African Gold

Masato Nishizono, trainer
“He was able to take the lead nicely in the Hanshin Daishoten and he put in a solid effort to the finish. It wasn’t a bad race. On April 20, he worked alongside another horse on the woodchip flat course. He had gone to the farm for a bit after the last race and his preparation has gone well. It would be ideal if he could take the lead and put some distance between him and the others. There are a lot of strong participants and I’d like to avoid having the finish be decided by who has the fastest acceleration in the final stage. I’d like him to have a trip that leaves something for the finish.”

Ask Victor More

Yasuhito Tamura, trainer
“He lunged forward in the gate for the Nikkei Sho and the ground was also far from ideal. His ninth place just shows that he didn’t really participate. He stayed at the training center after that and last week the jockey was up to get a reading on him. I wanted him to understand this horse’s strong points and weak points. I think he did get a good idea of them. The horse’s movement was as usual and I have no complaints about it. With the Nikkei Sho as a preliminary, he is definitely sharper, both mentally and physically. His results in that race were really unfortunate and this time I’ve been fine tuning him and fixing anything that needed fixing. I’d say he’s in the same shape he was for the Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger). If he goes to the gate in this shape, I’ll have no complaints whatsoever. He has handled all his work and I’m looking forward to a good race.”

Boldog Hos

Hiroshi Miyamoto, trainer
“His start in the Hanshin Daishoten was his best yet. Even considering how a 3,000-meter race tends to unfold, he got a good position and raced from there. He made a good effort in the straight, but the winner had more acceleration. He went to the farm after that for refreshment and returned to Ritto on April 7. After that, he’s been getting work with this race as a goal. I discussed it with jockey Yuga Kawada, and since he was of the opinion that the horse does his best work when working alone, we decided to give him a solo workout over the woodchip flat on April 19. The jockey urged him on a bit over the last furlong and he covered it in 11.3 seconds. He ran solidly and Kawada said the horse felt better than he had the last time he’d ridden. The lineup is strong and it will be his first time over the course, but I’m expecting improvement after his last race. If it comes down to who has the most stamina, then I think he has a chance.”

Breakup

Sho Tajima, assistant trainer
“The Hanshin Daishoten (finished 3rd) was his first race after changing trainers, but he was in tune with the rider and things went smoothly. Showing us that he was capable of handling 3,000 meters was a big thing. His weight was down 10kg from his previous race, but since he’s always been a good eater and gets solid workouts, I think the number was fine. He went to the farm to refresh for a bit after that and returned with this race as our target. He worked with another horse on the 19th and went up the hill course easily. This will be his second start since returning and he’ll be showing improvement. He’s also more used to Ritto now, which will be another factor in his favor. His maneuverability last start was very good so I think he’ll be able to handle a furlong more. I’m hoping for a good race.”

Deep Bond

Ryuji Okubo, trainer
“In his most recent start, the Hanshin Daishoten, he was sent forward from the start and traveled in second position. He finished fifth but the race was, after all, a preliminary. This is the main objective. I wouldn’t say the race saw him improve in any dramatic way, but he does have a better air about him now. He gave us some nice footwork up the hill course two weeks ago, and last week jockey Ryuji Wada rode on the flat alongside a training partner. It was a good long, solid workout. This time it’ll be Kyoto for the first time in a while. He won the Kyoto Shimbun Hai, so the change in venue shouldn’t be a problem. It’s a G1 so there are a lot of strong members. I’m hoping this horse will be able to give it his very best.”

Deep Monster

Yuki Iwasaki, assistant trainer
“In the Kinko Sho, he definitely didn’t have enough running room in the homestretch and because he doesn’t have that swift of a turn of foot, he wasn’t able to pull out and away. Still, he did regain some ground bit by bit over the final yards and it wasn’t a bad race. With this race as our target, we kept him at the training center and his preparation has gone according to plan. Recently, he’s been a bit difficult about listening to the rider, but on the 19th he did well and I think it was a good workout overall. This week was the final fast work and I think he’s well enough prepared. A course that has a long straight is good for him. He finished fifth in the Kikuka Sho and I do hope he’ll be able to handle 3,200 meters.”

