Ask One Time

Tomoyuki Umeda, trainer
“On his breeding, there’s a bit of a difficult side to him. He’s been at the stable since his last race, and he’s been a bit stubborn, running just a little slower than I would have liked in track work. The vet’s checked him over, though, and there’s nothing wrong with him, so we’ve just tried a bit harder with him in training. His times haven’t been bad, considering the training track has been a bit heavy, and he’s done fast work this last week. We’ve even had him in the pool to try and vary things with his training. He should be fine racing over a mile. The big thing is how he feels mentally, and what he can do in the race itself.”

Awesome Stroke

Keizo Ito, trainer
“He’s as I would expect, and there’s no tiredness about him. He’s not a very big horse, but he has a lot of strength. I’m not worried about the transportation over to the track, as he handled moving between Hakodate and Sapporo for his debut race alright. I also don’t see a problem with the course this time, as he’s run at Sapporo over 1,500 meters, and at Nakayama and Tokyo over a mile. If there’s a horse that goes forward in the race, he can just take a sit off the pace like he did last time. His character is quite serious, and if all goes well for him, he should be able to run well.”

Ryusei Sakai, jockey
“He’s as I expected. He’s a horse that likes to go forward, and he does so with some power. His reactions are very good.”  

Masahiro Mitou, assistant trainer
“The jockey (Kenichi Ikezoe) says the horse feels good, and his finish in training has pleased him. The horse’s balance has improved with his work, and mentally he’s better too. He’ll use the cherry bit we’ve been using in training in the race itself. He’s won when racing right-handed and in a race with many runners. I think he’ll handle the course well, and I’m looking forward to what he can do this time.”

Clean Air

Hiroyuki Uehara, trainer
“He’s done what we’ve asked him to in training, and he’s been moving well. He drew inside in his last race and the ground wasn’t so good, but he’s in good condition going into this next race.”

Danon McKinley

Hideaki Fujiwara, trainer
“We haven’t worried too much about times in training, but in his solo work have just concentrated on getting him to run smoothly. He’s running well. He’s a horse with plenty of ability, and I’d like to see him run a big race here with next year in mind.”

Nobuyuki Tashiro, assistant trainer
“The jockey (Christophe Lemaire) has been riding the horse and getting an understanding of him. The horse is in good shape. I think after the experience of his last race, the distance this time shouldn’t be a problem. Despite the strong opposition here, his two wins have shown that he has ability. He’s talented and is flexible enough. It’s good that he’s also run in a race with plenty of runners, so I think he must have a good enough chance here.”

Ecoro Walz

Mitsunori Makiura, trainer
“We’ve been able to prepare him well for this race, after his short stay at the farm. He’s still a bit loose, and he hasn’t had experience of a race with a lot of runners, but he’s a horse that will improve, and it looks to be that way now as this race approaches. He’s bigger now and his footwork is good. He runs straight, and he should be able to respond well over a mile. He’ll be taking on strong horses in this Grade 1, so it’ll be interesting to see what he can do, but whatever happens, the experience will be good for him.”

Yutaka Take, jockey
“He’s a talented horse. When I rode him back in the summer, I thought that I would like to ride him in this race. It’s good to be back and have the chance to ride him again.”

Enya Love Faith

Naoyuki Morita, trainer
“He’s become bigger, and he’s improved for the work we’ve given him. Two starts ago, he showed he was able to race quite well when chasing other horses in front of him and gained some experience from that. In his last race, he also showed how good his footwork can be, so I’ll look forward to what kind of race he can run this time, and hope that he won’t get detached from the main group of horses in the race.”

Jantar Mantar

Tomokazu Takano, trainer
“There have been no problems with him, and his responses at the finish in training have been good, and he’s moving well. He’s had the same four-week period of time between races as he had before his last race. I’m not worried about it being his first time at the Hanshin track. It’ll be a race with a lot of runners this time, and we’ll have to see what barrier he draws, but he has good racing sense, and I want things to go smoothly from now right up to the race itself. I hope things go well for him, and that he can pull off another win to boost his profile again.”

