Al Jannah

Yasutoshi Ikee, trainer
“We’ve taken care of him to make sure he’s in good condition. Even though he can pull a bit, I thought he ran well last time, and the four corners in the race this time should be a help. There’s no big change with him, and it’s important things go smoothly for him here, as his career develops.”

Bitterender

Ikuo Aizawa, trainer
“It’s quite a tough rotation for him, but we’ve given him plenty of care. In his last piece of work on the woodchip course, he showed a lot of power in his responses, and he’s in good condition all round. He’s by Orfevre, so seeing out the trip should be fine and he has run at Tokyo. The jockey’s well prepared for everything, so I hope for a good run.”

Akihide Tsumura, jockey
“I’m coming back from injury, and although that might not be the best scenario, it’s really given me motivation to ride in the Derby. I don’t always get to ride in the race. The horse deserves to get his run here, and he’s relaxed and moving well. I’m grateful to the trainer who has supported me since my debut.”

Black Hole

Ikuo Aizawa, trainer
“The jockey feels that the horse is moving well and finishing off his training as usual. It’s good to have him in the condition where one race can lead to the next as you would want. He’s a horse that races from off the pace, and he’s shown flexibility in racing both left and right- handed. While recent Derby winners have been well forward in the run, I hope he can adjust to how the race is run this time.”

Contrail

Yoshito Yahagi, trainer
“He posted a time in the 52 second range in his last piece of work, which he did solo. He ran nice and straight, and he’s well balanced. He’s good in his hindquarters now and runs smoothly. Mentally also, I’m happy with him. I think the distance and the track at Tokyo will be fine, and I’m not worried about the draw.”

Shigeki Miyauchi, assistant trainer
“Judging from his last race, the 2,400 meters should be fine. He has run at Tokyo, and with him leaning slightly to the right, racing left-handed should be better.”

Yuichi Fukunaga, jockey
“I think the way he won last time showed how good he’s become, getting gradually better since last year. I know him well and he doesn’t give me anything to worry about, whether it’s before or during the race. I hope he can be this year’s Derby champion.”

Cortesia

Takashi Suzuki, trainer
“He’d gained weight for his last race, but that’s him developing, and he has improved in a short time. He runs well when he gets into top gear, and I don’t think there’s too much difference between him and the other runners. He should be better than he was last time out.”

Kohei Matsuyama, jockey
“It feels like he’s developing well, the way he’s become stronger. His footwork is noticeably good. He should have no problem handling the four corners in the race.”

Darlington Hall

Tetsuya Kimura, trainer
“On the woodchip course in his final work, he was full of himself. He was a bit off in his run last time, but his balance seems corrected now and hopefully he’ll get into the flow of things better this time. He has one win at Tokyo, so I think he can handle the track.”

Yu Ota, assistant trainer
“The key is to get him to run smoothly, and I think he’s more balanced now than he was for the Satsuki Sho. I like to think he’ll be able to step it up here and perform well over the 2,400 meters.”

Deep Bond

Ryuji Okubo, trainer
“He worked well on the woodchip course in his final piece of training, and his time was better than I had thought. He’s a tough horse, but didn’t quite match up to them in the Satsuki Sho, although he won last time. He’ll take on some of the horses he lost to two starts ago, but I think he’s strong enough now to do it. The long straight at Tokyo will suit the way he runs.”

Ryuji Wada, jockey
“He’s finished off his work well in training, and his reactions have been good. He was in good condition for the Kyoto Shimbun Hai, and this time with the distance of 2,400 meters he should have no problem settling and getting a position. I’d like him to get a smooth run and finish off strongly in the homestraight.”

Galore Creek

Hiroyuki Uehara, trainer
“He had a short break at the farm after his last race and has come back refreshed. He’s a big horse with a stride to match, so everything about the Tokyo course goes in his favor. On his dam’s side, the distance looks fine. We’ll have to consider the draw and how the race might be run, but he’s flexible, and with the jockey (Yuga Kawada) he’s got, he’ll know what to do. So I have nothing to worry about heading into the race.”

Manabu Ikezoe, trainer
“We’ve been careful to work him just enough, and not make him tired. Using the Triabit, he still leans a little to the right, but he should race smoother left-handed with the practice he’s had. That and the extended distance should help him. While he’s still a young horse, it’ll be interesting to see how he performs against the strong opposition here.”

