Akaitorino Musume

Sakae Kunieda, trainer
 “She didn’t have any particular problems under way in the Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) but she just didn’t have quite enough in the finish, so finished fourth. But she ran well and should do better with more ground. She stayed at the training center after that. Jockey Christophe Lemaire rode her last week and found her easy to ride. She seems to have come along well in her preparations and this week Lemaire rode her again and was careful to not overdo it nor do too little. Her footwork was excellent. It’s 2,400 meters but her dam handled it well. But with Deep Impact as her sire, I think she’s especially suited to the long stretch. She stays well in hand, so the distance shouldn’t be a problem. She has three wins at Tokyo and races well over the spacious course. A mother-daughter Oaks victory is on the line. But, Apapane finished in a dead-heat. I’d like this one to have a straight-out, clean win.”

Art de Vivre

Teiichi Konno, trainer
“Last out, it being the Oka Sho, the jockey rode her more forward with an aim to win but, in the final stage, I had the feeling that that contributed to her not being able to gain as much ground. It came down to the difference in strength between her and the condition of the others. She has gotten regular work since, has been eating well and the sheen on her coat is better than it was for her last race. She’s maintained her weight at around 430 kg, so if the final prep goes as well, she should go to the gate better than she was last race. Sending her forward last time has given her the tendency to get a bit keen but this time, with the distance, I think she’ll be able to run more relaxed in the beginning and it’ll come down to a showdown at the end. She recorded the fastest final three-furlong time in her other two starts, so I think she should do well if she travels well.”

Cool Cat

Takeshi Okumura, trainer
“For the Flora Stakes, I’d thought the spacious Tokyo 2,000 meters would give her a change from race to race, and she was able to stretch out and run. The jockey (Christophe Lemaire) did a real good job guiding her. She doesn’t like when things get crowded so having a outside gate likely helped. I went to see her at the farm on May 7 and she was looking cut, with good muscle tone. I think she’s really starting to blossom. She was in a good state of mind too. I think we’ll be able to see a lot of improvement. She came back to the training center on May 12 and jockey Yutaka Take rode her this week. She has more distance this time but key will still be whether she can get a smooth trip with no traffic problems. The competition from the Oka Sho top finishers is steep, but each year I have the same feeling. There’s always room for someone else to get in there and be competitive.”

Enthusiasm

Shogo Yasuda, trainer
“In the early stages of the Oka Sho, she was traveling nicely and well-balanced. But when the pace picked up, her stride became irregular and she wasn’t able to fix it in the stretch. I got the impression that, rather than the busy mile, she’d be better with more distance, where she would be able to slowly ease into a higher gear. After her earnings from the Flower Cup, I figured backwards from the Oaks. With the Oka Sho in between, I decided to come here. Everything has gone smoothly and to plan. With the warmer weather the sheen on her coat has improved and she is showing definite improvement. She’ll mature even more, but this spring this race is the main event and it looks like she’ll go to the gate in very convincing shape. I’m eager to see how she’ll do.”

Fine Rouge

Yuichi Fukunaga, jockey
“I rode her in fast work this week in between two training partners. She was listening and responding to my cues well. I think she moved very nicely. Running form and maneuverability are points of concern for the Oaks and she gets high marks in both. She had an inside gate for the Oka Sho and was able to get a good position, then advanced beautifully up the stretch. It was a tough finish but she lived up to all my expectations and ran solidly to the end, which makes the prospects for this race good. For a 3-year-old filly, racing over 2,400 meters is not easy. It’s a tough race for any horse. From my experience, I think the ability to maneuver is more important than, when a horse is still not fully mature, a suitability to the distance. Excellent control is extremely important and she has it. She concentrates well too. I think she’s in excellent condition. The competition is strong but her racing in the Oka Sho was totally on par with the horses that finished ahead of her.”

Tomokazu Takano, trainer
“Last out in the Yaguruma Sho, the jockey (Takashi Fujikake)’s judgment was spot on. He read that the pace was going to be slow and he moved early. It was a fantastic ride. Stamina is her forte. And the long stretch did a great job of bringing it out. This will be her fifth start and she’s been at the training center the entire time, since the end of February. We clocked her last week and she was more on her toes than I thought she’d be. Her weight is down but she’s eating normally and it’s nothing to worry about. Since her debut, she has only raced at Hanshin, so this will be her first long trip east and her first time at Tokyo. But more than that, this will be her first time up against much stronger competition and I don’t know how she’ll measure up. She’ll handle the distance and she isn’t bothered by rain.”