Diastima

Tomokazu Takano, trainer
“He ran a good race in the Nikkei Sho. I let the jockey (Yuichi Kitamura) decide on whether he wanted to take the lead or not, taking into consideration the gate they’d drawn. He decided to stay a little bit behind the frontrunner. It was a good race, with him well balanced and without being worn out pulling the field. He ran solidly to the end. Everything had gone as planned after that race, so we decided to aim for the Tenno Sho (Spring). He worked solo up the hill course on April 19 and clocked 57 some seconds over the four furlongs. Instead of just going for fast times, I’m giving more importance to how he’s feeling. Even though it was an allowance race, he did well in the Shorai Stakes, which was also over 3,200 meters. He definitely has the stamina needed. If he runs nicely balanced, I think he’ll be able to access his power to the best.”

Takafumi Aoki, trainer
“He had happened to get good results at the lefthanded Tokyo, but I’d never thought he would have any problems racing to the right either. He kept his mind on the race last out and won solidly. His having matured mentally was a big plus. He’s had three starts now since coming back after time off, so I don’t think he needs any hard training going into this race. It’s his first big race and 3,200 meters is an unknown distance, but I think with Chichicastenango and Real Shadai on his dam’s side, he’ll be able to handle it. Naturally, we’re aiming for the top spots, but it will definitely be tough going up in class to the top level amid a lot of strong competition. The horse and the jockey (Takezo Nagano) both have a lot ahead of them, so I want both of them to take advantage of this experience with an eye to the future.”

Humidor

Masahiro Yokota, assistant trainer
“After the Nakayama Kimpai two races ago, we decided to race him in the Diamond Stakes as jockey Hironobu Tanabe, who rode him in the race, gave us an advice to increase the distance. In the Diamond Stakes, this one gained ground up the inside in the stretch and demonstrated that he can do well at the distance, so it was a frustrating loss (second by a neck). We also considered to run him in the Hanshin Daishoten, but we sent him to the farm and he came back looking in really good condition. The Tenno Sho (Spring) is a tradition and it’s a race that even though you may want to enter, it’s not easy to. This horse has always had a strong heart, but with the years, he has started to get a bit difficult, so we thought that now was a good time to enter him since the long distance would suit him. His work last week looked good, but we have the long trip to the track, so we’ll have to think of how to best work around that and get him to the gate in good shape.”

Iron Barows

Hiroyuki Uemura, trainer
“In the Hanshin Daishoten (finished 7th), something just wasn’t right. He wasn’t his usual self. The jockey had him wait, but he was unusually well in touch with the rider. I think this horse does need a more aggressive race. Jockey Ryusei Sakai rode him in fast work last week and I think he understands that the horse has a lot of quirks and will run unbalanced. But, I do think he got a good reading on him. The increase in the horse’s weight is from his maturing. He’s in good shape and I have no concerns at all about his weight gain. I think the race he ran for his second-place finish in last year’s Hanshin Daishoten was ideal. He made his move before the others made theirs, which gave him a long drive home. This year, there is a lot of competition, but the main thing I want from him is for him to be able to run his own race.”

Justin Palace

Haruki Sugiyama, trainer
“His last race, the Hanshin Daishoten, was a G2 race but there was early speed in the lineup and that worked in his favor. Considering the pace, being able to get into position right from the start was a big factor in his win. Last week, the ground was pretty bad in training, but still he was able to move well. His weight was up 16kg for his last start, and I do think that is mostly due to his maturing. I think he’ll see a drop in his pre-race weight this time. With the trip to the track, he’s likely to lose more. I think it will be a tough race, as was the Kikuka Sho. He is older, but he can race well too and I think Deep Impact progeny does well at Kyoto.

