Bellagio Opera

Hiroyuki Uemura, trainer
“It was difficult preparing him because of the heat, so going into the Tenno Sho (Autumn) last out, I’d have to say his sixth-place finish was largely a reflection of his high degree of talent. After the Tenno Sho, I decided to not overdo it, so we skipped the Japan Cup and set our sights on here. Two weeks ago, I wanted to see how sharp his responses were, so we pushed him hard in work. The jockey (Kazuo Yokoyama) rode him on Dec. 11 and his condition has improved. Dare I say he’s about where he was for the Osaka Hai. Last race, he did seem to lack a fighting spirit, but now with the cooler temperatures, he’s much more energetic. This week (Dec. 18) I breezed him over the woodchip course just to get a reading on him. If he can go to the gate in the condition he is now, he’ll be even more competitive. He’s much more spirited and full of vitality. There’ll be no problem with the course. He starts well and he’s highly maneuverable. He has good racing sense and he’s handled 2,400 meters well, so key is going to be how he manages 2,500 meters. I don’t think it’s too long for him.”

Blow the Horn

Sho Tajima, assistant trainer
“In the Kyoto Daishoten, he wasn’t able to gain much ground from the gate. We couldn’t find any particular reason for that, but he didn’t seem to have his heart in it. In last year’s Kyoto Daishoten, he had to stop running due to heart problems. And the jockey may have been remembering that and wasn’t able to push him too hard in the finish. Next out in the Japan Cup, the win came after a slow pace and a fast finish. That too was difficult for this horse, but he did move well in the stretch. Also, given how he’d traveled earlier in the race, it was definitely a better race than the Kyoto Daishoten. Two weeks ago on Dec. 4, he breezed up the hill course and we determined that he was fully recovered from the Japan Cup. We gave the go sign for the Arima Kinen and upped his work pace. On Dec. 11, he clocked 58.6 seconds over four furlongs on the uphill course with some nice footwork. Everything is going smoothly. This race will be his third race of the season and the race we’ve had our sights on. I’m hoping for a good race.”

Danon Beluga

Noriyuki Hori, trainer
“We kept him at the training center after the Japan Cup, and after his workout on Dec. 12, his weight was 506kg. Even after the Japan Cup, he was eating well, in good health and looks to be totally recovered and fresh. He clocked a modest time on Dec. 12, but the workout didn’t look that good. After returning from Dubai, he has started showing some reluctance to run. Before, he’d move out on his own, but now he’s slow to respond. Also, he didn’t want to wear the blinkers in his final work before his last race, so his mental state is a bit different. Just before turning home in the Japan Cup, he had a hard time getting a good position but he did run well in the end. If he’d been able to go more with the flow, I think he’d have finished in the Top 5. Since he’s gotten a bit sour, there’s no problem with a bit more distance. He wasn’t at his best for the Tenno Sho (Autumn), but he’s kept improving. He’s weak in his right hindquarters, so I haven’t raced him to the right much, but I think he’ll be able to handle it.”

Danon Decile

Shogo Yasuda, trainer
“This will be his first time facing older horses, and with the high caliber of the others, it’s going to likely be the toughest race he’s experienced so far. Of course, I’ve tried to prepare him such a way that he’ll be able to handle it. I’ve been paying close attention to his mental state and am hoping he’ll be able to show his stuff. I’m not particularly training him with any specific other horses in mind. I’m just focusing on him. He has stamina and can run at a good speed for distance, but I can’t say how well he’ll do if the race is determined by who has the fastest late speed. There will be new speeds and new paces for him to experience. I hope he can adapt, but with an eye to the future, I mostly hope it’ll be a good experience for him.”

Deep Bond

Ryuji Okubo, trainer
“Losing the Kyoto Daishoten by a neck was very frustrating. We had some other choices, but decided to race him in the Arima Kinen. Last week, I had jockey Hideaki Miyuki ride him over the woodchip course with his usual training partner. It’s his fourth year straight to race here and I really have to take my hat off to him. This year, he’ll be going into the Arima fresher compared to previous years, as he has only had one race in the fall. Every time he races in a G1, he goes in as a challenger and there have been times where he has barely made it in but that doesn’t seem to be the case this year. He finished second as a 4-year-old here, in what was a very nice performance. I think a tough race where he goes head to head with some very strong horses will bring out the best in him.”

