning streak since May last year which included his first grade-race victory in the Swan Stakes (G2, 1,400m), his fourth win, for the Mile Championship in which he finished half length behind the winner in third. He kicked off this season following a four-month break with another impressive performance in his latest start, the Milers Cup (G2, 1,600m), while renewing the race record. He is rated 116M as of his third-place finish in the Mile Championship and his victory in the Milers Cup.

Red Falx (JPN, H7, by Swept Overboard), a champion sprinter with back-to-back Sprinters Stakes (G1, 1,200m) titles in 2016 and 2017, barely manages when stepping up to a mile but his unfailing late charge proved effective over the homestretch at Tokyo Racecourse and carried the son of Swept Overboard (USA, by End Sweep) to third place in the Yasuda Kinen last year. He is winless in two starts this season while rated 116S,M as of his third-place finish in the Yasuda Kinen and his victory in the Sprinters Stakes.

Lys Gracieux (JPN, F4, by Heart’s Cry) has been recognized as a top class filly ever since her debut while yet to claim a G1 title although turning in runner-up efforts in the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies (G1, 1,600m) as a two-year-old and second again in the Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas, G1, 1,600m) and the Shuka Sho (G1, 2,000m) during her three-year-old campaign. Kicking off her four-year-old season with a win against boys in the Tokyo Shimbun Hai (G3, 1,600m), then a close third in the Hanshin Himba Stakes (G2, 1,600m), she came with a good late charge from behind in the Victoria Mile (G1, 1,600m) but missed again, this time by a mere nose, for second. Her racing style could benefit from a faster early pace seen more often in a mixed-field race. She is rated 111M,I as of her runner-up effort in the Shuka Sho, her victory in the Tokyo Shimbun Hai and another second in her latest start in the Victoria Mile.

Other proven grade-race winners include Moonquake (JPN, G5, by Admire Moon) who comes off his victory in the Keio Hai Spring Cup (G2, 1,400m) and rated 112M. Satono Ares (JPN, C4, by Deep Impact), winner of the 2016 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes (G1, 1,600m), is rated 113M. Real Steel (JPN, H6, by Deep Impact), who won the Dubai Turf (G1, 1,800m) in 2016 and third this year, has proved useful over the turf course at Tokyo Racecourse when winning the Mainichi Okan (G2, 1,800m) last year and rated 117M. Aerolithe (JPN, F4, by Kurofune) is also a three-year-old champion miler last year in the 2017 NHK Mile Cup (G1, 1,600m) and rated 112M.

The eye-catcher of this year’s field, however, is Suave Richard (JPN, C4, by Heart’s Cry) who has been raced at 1,800 meters or beyond ever since his debut as a two-year-old, claimed his first grade-race title in the Kyodo News Service Hai (G3, 1,800m) as a three-year-old prior to his runner-up effort in the Tokyo Yushun and landed another victory in the Copa Republica Argentina (G2, 2,500m) against his seniors followed by a fourth in the all-star Arima Kinen (Grand Prix, G1, 2,500m) in December. Focusing on middle-distance races from the beginning of this year, he came off his third career grade-race victory in the Kinko Sho (G2, 2,000m) and captured his first G1 title in the following Osaka Hai, brushing aside worries of handling right-handed tracks. While it will be his first step down to a mile, he is especially reliable over the course at Tokyo and is considered as the biggest threat among this year’s field. He is rated 121I as of his previous victory in the Osaka Hai which is the highest among racehorses trained in Japan as of May 23.

Another intriguing starter is Tower of London (JPN, C3, by Raven’s Pass). Winner of the Keio Hai Nisai Stakes (G2, 1,400m) and third in the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes as a two-year-old, the Raven’s Pass (USA, by Elusive Quality) colt kicked off his three-year-old season with his second grade-race win in the Arlington Cup (G3, 1,600m) and headed for the NHK Mile Cup but his unfortunate 12th-place finish in the race after stumbling at the gate and bumped by a rival from the outside at the stretch can be disregarded. The Yasuda Kinen has not had a three-year-old starter in the past three years but Tower of London has good potentials to compete against his seniors in the coming race and to become the next three-year-old winner after Real Impact (JPN, by Deep Impact) in 2011. He is rated 110M as of his victory in the Keio Hai Nisai Stakes, his third-place finish in the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes and his latest victory in the Arlington Cup.