Kukuna

Toru Kurita, trainer
“For the Oka Sho, the plan was to race from midfield but she ended up racing from the far rear. She’s a very cautious horse and I think that was what was reflected in the race. I do think that having raced from so far back did help running well in the end but finishing sixth from where she’d been while moving up the outside was surprising. She went to the farm after that and recovered more quickly than expected. She looked to have enough earnings to go to the Oaks, so that’s what we did. Last week, the jockey (Takeshi Yokoyama) rode her and she worked with an older horse. She was able to switch gears nicely and there were no problems with her temperament. The jockey got a good handle on her. Rather than less ground, I think more ground is better for her.”

Fumimasa Takahashi, trainer
“I had the jockey (Yutaka Yoshida) race from further back last out and I think she gave me the kind of race I’d pictured. And it was fantastic that she won. Before starting her prep, I sent her to the farm for a bit. Most importantly, she came out of her last start well. I put the jockey up last week for fast work and she looked passable. This week he rode again on the flat and she looked to have enough in the tank. It’ll be her first time over 2,400 meters and we won’t know how she’ll handle it until she runs. I think she’ll travel off the pace and make her move from there. Her strongpoint is that she always runs her heart out. I’m hoping this race will stand her well in the future.”

Yasuo Tomomichi, trainer
“I could have entered her in the trial race, but if I’d done that and she had been able to secure a berth in the Oaks, it would mean her having to ship to Tokyo twice. I wanted her to be the best she could be for the Oaks so I decided to focus on this race alone, gave her some time off at the farm, and then bring her back and get her ready. She has a tendency to lug to the right and with the course changing to Tokyo I had the jockey (Kota Fujioka) ride her on Tuesday when the track at the training center runs to the left. She worked with two other horses on May 13 on the flat and I didn’t see her lug out at all. She moved well, with power to pursue the others. On the 16th and 19th, she worked up the hill course. She has a good physique and has a good final drive so the distance is OK. I have no worries about the trip to the track either. The only concern is how she can measure up at this point.”

Purple Lady

Takeshi Okumura, trainer
“The ground was in good condition in the Flora Stakes and rather than take the more difficult route by going wide where the ground was sure to be good, the plan was to try to get an inside run. But at the first turn a horse moved out into her path and things didn’t go as we’d planned. She got moved further and further out. I don’t think her sixth place was bad, considering that. With three full weeks between races, it was just short enough to allow her to maintain her condition. On May 12, the focus in work was on the final stage and this week she worked on the flat with another horse and looked good. She’s eating well and full of energy. She covered the last three furlongs in 33 seconds something last out but she has a big stride and is not that well suited to a speed finish. I’m hoping she’ll be able to get a good run and be able to do well with a bit slower time in the final stage.”

Slyly

Ikuo Aizawa, trainer
“Her weight was done for the Flora Stakes, which was unusual, yet she didn’t look lacking. Most importantly, though, was that she was relaxed and she got a good position and traveled smoothly. But, the nose margin between her and the horse behind her was huge. It allowed her to secure a berth here. She really tried hard. Her recovery went well and we clocked her for the first time on May 9. She worked on the flat May 12 with another horse. She hasn’t gained weight but she’s been eating well. She’s had a lot of work so this week we just gave her a blowout on the flat. She should go to the gate in good shape. From her pedigree and her physique, I think she’ll be able to go the distance. Key will be whether she’s calm on raceday, as there will be spectators in the stands this time.”

Sodashi

Naosuke Sugai, trainer
“She was strong in the Oka Sho. Often when there’s a lot of Deep Impact progeny in the race, the question is how well others will measure up in a speed showdown. But she really did well amid them. She came out of the race without a scratch and after that has been at the training center nearly the whole time. She has handled all the work we’ve given her with ease. She’s been more than ideal and, in a good way, nothing has changed. She worked with a partner this week and we made sure to not overdo it and just get her breathing right. There were no problems whatsoever. People ask about the distance, but I’ve had my sights set on the Oaks from her debut and though she was great in the Oka Sho, I know she can handle more ground. I’m hoping she’ll listen well to jockey Hayato Yoshida and not get in any fights with him. She has a lot of power, so I think a track that has a bit of cushion to it would be best.”

