Ascoli Piceno

Yoichi Kuroiwa, trainer
“Despite the time between races, we went into the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies with confidence. And with her great potential, she won it. She then went to the farm for a bit and, after fully recovering, was aimed here. She had a slight fever at the end of February, which delayed her return to the training center, but since she’d already had a good foundation, the effect was minimal. As usual, we clocked her the day after she arrived at Ritto. This time she acclimatized much more quickly and I think luck will be with her on her second stay at Ritto. On March 27, the jockey rode as she worked over six furlongs with Rouge Eveil and both horses finished together. I had the jockey push this one even after the finish line since she still looked a bit heavy. That workout should have her heart and lungs in shape. She’s eating well and her weight has stabilized at 480-some kg. She rises to the challenge even when you increase her training and she has matured both mentally and physically. The competition will be even higher but I have my expectations up.”

Catfight

Hiroyuki Uehara, trainer
“In her previous race, the Anemone Stakes, the ground was slightly soft but it dried out by the main race. Considering her far inside gate, we decided to take an inside route and she was able to win. Considering the shape of her hooves and her American pedigree, she has what’s necessary to handle a track that requires strength and I also made adjustments in her preparation that have helped keep her from getting worked up. I gave her a hard workout last week, as I’d done for her previous race. The sloppy condition of the track made for a slower time, but I think she got an adequate workout. Before the Juvenile Fillies, she got worked up during the trip to the track and she wasn’t able to race to the best of her ability. This time, I’m hauling her one day early and will only give her some light schooling the day before the race. The lineup is strong but I hope she’ll be able to run her own race and give it her all.”

Naoya Nakamura, trainer
“The Top 2 finishers in the Fillies’ Revue took an inside track, but this one did really well closing the gap from the outside. She finished third and I think she really gave it her all in a very straightforward attack. She’s a tiny thing and she’s had two races this year and her preparation mainly centers on her not losing condition. Her appetite is holding steady and I think she’ll be at the same numbers as her last race. She clocked 53.5 seconds breezing up the hill course on March 28 and since her foundation is solid, this should be enough. She has won over 1,600 meters and I think she can do well if she has a ground-saving run and is able to access her power.”

Cervinia

Tetsuya Kimura, trainer
“Both her debut race and the maiden were pretty straightforward races, but in the Artemis Stakes, she had to be patient racing tight in with the others, and then in the stretch she took advantage of a narrow opening to pull away and gain ground. Considering the way the race panned out, it was a big thing for her to have shaken off the others the way she did. It was quite a race. After that, the plan was to race her in the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies, but there was a problem with her hindquarters and I decided to withdraw her. She went to the farm after that and had a good rest. Counting back from this race, she returned to the training center about 40 days prior. And I sent her to Ritto early so she could prepare there. There’s no big change in her either physically or mentally, but in her fast work early last week she still looked like a horse coming off a long layoff. Nonetheless, I think we’ll be able to get her to the gate in good shape.”

Chicago Sting

Yasushi Shono, trainer
“I think if she’d taken the lead in the Fillies’ Revue she’d have gotten herself a ticket to the Oka Sho, but in order to tie in with this race, I’d been teaching her to be patient in morning work and work behind another horse, so I think that’s why she held back like she did in the Fillies’ Revue. She’d been at the farm from the Juvenile Fillies and has matured a lot. She’s much more filled out in a good way. She does get easily irritated and the time off was mostly to get her weight back up. So, I brought her back to the training center on March 26. She always gets good times, but she was getting furlong times of 11-some seconds just breezing. She looks to be in good condition, so the only concern is to keep her calm. I hope she can maintain her weight.”

Corazon Beat

Hiroyuki Yamazaki, assistant trainer
“For the Fillies’ Revue, since it was meant as a preliminary to this race, we had kept her workload down and that’s why her footwork in the final stage wasn’t the best. The frontrunner helped give this horse a good trip, but this one wasn’t passed by any others. Considering that it’s a mile and seeing she was nicely balanced in the shorter Fillies’ Revue, bodes well. We kept her at Ritto after her last race to prepare. On March 27, she worked with the open-class Shin Emperor from the Yahagi stable and it was a good workout. She has had no serious drop in weight and has maintained her condition. I have the impression that this year’s Oka Sho lineup is quite a strong one, but this horse has come along without difficulty, so we’ll see what she can do. If she can remain calm, I think she’ll give us a good race.”