Hayayakko

Sakae Kunieda, trainer
“In his most recent race, the Copa Republica Argentina, the pace was nice and steady, which enabled him to make the best of his late speed. Even though he had a heavy assigned weight (top of the field at 58.5kg), his time was fast, which makes me believe he really gave it his everything. He can be surprising, in a good way. After a short stay at the farm, he returned to the training center on Nov. 27. This year, unlike most years, there are a lot of nominations, and he just made it into the race. On Dec. 11, he was running on the inside, but it was a solid workout and he moved well. There have been no big changes and, even though he’s 8 years old, he looks young and is full of energy. There shouldn’t be any problem with the right-handed track. The competition is strong, but in a long race at Nakayama, if the final time over the final three furlongs is relatively slow, I think he has a chance.”

Justin Palace

Haruki Sugiyama, trainer
“He started very nicely in the Japan Cup and I thought he might go to the front. But, he wasn’t able to keep up with the pace. He gave it what he had in the finish but unfortunately, it wasn’t enough. In last year’s Arima Kinen, he raced from the back, but if he can break as well as he did in the Japan Cup, I think he may be able to get a better position. I had the jockey (Ryusei Sakai) ride his fast work up the hill course last week (Dec. 11) and he said everything seemed to be in order. This race will be his third start from and including the Tenno Sho (Autumn). Having everything in order is going to be crucial. He’s a bit sluggish when asked to pick it up and move out, it’ll make things difficult if the pace is slow. I’m hoping there’ll be early speed that will keep the field moving at a good clip.”

Prognosis

Taku Fukunaga, assistant trainer
“In the Cox Plate, he broke fairly well and was able to keep up with the pace. Even in strange surroundings he showed his strength. He returned to the training center from the farm on Dec. 3 and even though there wasn’t much time between races, things have gone smoothly. Last week, jockey Kosei Miura rode him over the woodchip course for a time of 80.6 seconds over six furlongs. The horse’s weight before the workout was 478kg. It’s his first time at Nakayama, but he gave us a strong performance last year in the Sapporo Kinen, so I think he won’t have a problem with the tighter turns of Nakayama. He’ll be able to handle the distance as well depending on the ride he gets. Since it’s his first start since returning from overseas, we’ll be doing our best to get him to the gate in the best shape we can.”

Regaleira

Yu Ota, assistant trainer
“She broke quite well in the Queen Elizabeth II Cup, and she was looking good until the first turn. But in the backstretch, when a lot of horses moved up on her outside, she started falling back and wasn’t able to recover from that. It was an unfortunate trip. There isn’t much time between races, so she wasn’t out of shape when she returned from the farm. Since this fall, she has started to eat well and she has posted weight gains in her last two races. She also has handled all her work well, so it’s a good development. She still has an imbalance when switching leads, so the aim was to get her in order this week. She’ll have no problem handling 2,500 meters and last race we saw her break better. It’s a new rider this time, but if she can break well, she’s not a difficult horse to ride. Keita Tosaki is good with fillies and mares, so I think he would handle her well.”

Rousham Park

Hiroyuki Yamazaki, assistant trainer
“After his excursion to the Breeders’ Cup, he stayed at the farm for about three weeks, then returned to Miho on Dec. 5. This will be his third start this fall. It’s the tightest rotation he’s had until now, but he doesn’t show any signs of fatigue and he hasn’t lost any muscling along his back. I think he has matured mentally quite a bit too. He was a close second In the Breeders’ Cup Turf, and at one point in the race he’d raised his head, but the jockey did a really good job of keeping him under control. So, he was able to prevent him from expending his energy and was able to do well in the final stage. The Arima Kinen has a lot of turns and the field passes the grandstand twice. It’s not an easy race at all, but I’m hoping he can land a big title.”

