Akaitorino Musume

Sakae Kunieda, trainer
“In her debut race, she didn’t understand racing yet, but from her second start she started to race as I’d expected. Especially in the Queen Cup, she was able to get a good position, keep up well, and though she made her move a bit early, she ran really well. I was able to watch with no anxiety. After that race, I kept her at Miho and have trained her with this race as our target. Jockey Takeshi Yokoyama rode her last week and urged her on strongly. I could see that she has matured. As far as her muscling goes, she’s different from her dam, but she has improved with each race. I think she’ll be able to stay calm during the trip to the track and I don’t think the outer course long upward slope in the stretch or the trip west will present any problems.”

Art de Vivre

Teiichi Konno, trainer
“Her weight had dropped a lot for the Queen Cup, but that was because she’d been too heavy in her debut the race before. The weight loss had nothing to do with shipping her to the track. Her responses were a bit slow in the race when the jockey asked her to move but I think that was due largely to the time between races. She should be better this time. Her preparation has gone as planned. She’ll have a different jockey (Mirco Demuro) and last week he rode her in work to get a reading on her. Her movement was good. If things continue as they have been, I think she’ll go to the gate in good condition. She will surely have improved from her last race when she had returned after several months off. She has gradually gotten leaner and her hindquarters are stronger. Even amid this field, I think her late speed will be competitive.”

Blue Bird

Yoshiyasu Takahashi, trainer
“Watching her in her last race, I do think 1,400 meters was too short for her. She’s a big mover, so a bit more distance should suit her better and bring out her strongpoints. On March 31, we urged her on strongly up the hill course and she clocked 53.3 seconds over four furlongs. This week we timed her at 53.8 seconds up the hill. She’s not showing any signs of fatigue from her last race and has definitely improved since then. She’s not able to get quickly away from the gate so I wasn’t concerned about the draw. She probably will race from further back.”

Daichi Shibata, jockey
“In the Hochi Hai Fillies’ Revue last out, she wasn’t able to keep up and her responses were poor. She wasn’t herself. I think she had had too much time (nearly seven months) between races.”

Elizabeth Tower

Tomokazu Takano, trainer
“Last week, she trained alone and it was mostly a good workout. She has a bit of difficulty taking the bit evenly and running straight. So, we’ve been working on fixing that. Last week she got passing marks in all areas. On Sunday she worked in tandem and the rider got after her. Even with that, she took the bit well. This week, she worked alone, ran nicely balanced and was nicely forward. She’s not built like most fillies. Last week’s Osaka Hai winner Lei Papale takes a lot of work to keep her in condition but this horse is so much easier. She’s a hearty eater with a good frame and a wide chest. Her heart and lungs have got to be strong. I think the ground is going to be difficult at Hanshin with the rain last week. But, with her bloodline and since she has won over the Hanshin mile, she’s definitely not unsuited to the venue.”

Enthusiasm

Shogo Yasuda, trainer
“Rather than doing well directly after a layoff, she is the type of horse that does better with a sharpener. Before the Flower Cup she was a bit heavy in morning work but she ran well in the race. She finished second so was able to add to her earnings. We had the option of going directly to the Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks), but she came out of the race so well and was showing improvement, so we decided to go to the Oka Sho. She got to let off some steam in track work last week and everything has gone as planned. In a race, she’ll still put the brakes on at points and is still somewhat immature as far as her temperament goes. I think she’ll be able to handle 1,600 meters and I’m hoping it will add to her experience.”

Fine Rouge

Yu Ota, assistant trainer
“There were so many firsts for her in the Fillies’ Revue, first time racing to the right, first time at Nakayama, first time over the mile. And, even though it was an exhaustive race for her, she was great. She was a rock. She is always a bit hesitant turning out of the backstretch, but when she heads into the stretch, she really moves. Last week, she had a long workout over six furlongs and this week, even with the trip to the track in mind, she had a solid workout under jockey Yuichi Fukunaga. She looks like she’ll go to the gate in about the same shape she was for her last start. Normally, her behavior is still pretty immature, but she has no problem with a race. She has a good racing sense. This time, the jockey will be up for the first time but with it being Fukunaga I’m not worried.”