Man of Spirit

Takashi Saito, trainer
“It’s been good to see him getting stronger with each race as he develops, and I was pleased I could look to the Derby with him. I think he’ll go well over 2,400 meters. Hopefully he’ll run a good race and we can look to the future with him.”

My Rhapsody

Yasuo Tomomichi, trainer
“He looked good in his last piece of work, stronger than the week before. He’s had cheekpieces and blinkers on and he’ll wear these in the race. Since his debut, I’ve thought the Tokyo track would suit him and the Derby trip would also be a good match. He’s good at getting into a race and finding a position naturally. He runs with a lot of power and I hope he can sustain that to the end this time. An inside draw would be good.”

Salios

Noriyuki Hori, trainer
“His weight is about the same as it was for his last race. He’s maintained his appetite and there’s a sharpness about him, and with the weather being much as usual at this time of year, his condition is how I would anticipate it to be. This has to be the top priority. His heart and lungs are strong, and so everything is fine with him going into the race.”

Damian Lane, jockey
“His final piece of work was very good, and he was full of running, particularly at the finish. A jockey only has one chance to ride a particular horse in the Derby. I wasn’t fortunate enough to win last year, but I have another chance now. It’s a great experience to win a Grade 1 race in Japan, and it’s helped me to improve as a jockey. I’d like to thank the connections for the ride this time and want to do my best.”

Satono Flag

Sakae Kunieda, trainer
“He’s been at the stable since his last race, and on the 27th he worked well, stretching out impressively at the finish. He ran pretty well last time, despite having a slight tendency to incline his neck. He wasn’t beaten by much. I think with his win last year at Tokyo in record time, and with the distance this time, he won’t be far away from the other strong runners. With his jockey too, I can only have a positive image about things.”

Yutaka Take, jockey
“He’s already showed what he’s capable of at Tokyo, and I don’t see any problem with the distance. When I rode him before, the ground was soft, so I think he’ll be better on a firm track. The Derby’s a special race, and with him being a son of Deep Impact, that goes well with me. I’ve won a Derby in each of the past three decades, so going into this next one, I hope I can win again.”

Satono Impresa

Yoshito Yahagi, trainer
“We didn’t push him to the limit in his final workout, but he looked good and ran well. It’s been a short time between races, but his condition’s good and he’s been as expected. With the Tokyo track and distance, one key will be him finding his rhythm. The jockey rides him well.”

Shigeki Miyauchi, trainer
“He’s done enough in the short time since his last run. He’s quite easy to ride. The distance will be one of the keys, but hopefully he’ll adjust to things and be able to run a good race.”

Ryusei Sakai, jockey
“It’s great to have a ride in the Derby, and I really feel it’s something. It would be good if one of the horses from our stable gets to win.”

Valcos

Yasuo Tomomichi, trainer
“I’ve seen a big improvement in him since last summer, and he’s a serious horse with a lot of stamina. I think on his pedigree and his racing style, the distance and the long straight at Tokyo will suit him well. His current condition is good, and even if the ground has a bit of give to it, he’ll be fine. Every year, it’s said an inside draw is good, so hopefully we’ll be on the inside.”

Kosei Miura, jockey
“I’ve watched his races, and it’s clear his footwork is very good. He doesn’t need to hurry into a position and settles well, and like last time, he moved up gradually and just kept on going until the end. It’s a special horse that can do this. I’d like to think I can get a Derby winner for the owner.”

Wakea

Takahisa Tezuka, trainer
“He hasn’t shown any tiredness after his last run, and his break at the farm has left him refreshed. His condition has improved with the warmer weather. I was satisfied with his last piece of work which showed me he’s good going into the race. Racing left-handed at Tokyo will be fine, bearing in mind he does lean a little. We don’t know about the distance until we try, and it’s sure to be a tough race, but it’ll be interesting to see what he can achieve.”

Weltreisende

Yasutoshi Ikee, trainer
“He’s done well in training and he is improving, particularly when it comes to switching leads and running a lot smoother. There’s no problem with his hooves now. The distance of the Derby should be fine for him, and after his last race I definitely think he’ll improve. He should be in peak condition for this race.”

Win Carnelian

Yuichi Shikato, trainer
“His appetite’s been good and he’s filling out more. He recovered quickly from his last race and I consider him to be in good condition. He’s a lot more relaxed and not pulling so much. Of course, the 2,400 meters is a bit of an unknown, and the opposition is strong, but if he gets to run smoothly at a pace to suit, he should put in a good run.”