Etes Vous Prets

Kenichi Fujioka, trainer
“In the Fillies’ Revue it looked like she got pushed into the front. She showed us good speed and even when the jockey asked for more, she replied with some nice footwork. I had expected her to keep her condition well, but she won her preliminary very, very nicely. On March 27, she worked with the open-class Mozu Gold Barrel. The going was bad due to the rain, but she moved well nonetheless. She showed improvement from her last race and this week the jockey pushed her hard over the flat course. This distance is an unknown with her, but if we don’t try we’ll never know. I hope she can handle it. I think the pace will be much higher this time and she is a closer. If she can travel from a good position, I think she’ll be able to gain ground in the finish.”

Mikio Matsunaga, trainer
“She lost the Tulip Sho with her late break, but she did do well pulling away from the pack later on and she showed some really good footwork in the final stage. I also think her tendency to lug out on the turns was much improved. Her condition hasn’t changed much but I kept her at the training center and her preparation has gone well. I didn’t have her work with another horse last Wednesday, but the jockey (Kenichi Ikezoe) rode and this week he rode again with her working with another horse, one that has yet to break his maiden. Hawaiian Tiare started nearly two seconds behind him and made it to the finish half a second ahead of him and used her body very nicely.”

Ipheion

Yoshiaki Sugiyama, trainer
“She had drawn an outside gate in the Fairy Stakes, which is over the Nakayama mile, so that was a tough draw, because she doesn’t like it when things get busy. She broke well and just like in her maiden, she was able to get a good position and travel well. In the finish where horses were moving in on her from both sides, she did react at one point, but she then went for the win, which makes it a far stronger race than the winning margin indicates. She really showed guts. She went to the farm after that and was able to relax some. Her balance showed improvement when she returned to the training center. She travels well and can handle a race, no matter how it pans out. So, I think whatever her draw or whatever the way the race unfolds, she’ll be able to make it work for her.”

Light Back

Taiki Chaki, trainer
“In the Elfin Stakes, her most recent race, she was much more in tune with the rider than she’d been in the Artemis Stakes. Things got tight in the stretch but she was able to pick up speed again and make it to the top. After that, she went to the farm and returned to the training center on March 12. As usual, she can be very high strung, but she is much improved regarding that point. I think she is mentally maturing. Her weight is nearing 490kg, but it’s mostly due to her maturing and the numbers don’t concern me. Two weeks ago and last week, I had the rider emphasize keeping her well in hand and things are coming along well. They worked on her at the farm too and she’s ready. The only remaining concern is her working well together with the rider. If she improves there, I think she’ll be able to finish better.”

Koji Maki, trainer
“In her most recent start, the Fairy Stakes, she was slow away, but the jockey did a great job switching plans. Instead of sending her forward, he held her back so she’d have something left for the finish and she made second place. Being able to hold back like she did was a big thing to take away from the race and it will surely stand her well. She was back at the training center on Feb. 28 and because her earnings were sufficient, I was able to send her directly to the Oka Sho. She had some problem taking the bit on one side, so I discussed it with the jockey and decided to change her from a ring bit to the Triabit. And, she took to it well. This week, the jockey (Akihide Tsumura) rode again. He breezed her over the woodchip flat course at Miho and she looked good. This will be her second time to run in a mile race, so there are unknowns, but I’m looking forward to the race.”

Queen’s Walk

Taku Fukunaga, assistant trainer
“The Queen Cup was the first time she had to travel a long ways to the venue, the race her first time at the distance and there were a number of issues, but even so, she gave us good results. She only won by a neck but I think it was a solid win. After going to the farm, she returned to the training center on March 9. She’s not a quiet horse, but she has been her usual self. I think her weight will be about the same it was for last race. Nothing much has changed. The trainer rode her on March 28 as she worked with another horse over the woodchip flat course. She finished a bit behind with a time of 84.5 seconds over six furlongs. Word was she felt good and her movement was good. Everything is coming along according to expectations and I think that workout will have sharpened her. She’ll be meeting some horses for the first time so it’s hard to know how she’ll measure up, but she’ll be in good shape.”