Hidenori Take, trainer
“He’s still immature, but there have been no problems in between races, and he’s been as usual. He’s not tired at all. On breeding, a mile looks good for him, and with the stamina he has, the course looks suitable for him too. I don’t especially want him to lead in the race, but to be well forward is fine, and hopefully he can show a good turn of foot at the finish.”

Kaname Ogino, assistant trainer
“He ran a strong race last time, and has come out of the race well. He’s in good condition for this next one.”

Miltenberg

Hidenori Take, trainer
“He’s in good condition, which I’m pleased about, and we’ve just worked on him to be patient when running in training. I’ve previously thought that a mile is good for him, and the change from Tokyo to Hanshin is a plus. I’d like to see him run in a relaxed way in this next race, and that will be one of the key things. He should be good enough to put in a good showing.”

Kaname Ogino, assistant trainer
“I’m not sure why he didn’t run so well last time. It might have been the transportation to the track or the draw he had, but things didn’t work out for him. He’s a horse that has more improvement in him, and I hope he’ll get into a good rhythm in this race.”

Akira Murayama, trainer
“He’s been at the stable the whole time, and there’s no change with him. He’s been working well with his training partner. It was his first time at a mile last time, and it was a different race for him compared to his others, but we learned from that race that he can run from different positions. He managed to finish strongly in that race. The second time at a mile should make things easier. It’s a strong Grade 1 field, but given how he is, it’ll be interesting to see how he runs here. The jockey will know what to do.”

Kohei Matsuyama, jockey
“I’ve concentrated on his finish in training, and he seems to be in better shape now than he was before his last race. I think a mile is just about the right distance for him.”  

Nobuhiro Suzuki, trainer
“He’s moving very well and his condition’s fine. He’s quite relaxed in running now. We’ve kept in mind that there hasn’t been long between his races. He’s still a bit loose, but I think on his ability alone, he can run well. Looking at his last race, a mile should be good for him. It’s a strong Grade 1 race this time, but with the talent he has, we’ll just have to see what he’s able to do here.”

Set Up

Yuichi Shikato, trainer
“He’s gotten bigger, but that’s as expected for a young horse, and with work this week he should be just right. He transported from Hakodate to Sapporo earlier this year, so he should be fine with the trip to the track this time. He’s handled everything we’ve asked him to do, and there should still be more to come with his racing, despite this next race not being easy. The mile is possibly a bit short, but I hope he’ll get into the flow of the race with a good rhythm, and handle the one turn alright. I don’t think he has to lead.”

Takeshi Yokoyama, jockey
“I think he’s better now than when he ran in Hokkaido earlier this year. He’s developing well, and I think this is a good race for him. Hopefully he’ll get into the flow of things in the race.”

Strauss

Ryo Takei, trainer
“He’s been working well and is in good condition, thanks to his break at the farm. There shouldn’t be a problem transporting him over to Hanshin, but the plan is to get him over to Ritto on Thursday, and give him light work there on Friday and Saturday. He can hang a little to the left, so racing to the right should help the jockey with riding him. I want the horse to find his own rhythm in the race, so an outside gate would be best. He certainly has potential.”

Tom Marquand, jockey
“He might be a 2-year-old, but he feels quite mature. He stood out among the other horses in his last race, so I hope he can run in a similar way to how he did last time.”

Toru Miya, trainer
“He’s always been a horse that’s moved well, and in training he’s been able to confirm this. He’s looked quick too, showing that he’s in good condition.”

Takashi Saito, trainer
“She won her debut race well. She got a good early position and finished off strongly. She’s getting bigger now, so I think that will help her improve more. While she might lack a little experience compared to the other runners, she definitely has ability. The way she moves, the
rise at Hanshin shouldn’t be a problem.”

Taisei Danno, jockey
“She’s moved better this last week, compared to two weeks ago. She’s a talented horse with a lot to look forward to, and in her current condition, I want her to do her best here.”

Hidemasa Nakao, trainer
“The jockey (Suguru Hamanaka) says the horse is a lot tighter now, and that it’s easier for him to pick up when asked to do so. I think with his good closing finish, the Hanshin mile should suit him.”

Suguru Hamanaka, jockey
“He’s developing nicely, and has moved well in training. I don’t see any problems with the course and the distance of the race. He’s a horse to think about from now, and this race will be good experience for him.”