Art House

Taku Fukunaga, assistant trainer
“In the Wasurenagusa Sho, she covered the last furlong in 11.1 seconds and still had more left. It was even a stronger win than we’d hoped for. After that we kept her at the training center, gave her about 10 easy days and then started to build up. Jockey Yuga Kawada rode her this week and last week on May 11 over the woodchip course, working with another horse. Last week she clocked 82 seconds over the six furlongs, with the last furlong a sharp 10.9 seconds. I think she moved well enough. She is eating well and everything is going as planned. Even from before her debut, I’d always thought that she was more suited to the Oaks than to the Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas). This has always been a target. There will be a lot of new things for her, but you won’t know until you try them. She doesn’t tense up and she can race relaxed, so I think the distance won’t be a problem. The left-handed track should be OK too.”

Belle Cresta

Naosuke Sugai, trainer
“Her gate in the Oka Sho was to the outside and she wasn’t able to get a good position. She did gain ground well in the stretch. Before that in the Queen Cup, things got jammed up and tight under way. The distance (1,600 meters) may have been busy for her, but she did look strong. I think she can do better with more distance. The jockey (Hayato Yoshida) rode her on the flat on May 12. Her time was good and she picked it up nicely for a sharp finish. This week, he just breezed her to check her responses. Everything has gone smoothly. Up against other 3-year-old fillies, I think the 2,400 meters will actually be an easier trip for her. She has narrowly missed winning over the left-handed Tokyo track and I’m hoping this time she can make the most of what the venue has to offer.”

Circle of Life

Sakae Kunieda, trainer
“The Oka Sho unfolded in such a way that it favored horses with inside gates and those with early speed. The jockey was aware that race favorite Namur was on the outside and that may have affected his timing. She went wide into the stretch and even so, was able to run solidly to the end. It wasn’t a bad performance. She stayed at the training center to prepare for here and things have gone as planned. I think she’s gotten better at catching horses. Her time on May 11 was good and she didn’t overdo it. Her footwork was flawless. She is still eating like she always does and she has kept her condition. If she’s able to run nicely balanced, she has a great late kick. She won the Grade 1 at the end of her 2-year-old year but I’ve always thought she would do better with more distance. The change to Tokyo is a plus and I’m expecting her to do better than she did in her last race.”

Erika Vita

Sakae Kunieda, trainer
“For the Flora Stakes, she was returning from time off but her weight hadn’t changed much. She was eating well, in good condition, and relaxed in the race. She broke nicely from the inside gate and traveled well, staying with the pace. I think she ran her own race. After that, she stayed at the training center. She had a good workout on May 11 and this week she just breezed. There is little time between races but she’s calm, relaxed, and has maintained her condition. Her career is still young and she’s not experienced compared to the others, but she was regarded highly from before her debut. If she can move up gradually and end with a strong final drive, she’ll be able to stay the distance.”

Shogo Yasuda, trainer
“In the Flora Stakes, the focus was on the final stage. The pace was extremely slow and she did get a bit unbalanced at the second turn, but soon settled again. After that, there was a sharp increase in pace that she’d never experienced, but she did well. I think that race will stand her well. This was the first time we kept her at the training center after a race and she is showing improvement. I rode alongside in work this week and she looked good. Her condition has improved as well. She is at the stage where she’s learning how to hold back. There will be horses to her inside with early speed, so if she can take up position behind them, she’ll be able to get a ground-saving trip. The plan is to keep an eye on the contenders and go all out in the finish.”

Lilac

Ikuo Aizawa, trainer
“Everything up to the day of the Oka Sho had gone according to plan, including shipping to the track. She had a bit of extra weight and was calm circling behind the gate before loading. In the gate, however, she had just sat back when the doors opened. She couldn’t keep up with the pace and was soon winded. She really wasn’t able to give the race anything she had. She stayed at the training center afterward and was easy to prepare. We clocked her first on May 4. I haven’t weighed her but she’s eating as usual so her weight shouldn’t be down. She has gate practice every Friday, and on May 6, I had jockey Kazuo Yokoyama ride her from the gate. Her responses were good and everything looked fine. The distance should be OK too. She has more talent than her brother, who finished seventh in the Japanese Derby (Black Hole in 2020). I have my hopes up once again.”