Sekitoba East

Hirofumi Shii, trainer
“The jockey did a fantastic job in the Tulip Sho and for the first time she was allowed to run the way she wanted to. She got her ticket to the Oka Sho, and that’s the main thing. I let her take it easy for a week and then she was back getting regular work. On March 27, the jockey rode fast work as she worked together with another horse. The ground was bad, but I figured what she did was enough. She’s eating well, has maintained her condition and I think she’s looking good. She went wire to wire last time, but there’s no need to insist on it. If there’s another horse that wants to go to the front, we’ll let her. The main thing is that this horse is allowed to run her own race, at her own rhythm. It’s the Oka Sho, a big event and I’m looking forward to seeing how well she’ll perform.”

Shonan Manuela

Tomokazu Takano, trainer
“In the Tulip Sho, she wouldn’t stand quietly in the gate, so she got left way behind. She was already worked up before she loaded and that fact that she was uncontrollable has made me reflect on what still needs to be done in her training. Under way, yes, she was near to the winner, but that just shows me she is the type that wants to race from a relatively forward position. She didn’t quit all the way to the end, but she didn’t have anything left to keep racing as she had been. She came out of the race relatively well and I kept her at the training center and have given her regular work. She’s had lots of gate practice too. I think she can do well if she has a race where she’s allowed to travel at her own pace.”

Stellenbosch

Sakae Kunieda, trainer
“Before the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies, she had won the Akamatsu Sho and went into the big race with only 2 full weeks in between races. The pace was different from what she’d encountered before and she wound up getting a position toward the rear. But, in the stretch, she was able to slip up the inside on a narrow path. Her late speed was the best it’s been. Overall, I think it was a very good race. After a bit of time off, her preparations for her began. She returned to Miho in mid-March and we shipped her off to Ritto right away. It’s her second time to stay at Ritto and her appetite is good and she’s calm. On March 27, she worked with the open-class Hayayakko. She chased her, caught and passed her and her movement was good. Her weight hasn’t changed much and, even though there’s a bit of time between races, I think she’ll show us a strong race. She lost the G1 before but her running was top-level quality. She’s raced on this stage before and I’m looking forward to it.”

Sweep Feet

Yasushi Shono, trainer
“I knew she had good speed but, heading in to the Tulip Sho, I thought key would be where she made her move. But when the jockey moved her out in the stretch, she was still taking it easy and yet she won. She was in tune with the rider better than ever before and so relaxed. It was a very strong win. After a bit of time off she returned to the training center on March 19. Her muscling was good and she was feeling good. We concentrated on preparing her in such a way that she was always mentally and physically well-balanced. Since there wasn’t much time between races, I was careful to not go too hard on her so she’d stay relaxed. Her workouts have gone well and key was not letting her get fatigued. The competition is stiff so it won’t be easy, but I can see she’s more in tune with the rider now. So, even though it’s the Oka Sho, I think she can give us a performance like last time.”

Takashi Kanari, trainer
“After her last race, the Anemone Stakes on March 10, I first checked to see that there wasn’t still fatigued at all, then I sent her to Ritto. I went easy on her for the first week, then starting upping the workload. She worked under the jockey on March 27 and because there isn’t much time between races, it was important that she didn’t overdo it, but that she did enough. I think it was a good workout for a week out. Everything has gone according to plan. There are 3 full weeks between races and she’s in a good place now. She has filled out and I think she’ll go to the gate Sunday in better shape than she was for her last race, when she was racing only 10 days after she’d returned to the training center. Other than that, we’ll just see how she measures up.”

Wide Latour

Nobuyuki Tashiro, assistant trainer
“Looking at her result in the Tulip Sho, I’d have to say that she had nothing left for the final stage and that’s why things got difficult. Still, she broke very well and it wasn’t that bad of a performance, certainly nothing tragic. Her appetite has remained good and on March 28 she worked up the hill course under jockey Yuichi Kitamura. We didn’t urge her on but her movement was good and she has maintained her condition. I see no problems with her preparation. If she can keep something for the final stage, her results will surely be better. Looking at how she ran in the Kobai Stakes in mid-January, it’s apparent she can give us some good footwork. She’s a small-framed horse but I don’t think the hill at the end of the Hanshin 1,600 will be a problem. She’s still maturing, but I’m looking forward to seeing how she’ll do right now.”