Stellaria

Hiroyuki Fukuda, assistant trainer
“While we were preparing for the Wasurenagusa Sho, she went off her feed at times and didn’t move that well in work as she could have. I got the feeling she still needs to mature some. Despite that, she won the Wasurenagusa Sho, and that was a big thing. Unlike the Queen Cup over 1,600 meters, the extra distance looks like it made racing easier for her. After that, we took our time getting her recovered before upping the pace to prepare for the Oaks. She has slowly gotten better and her muscling has come out nicely. The jockey (Yuga Kawada) rode her on the flat last week and her footwork looked good when he urged her on a bit. I got a good feeling from her. She’s been able to come along well and I think she’ll be able to handle 2,400 meters.”

Kazuyuki Ogata, trainer
“The trip to Hanshin for the Oka Sho took a lot out of her and I think the weight loss influenced her performance. Normally, she’s raring to run but that time she didn’t even have enough to keep up. She wasn’t able to draw on what she has. She went to the farm and came back on May 5. Her movement is still a bit too compact, but by raceday she should improve. We’re doing what we can. She gives the impression of being a speed horse but her dam and grand dam both raced at over 2,000 meters, so I’d like to believe she can handle it too. Jockey Yoshitomi Shibata is good at getting a horse nicely in hand, so I’m hopeful for his ability.

Takayuki Nagi, assistant trainer
“There was little time between races going in to the Sweetpea Stakes, but jockey Yasunari Iwata, who’d ridden her first two races, was of the opinion that she could make the jump up, so we took on the trial. Jockey Mirai Iwata rode that and, with an eye to the Oaks, he was instructed to hold back in the early stages. He was able to do that and she gave us a performance far better than we’d hoped for. That should stand her well for this race. This time there’s more time between races but it will be a tough race, so our focus has been on preparing her while getting her fully recovered from her last start. I’ve had the jockey (Yasunari Iwata) ride her on weekdays. She had one race at Tokyo so I’m hoping she won’t lose weight during the trip to the track. She’s a fast learner, understands what the rider wants and tries to give it to him. I have no worries about the distance. She’s a big mover so the wide, long stretch suits her.

Tomohito Ozeki, trainer
“In the Mimosa Sho last out, if you consider the heavy going, her time was good. We’re starting to see some maturity and she won nicely. She has a bit difficult temperament and isn’t a horse you can keep racing, so I gave her some time off. I’ve prepared her for this race alone. On May 12, jockey Keita Tosaki rode her for fast work. Once she picks up speed, she’s not difficult and the jockey said she feels a lot more steady now. She worked up the hill on Sunday and on May 19 she had a good hard workout again. It’ll be her first time at Tokyo and the trip to the track will be longer than what she’s had before going to Nakayama. Both are points of concern. But, she has a strong heart and lungs and we don’t know what she’s capable of yet. I think the extra distance will bring out her best.”

Uberleben

Takahisa Tezuka, trainer
“The top two finishers in the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies were strong and this filly took an outside route, covered more ground, and really did well to finish in third by such a very small margin. She’d had some colic before the Flower Cup and the tight turns of Nakayama didn’t suit her. Last start, she gained ground nicely up the outside in the homestretch. In the end, the inside gate made things difficult. I kept her at the training center after that. Her work on May 12 wasn’t bad. Her weight fluctuates a lot and I don’t know why, but she’s not tired. She hasn’t yet raced in amid the pack, so she’ll probably go wide in the stretch and drive from there. The extra distance will be good for her. I think she can turn the tables on the two who finished ahead of her last race and she has finished very close to Sodashi, so I’m hoping this one will do well.”

Win Aglaia

Yuji Wada, trainer
“In the Flora Stakes, other horses were sent forward so she ended up racing from sixth position and, it was good because she was able to relax. The final stage was fast but she was able to keep up and the race should stand her well for the Oaks, the main event. She’s eating well and always improves with a race. Last week, she trained alongside another horse and when the rider urged them on, they finished together. Her movement was fine. This week, she just had a blowout and looked very on her toes. Her bloodline on her dam’s side is more suited to shorter distances, but this filly has more than ample stamina. She’s able to relax nicely, so the 2,400 meters is without a doubt a plus. I think it’s a very strong factor in her favor.”