Yuichi Shikato, trainer
“She had good workouts on March 31 and April 4 and with the trip to the track, I just had the jockey breeze her. You could almost see her moving to the rhythm as she worked. She was a bit slower than I thought she’d be but the jockey kept her moving fast until the second turn so I think it left her with just the right amount still in the tank. In the Anemone Stakes, the pace was strong and she moved quickly to the front on her own. She finished in second place but it was a good race. She hadn’t yet experienced rough turf, so considering the fast pace throughout, she did a good job. Because she’s high-strung, maintaining her balance is crucial. She breaks well and will probably race from a position near the front. I don’t think the trip to the track will be a problem. We plan to ship on Friday and school her on Saturday.”

Ho O Ixelles

Mizuki Takayanagi, trainer
“In the Flower Cup last race, she broke well and had a ground-saving run on the inside. The jockey (Kyosuke Maruta) did a very good job. She’s not a big horse and I don’t think she has matured that much. I think she’s a bit leaner around the middle. It’s a tight rotation but we’ve done our best to have her in good shape. She went all out in her last start and did have some fatigue. So, it’s been more a matter of tuning her up. It’s her first trip to the west but she has traveled to Niigata and Fukushima so I’m not worried. I think she’ll be able to handle the mile as well, and from the looks of her last race, it didn’t appear to be too busy for her. The pace will likely be strong so I don’t know if holding back will help but the race should be an easy one to run. I always do worry about the break. We’ve given her gate practice and she’s calmer now than she was for her last race so she should be able to be patient in the gate.”

Kukuna

Toru Kurita, trainer
“Although the Lucky 7 gate is good, most important thing is that she made the cut. This is the race we’ve been aiming for her. Between races, I gave her some time off at the farm and I had my eye on the New Zealand Trophy the day before the Oka Sho as well. Her condition and weight haven’t changed much but I think her hindquarters have gotten stronger. They’re fuller looking. Her responses were good working on the woodchip flat course on March 31 in tandem with another horse. She clocked 66.2 seconds over five furlongs. Jockey Kazuma Harada (Yusuke Fujioka will ride the race) rode her on April 4. On April 7 she worked up the hill and clocked 54.8 seconds over the four furlongs this week. In her last start I think she used up too much early on and was tired by the end. Three starts ago she went up into a tight space and broke through. That’s the kind of racing I want to see. I think Hanshin will suit her. I’d like a fast track.”

Meikei Yell

Hidenori Take, trainer
“I do the main fast work on Saturdays. Last week and the week before that, I put a horse ahead of her. She worked alone on March 31 and this week I had a horse in front and checked how she was taking the bit and how she responded when I moved her out and urged her on. Last race she was returning from a layoff and it felt like it. But now, she’s let off some steam and we should see improvement. The pace was slow last race and she had an inside draw so she fought her rider in places and got in the way of some other horses. Even so, she gives it her all. Her strength is her competitiveness. I think she has a great deal of potential. The biggest concern with this horse is getting her to settle. We had her in a cross noseband last time and she didn’t like that. This time we’re going to keep it simple. She has a lot of talent. She’s been over the Hanshin mile twice, the first time from the far outside gate, the second from the far inside. An outside gate would allow her to move easily.”

Minnie Isle

Hiroshi Minai, assistant trainer
“The first time over the Hanshin 1,400 meters, in the Fantasy Stakes, she was overly excited before the race and wasn’t able to give it her best. In her second time over 1,400 meters, in the Fillies’ Revue, when she turned for home, I thought she might just make it. Maybe it was due to her two Kokura starts, but she was still a bit stiff. For the last race, we’d had two full weeks in between races, so we’d kept her at the training center, which may also have contributed to the stiffness. This time we gave her a week off, and her preparation has gone well. Her work up the hill course is good, as usual. Last race, she was tense and didn’t break well. If she can remain calm before the break, I’m certain she’ll be able to show us her ability. I’m hoping the trip suits her.”

Satono Reinas

Sakae Kunieda, trainer
“She worked on the woodchip flat course and I had her chase another horse. She came up on the inside and lined up. I wanted the jockey (Christophe Lemaire) to check her responses in the finish. He rode last week too. With the trip to the track, I was sure to see she didn’t get overworked. Lemaire was very happy with her. She was calm and her responses were better than last week. She’s clever and she’ll recognize Hanshin as the same place she raced at the end of last year. She’s very responsive and has gotten ample work. There’ll be no problem there. I thought she had won that last race but she lost it by a nose. It would help if her build was a little more suited to the distance. But she learned a lot from that race and I think she’ll respond a bit better this time. When she came back from the farm she was considerably bigger, powerful and much calmer and composed, which should all help. I hope the track is fast.”