Matenro Leo

Masaki Kon, assistant trainer
“He had a smooth trip in the Osaka Hai, from a good position on the inside, and made a good effort in the final stage. I think it was a very good race for a G1. He came out of the race with no damage. We kept him at the training center after that and everything has been going well. In fast work last week, he worked alongside another horse on the woodchip flat course. The aim was to let him know that the race was coming up soon. I think he did switch on after that workout. You knew he could sense the race was near as he started acting like he always does before a race. He’s much calmer now, so he’s more able to access what he has in a race. I do think he’ll mature even more from here. The most important thing is that everything is going along well. It’s 3,200 meters this time and we just can’t know how he’ll do unless we try it. I’m looking forward to seeing what kind of performance he’ll give us at this distance.”

Melody Lane

Naoyuki Morita, trainer
“The pace was slow in the Hanshin Daishoten and it was tough for her racing from the back. She stayed at the training center after that, and last week she breezed up the hill course. There’s not much time between races and things are going as they usually do. I think her final work this week have her just where I want her. It’s a G1 and the lineup is strong. She’s a small horse but she has stamina. I’m hoping she can travel about midfield. It’ll be difficult for her if it comes down to who has the fastest turn of foot in the finish, so I’m hoping it might rain and she’d have a slower track.”

Sanrei Pocket

Yoshitada Takahashi, trainer
“His last start was over 3,000 meters, but he had a smooth trip and he ran solidly in the final stage too. He’s 8 years old but he’s still full of energy. There isn’t much time between races, so his lungs are in good shape. The jockey (Mirco Demuro) has ridden him for two weeks in a row. Two weeks ago, when it was his first time to ride, he said the horse needed to get more in tune with the rider. Last week, he checked his condition and got a better feeling for him. He moved well and everything is going as planned. He experienced a long-distance race in his last race, so I think it’ll be easier for him this time. Two long races in a row and with this lineup, I’m looking forward to seeing how well he can do.”

Silver Sonic

Yuki Iwasaki, assistant trainer
“His trip to Saudi Arabia in February was his first overseas excursion. In the race he had quite a bit of pressure on him from horse on his outside, but he was able to do well and win the race. After returning to Japan, he went to the farm for a bit to recover and refresh, then returned to the training center on April 1. He had no damage from the race and we’ve been able to give him all the work we wanted. He had his first long workout on April 13. He grabbed the bit and his time was fast, but his responses were good. On the 19th, he worked in a trio and the one partner moved very well so they finished together. He’s had two tough workouts in a row. His lungs are good and I don’t see any fatigue from the trip abroad. He had the accident at the break in last year’s Tenno Sho (Spring), but he had never had problems before. At 7 years of age, I have the impression that he’s even stronger than before, so I’m looking forward to things.”

Titleholder

Toru Kurita, trainer
“I had jockey Kazuo Yokoyama ride him in work last week on the 19th and he confirmed that the horse had improved following his win by eight lengths in the Nikkei Sho. In that race, his result may have been greatly affected by the going and the lineup. In the Arima Kinen (The Grand Prix) last year, his acceleration to the first turn was quite different, taking the lead then fading to a ninth-place finish. I had been worried he was done for. In the Nikkei Sho, however, he was displaying his best once again and I was quite relieved. He has matured and where he was still quite soft, he’s gotten more solid. I’m not really sure what he would look like to be at peak, and that is meant in a good way as I’m not sure just what he’s capable of. I do hope that he’ll be able to run his own race and show us his best.”

Tosen Cambina

Yukihiro Kato, trainer
“He was quiet in the gate for the Diamond Stakes, but he wasn’t fast enough away and ended up racing from behind. The jockey did urge him on, but the horse wasn’t having any of it and that made up the difference. He did pick it up a bit in the final stage, so he gained a bit of ground. He went to the farm after that race and returned with this one as a main goal. His work has been concentrated on workouts up the hill course. Having had a lot of solid work, he’s fit and in race shape. Last year here the track was officially “slightly heavy,” but the going was bad and I have the feeling that he wasn’t able to give it his best because of it. I definitely want him to have a fast track this year. He can use the speed on the downhill as the course turns out of the backstretch and I think he’ll like the Kyoto course. I hope he breaks well and can go with the flow nicely.”