Naru Owada, trainer
“In the Mimosa Sho last out, she led the field at a good pace and the heavy ground worked in her favor. Everything came together well for the win. After a short break at the farm, she returned to the training center on April 29. She is a high-strung horse but has been calmer than before and she’s eating well, which is an added plus. The jockey (Yutaro Nonaka) rode her last week and she moved well. I get the feeling that after each race, her fast work gets better. If the track is fast and it all comes down to late speed, then it’ll be hard for her. I would welcome some rain like we had for her last start. She really gives it her all in a race and her stamina is her strongpoint. I am hoping she can go to the front and bring out her best.”

Namur

Tomokazu Takano, trainer
“The outside gate in the Oka Sho made things way too tough for her. She did try to get to the front on her own and I do think she can rally this time. She came back to the training center from the farm on May 6, is fully recovered and looking great. Before the Oka Sho, I focused on maintaining her condition and that made things somewhat difficult. This time, she has eaten heartily and her workouts have been great. This week, I didn’t want her to overdo it and I wasn’t concerned about her time. I wanted her to run hard over the final 200 meters and improve her footwork. It was a good final workout. She shifted gears well and the difference in speed was something you had to be strong to do. Afterward she was calm and relaxed, which was reassuring. I think the time off really did her good. She took the bit well in the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies and in the Tulip Sho, so how well she’ll settle and connect to the rider are key. As she has stayer blood on her dam’s side, she will be able to handle the 2,400 meters.”

Nishino Love Wink

Masahiro Yokota, assistant trainer
“In the Flower Cup, she raced from a more forward position than usual, was patient and held her ground, which was a good lesson for her. I think the time at the farm for a bit helped a lot. At her debut, she still wasn’t very strong and when she changed leads she would bear to right, but now she’ll be able to hold her own even over a long stretch. When she got back to the training center, she was quite high-strung, but has calmed down. With the way she is now mentally, there won’t be any concerns with the distance. Last week, we had her wait behind another horse, and focused on maintaining good contact with her. Her movement was good. She is gradually getting better at racing, and though her weight hasn’t changed, she is leaner. She has put on quite a bit of muscle and looks a lot like her sire Epiphaneia. Now she is able to maneuver better too.”

Personal High

Yusaku Oka, assistant trainer
“She had an inside gate in the Flora Stakes and the race went according to plan, with her taking the lead, and she secured her ticket to the Oaks. I think it was an ideal race. There was little time between the Oka Sho and that race, but fortunately she came out of the Flora Stakes without damage, and it didn’t seem to take much out of her. She is eating well and has recovered well. We have the trip to the track, so her last hard work was last week. In the Oka Sho, she did well with the cheek-pieces we put on her, and despite the traffic jams, she raced well in amid the pack. It was a good race. I have always thought she was more suited to the Oaks than the Oka Sho. Up against her peers, I’m worried even less about the distance.”

Tomonori Sugiura, assistant trainer
“It was clear from her debut that she had a lot of potential. Returning after a layoff for the Tulip Sho, she gutsily squeezed through the other horses and gained ground. Physically and mentally, she demonstrated that she’s a strong horse. Even with the traffic problems in the Oka Sho, she ran a strong race despite her fifth-place finish. She had a bit of time at the farm, and her preparation has gone well. She has never needed to train too hard and last week she had a good workout, and moved as she usually does. If things continue like this, we should go to the gate in good shape. She settles well and stays in contact with the rider well, so the distance isn’t a problem. She hasn’t had smooth trips in last two races and I think the long Tokyo stretch will be welcome.”

Presage Lift

Keita Tosaki, jockey
“The start was key in the Oka Sho. She was a bit slow out of the gate and raced from the rear. The pace was slow and even though she did quicken, it was a difficult trip. She did seem a bit stiff in the warm-up, but I don’t know if that factored in the result. This week in the first half of her workout she did seem a bit stiff, but then loosened up. I think her footwork was good. The start is the concern. After that, she’s an easy ride.”

Yu Ota, assistant trainer
“We gave her more time off after the Oka Sho, and this time she didn’t go off her feed. She is eating heartily and acting more like normal. With each race she’s gotten better on the bit and she’s more patient. Up against fillies her own age, I think she’ll be able to handle the distance.”