Shigeru Pink Ruby

Kunihiko Watanabe, trainer
“In the Fillies’ Revue last out she got a good position and ran solidly until the end. It was a very good race and the jockey (Ryuji Wada) did a nice job. She’d been agitated and tense after her debut race, but this time she was relaxed. And she came out of the race well. I kept her at the training center after that. Last week she worked in tandem over the woodchip flat course. Her movement was good and she looked full of energy. She finished 17th in the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies but at that time she was still immature, both physically and mentally. I would disregard that race as it didn’t reflect her ability. The extra furlong this time and how she’ll handle it will be key. Her strongpoint is her agility, her ability to maneuver well. I hope she’ll be able to make good use of that.”

Sodashi

Naosuke Sugai, trainer
“She worked with a horse named Magical Stage (3-year-old Maurice filly), who’s also racing this weekend. That horse just raced March 28, so I wasn’t doing anything too hard, which was perfect for Sodashi. ‘Run together and finish together,’ were my directions and that’s what they did. Everything looked very nice. Last week and the week before, we pushed Sodashi hard and I can’t even begin to describe how well she has come along. We did everything we wanted to after bringing her back to the training center two months ago. There were some mental aspects we needed to work on and she got gate practice too. When she first got back, she was a bit nervous but she has matured over these two months and I see a marked difference. Physically, there’s not much difference but she has good muscling. The staff has been really good about caring for her and, being all white, it’s not easy. She gets a lot of attention every day. I think she’ll be able to maintain her rhythm and stay balanced. This is the most important. A difficult surface shouldn’t be a problem for her.”

Toru Hayashi, trainer
“She’s gotten better at the break with each race. Last out, at Chukyo, she ran an impeccable race. She was able to get a good position despite the fast pace and gained ground in the final stage. This time, we’ll leave for the track the morning before race day so it’s the same as going to Chukyo. She’s calmer now, in a good way, but I’ve got her in cheekpieces so she’s not too laidback. She’s moving well. She switches on once she’s at the track, so I don’t plan to have her wear the cheekpieces on raceday. She does well even without a prep. More importantly, because she’s had an easy schedule, I can see how well she has matured. Even if the times are fast, she’ll be OK. She has a chance.”

Kazuyuki Ogata, trainer
“In the Crocus Stakes, even with the slow pace, she lightly had a hold of the bit. The jockey (Hironobu Tanabe) had her wait, then moved her out from the inside rail in the stretch. I’d been worried about the inside draw but she did very well. We earned enough so we could come directly to the Oka Sho as planned. She’s been back at the training center since the end of February and gradually had her workload increased. I’ve had her train mostly on the flat this time and the jockey rode her in work on March 31. Her time was good. She’s got a good frame and is strong, doesn’t get tired and is a good eater. She’s traveled to Niigata twice so the trip to the track shouldn’t be a problem. And I think she’ll be able to stay the mile. With this lineup, the pace likely won’t be slow, which should make it easier for her.”

Stutti

Yutaka Okumura, trainer
“In the Tulip Sho, she left the gate and went to the top on her own. Even when passed by others she didn’t lose her rhythm but ran solidly to the end. Before the race, she’s always tense and agitated but not once she’s running. She went to the farm after that for a bit to refresh and has been getting regular work since returning to the training center. On April 1 she worked on the woodchip flat course, looked switched on, and her footwork was good. She has maintained her condition. She definitely needs just a little bit more, but her strongpoints are that she can run at any track and is always tuned in to the rider.”

Yoka Yoka

Kiyoshi Tani, trainer
“In the Fillies’ Revue she made her move at the only time she could so losing was frustrating but there was nothing that could have been done better. In the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies no horses wanted to lead so she did and finished in fifth. But in the Fillies’ Revue she raced in fifth position and missed the win by only a neck so I think she has learned a lot that will stand her well this time. She came out of the race well and has been looking good. Last week, the jockey (Hideaki Miyuki) rode her in morning work over the woodchip flat course. She ran fast throughout so her time over the final stage wasn’t that fast but it was a good hard workout as planned. She can do well over a slightly heavy track, so a race like her last one would be good and would be a help amid a full gate of 18.”