Shahryar

Nobuyuki Tashiro, assistant trainer
“In the Breeders’ Cup Turf, he raced from midfield, then finished strongly in third place only 0.3 seconds off the top. I’d say it was a very good race. After returning to Japan, he went to the farm and returned to the training center early this month. Last week on Dec. 11, he worked over the woodchip flat course with another horse. He moved well and the workout met expectations. I think he’ll go into this race in good shape. Last year, we took him to Hong Kong but had to withdraw from the race, so we decided in a hurry to run him in the Arima Kinen. After returning to Japan, we had to train him at Nakayama Racecourse which was not ideal at all. Under such circumstances, he still secured fifth place only 0.3 seconds off the winner. Compared to last year, his preparation has been much better and smooth this year. He has become very versatile in his racing style and he’s an honest runner. The jockey (Cristian Demuro) also knows this horse well. I really want him to land a big one.”

Stars on Earth

Mizuki Takayanagi, trainer
“Her performance in the Japan Cup wasn’t bad, but she was coming off a long layoff and that was no doubt a factor (finished seventh). But, the result was nothing to get upset about. She has stayed at the training center since then, and on Dec. 8, she worked up the hill course. On the 11th, we clocked her for the first time over the woodchip course with a training partner. The rider said she didn’t feel bad, but for it being week out I would have liked her to be a bit more ready. Still, she always improves with each fast workout she gets, so I’m expecting more. Last year, she was at a disadvantage with the wide draw (No. 16), but it wasn’t a bad race. Her being able to finish in second place just shows how great an effort she made. If things go smoothly, I think she’ll give it her best again.”

Struve

Noriyuki Hori, trainer
“After the Japan Cup, he remained at the training center. After morning track work on Dec. 12, he weighed in at 478kg. Usually, even before a race, he’s a slow eater, but he does finish all his feed. He’s in good health and is well-rounded, both physically and mentally. He’s completely recovered from his last run and he’s refreshed. He worked over the woodchip course last week on Dec. 12 and he was well in hand, with a feeling that if you let him go, he’d immediately step into a higher gear. His breathing was good too. It’s his second race after a layoff and he’s fresh. In the Japan Cup, he raced well in the final stage but he’d had trouble getting up to speed and his start has always been a point of concern so we’ve given him gate practice. He won the Nikkei Sho over the Nakayama 2,500 meters, so I think he can do better if he can have a smooth trip.”

Stunning Rose

Tomokazu Takano, trainer
“Her performance in the Queen Elizabeth II Cup was satisfying, a straightforward attack and, most of all, she was able to draw on all her ability. Since returning in the spring with the Osaka Hai, she has competed in good condition. I also have the impression that she has even got better. Right after the race, she didn’t show any signs of fatigue. She is still fresh and we were able to maintain that heading into the Arima Kinen. She’s heading in on a great curve. On Dec. 11, she worked up the hill course with ease and good rhythm. The entire stable is working together to see her to the gate in this condition. This time she’ll be facing male horses and a lot of very strong opponents. Up to now, she has won two Grade 1s and I think we can take on this race with confidence.”

Urban Chic

Christophe Lemaire, jockey
“I rode him on Dec. 18 to check his responses, physical condition and such. I wanted to give him a good final workout without pushing him too much. Urban Chic has improved a great deal from the fall. He has matured and was much more powerful in the Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger) and won strongly. I think he’ll do well here. I’ve won the Kikuka Sho and the Arima Kinen with a 3-year-old before, Satono Diamond (in 2016). I’m hoping to ride him similarly to the Kikuka Sho. His start isn’t the fastest, so I think we’ll race from further back. I’m thinking of a quiet first lap, then moving up from the back. Do Deuce has amazing acceleration. I rode Heart’s Cry and beat Deep Impact in the Arima Kinen (in 2005). Do Deuce is a bit like Deep Impact, so I think Urban Chic should be in front of him. The Arima Kinen is a very difficult race to win. Heart’s Cry won it when he was 4. Deep Impact was 3, and Urban Chic is 3 too. Though he is still young, he has fantastic ability, so I have my hopes up.”