Rouge Eveil

Yoichi Kuroiwa, trainer
“The Flora Stakes was held on only the second day of the meet and she’d drawn the innermost gate. Both worked against her. Things turned out as I’d feared, including when it got tight in the stretch. But she did demonstrate she can get up to speed at Tokyo, so she took that from the race. With the next race up soon, I kept her at the training center. She hadn’t raced full out, so the damage was minimal. She is keeping her weight over 440kg recently, but since she has a stayer’s body, I’m not too worried about her losing a bit of weight. She had a good workout on May 12, wasn’t excitable at all and looked great. Jockey Kenichi Ikezoe breezed her this week. None of the runners have experience at 2,400 meters, and this horse seems to have the mental focus needed to handle the long stretch, so I’m looking forward to the race.”

Yoshinori Muto, trainer
“In the Wasurenagusa Sho, the race unfolded like an orderly procession, except for the winner. This horse ran well, but running on the outside, and with the fast times in the final stage, it was difficult for her to gain ground from her position. She is looking good now, nicely filled out. Although she won back-to-back races at Kokura in the winter, I’m now thinking she may actually be better in the summer months. The lineup is going to be much stronger this time, but there’s no worry about her being keen. She has very good stamina too, so the increase to 2,400 meters is definitely a plus. This will be my first Japanese Oaks runner since Nishino Akatsuki in 2014. She wasn’t a popular pick, but finished in fourth place. If there’s some rain and the overall times or the final three-furlong times are slower, this filly too should have a good run.” 

HorseName15

Juntaro Taira, assistant trainer
“She got a good position in the Tulip Sho and just missed getting her ticket to the Oka Sho. But it was good enough to have done well against strong competition. She moved on her own to get to the top and I think it was a very good race. She had some time off at the farm to refresh and she’s been calmer now, which is good and we were careful to keep her calm in her work on May 11. She has a nice sheen to her coat now and everything has gone as planned. She has won before racing to the left and has a good competitive streak. She has done well over poor ground, but a fast track is her best. She is always very eager to race, but we won’t know about the distance until we try it. Talent-wise, I think she measures up to the others.”

Stars on Earth

Mizuki Takayanagi, trainer
“In the Oka Sho, she took the bit nicely from early in the race, and did get into position. It was further back than ideal though, and she had trouble making progress. In the stretch, some horses on the inside moved out on her, but with horses on both sides of her, she didn’t lug out as usual and she gained nicely to the end. As usual, she went to the farm after that for a short break where she was well cared for and has gotten regular work. On May 12, as we’d done before her last race, jockey Makoto Sugihara rode her to check her balance. There were no problems with her footwork and she was nice and fresh. Her last four starts have all been over the mile, but she debuted at 1,800 meters and I think she’ll like having more distance. I am hoping she can get a smoother trip this time.”

Stunning Rose

Tomokazu Takano, trainer
“She has had two good races this year. They were close, but they proved her guts and talent. She is similar to Namur and she makes good use of everything she eats. She has had sufficient time between this race and the Flower Cup. She returned to the training center on April 28, brimming with energy. I had made the mistake when she was 2 years old of having too tight a rotation, and have now changed things. She has had hard workouts the last two weeks, and this week jockey Damian Lane was up just to get a reading on her. Things looked fine and Lane said that he has no complaints about her condition and there are no problems. The 2,400 meters is very different from the 1,800 meters, and we won’t know how it’ll go until we try. Many of her siblings and her dam raced over longer distances, and her sire (King Kamehameha) was a Derby winner. I think she’ll be able to handle the distance.”

Water Navillera

Koshiro Take, trainer
“When she moved out in the Oka Sho, I thought she was going to win but the winner was strong. She was in good condition and ran a good, smooth race. It was frustrating to lose by a nose, but there are no regrets. She recovered from that race well with no big problems. She has been moving well in trackwork since the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies. Since she was born late in the year, I didn’t rush things and I think she’s gotten stronger. This week’s workout was good too. She has had more time between races this time than she did going into the Oka Sho, so it has made getting her read a bit easier. I don’t know how she’ll do at this distance, but all the horses are in the same boat. She has calmed down a lot recently. The jockey (Yutaka Take) rode work last week and said she felt good.”