Croix du Nord

Takashi Saito, trainer
“He ran into interference in the Satsuki Sho, but picked up the pace and made up for it. After returning from the farm, we immediately aimed him at the Derby. He has always been weak on his left lead, and he would switch leads repeatedly in the stretch, so we’ve been focusing on that in trackwork. Last week, he worked with other horses and I had him stay on the left lead. I could see he was improving. This week’s final work was just to check everything, keep his spirit up and see that there was no fatigue left. He switched leads well and his response when asked to move out was good. He’s definitely ready and looks better and more filled out than he did for the Satsuki Sho. This has been our goal from his debut and I’ve given him a rotation that works with this distance. Tokyo is no problem and with Kitasan Black as his sire, I think he can handle it.

Dragon Boost

Shinya Kitazawa, assistant trainer
“He broke well in the Satsuki Sho and I think he traveled well, moving with a nice rhythm. He didn’t quite measure up in the final stage when it came down to which horse had the quickest turn of foot, but it wasn’t a bad race at all. We then set our sights on here. Two weeks ago, we gave him a hard workout and with that he seems to have switched on. He was looking good in last week’s work. I think he has maintained his condition and is feeling good. If he continues like this I think there’ll be no room for complaint. Like in his last outing, if it comes down to the fastest turn of foot in the final stage, he’s going to be at a disadvantage. Ideal would be a race that is more about stamina. We don’t know how he’ll do at this distance, but he has good racing sense and I think he’ll be able to handle it.”

Eri King

Taku Fukunaga, assistant trainer
“In the Satsuki Sho, things were tight on the inside so he wasn’t able to get a smooth trip and he was coming back after recovering from a fracture. It was a G1 and there were some difficult moments, but overall I had the impression that he hadn’t gone all out. We kept him at the training center after that with our main objective getting him recovered. He weighed about 506kg last week after work. That’s about the same as before the Satsuki Sho, so I think he’s recovered. Yuga Kawada rode him on May 21 working alongside another horse. It was a good hard workout and this horse is coming along well and we’ll see how much he improves with that workout. I think the Tokyo 2,400 meters is a better fit for him than the Nakayama 2,000 meters. There is less likelihood of traffic problems. He has a big stride and I’m hoping for a fast track.”

Fandom

Tetsuhide Tsuji, trainer
“After the Mainichi Hai, he went to the farm for rest and recuperation. Last week in track work, his time was good and he extended well to the very end, but I could see he still had a lot left over. I don’t have the impression that he has physically changed, but he is coming out of a race much better than before. So, considering that, I think he may actually be stronger physically. As far as track work goes, we’ve just been doing the usual. He does take the bit in his teeth at times but he’s not hard to control. As far as which direction the race is run, the jockey says right or left makes no difference. Looking at this horse in the Mainichi Hai, I could see that he wouldn’t be an embarrassment if he ran in the Derby. The lineup will be tough, but I’m hoping he’ll give it his best.”

Faust Rasen

Shunei Kikumoto, assistant trainer
“He made his move in the Satsuki Sho in the same place he’d made it in the Yayoi Sho (turning out of the backstretch), but the pace was different and the time was faster. After that, he had some time off at the farm and has maintained his condition since. His time in work wasn’t that fast last week, but he has been racing regularly. This will be his third start this year. He has no excess weight and is looking good. He has good stamina and I don’t think the distance itself will pose any problem. He did lose badly racing to the left in his debut, but he’s much more developed now and more solid. The left-handed track shouldn’t pose a problem this time. He’s still immature and growing, but how far he’s come to now is proof of his talent. A bit of rain with the times a bit slower would be good for him. He likes to move up bit by bit and the long stretch will help him there.”

Feiern Kranz

Noriyuki Hori, trainer
“After his debut at Sapporo, he took on the Sapporo Nisai Stakes, then the Tokyo Sports Hai Nisai Stakes, and he’s competed against some top-rate horses. At the time he still seemed quite immature and I had the impression he’d be something of a late-bloomer. But he is a stayer and I figured that if he continued to mature well he’d measure up with the best, so my expectations were high. I brought him back into training in line with the 2,400-meter program, so he’s had three races around that distance. I don’t think we’re seeing his best yet because he matures slowly, both physically and mentally. In the Aoba Sho, he did lose to a horse that came sweeping in from the outside, but this one was showing his talent too. I haven’t done anything differently just because it’s the Derby. Everything is as usual. His heart and lungs are in good shape and his prep has all been about maintaining the condition he has.”

Giovanni

Haruki Sugiyama, trainer
“In the Satsuki Sho, he lost ground just at the crucial point. Nevertheless, he rallied well in the end and was able to make up some of the lost ground. Most importantly, he came out of the race extremely well. Last week in work, when we moved him out and forward, he did raise his head, but his time over the final stage was the same as it had been in the Satsuki Sho. He was in the best condition he could be for the Satsuki Sho and I’d say he’s about the same this time. If you look at his trackwork, you’ll see that he is doing very well. It’s 2,400 meters this time and I think that works in his favor. He is well balanced runs well no matter what the conditions are. I think the spacious track makes things even better.”

Yukihiko Araki, assistant trainer
“He’s still physically immature, but the times were slow due to rain in his last start (a 1-win race over 2,400 meters at Tokyo). I think that worked in his favor and he was able to pull ahead easily. It was a strong win. He started back in work two weeks ago and this will be his third race since returning in the Aoba Sho (finished sixth). The key will be how much condition he can maintain. Previously, he’d been quite a kid and quite a handful, but putting him in blinkers has helped him to concentrate. If we can get a surface like he had in last race, things might get interesting.”

Kalamatianos

Takeshi Okumura, trainer
“I don’t know what to say about his last result (10th in the Satsuki Sho). I haven’t figured out what the problem was, but he was in a position where he didn’t have room to maneuveur and it ended there. This time when he came back to the training center, he was more supple. We pushed him hard and he clocked a good time, but he still had something left in the tank. At the top of the straight, he jumped suddenly no doubt because another horse got too close. I think he’s in good shape both mentally and physically. This time the venue is Tokyo again where he finished second in the Kyodo Tsushin Hai. I don’t think he has any problem racing to the right, but the course and the extra distance are both plus for him. If the pace suddenly picks up, he’ll be slow to respond. He needs to be able to move at his own pace.”

Lila Emblem

Koshiro Take, trainer
“Since we weren’t concerned about anything in particular going into the Mainichi Hai, it’s difficult to figure out the reason for his seventh-place finish. I can’t imagine him losing due to just an extra furlong, so I don’t think the distance was the problem. After that, I sent him to the farm for a bit. I didn’t think it would help to give him too much work, so I’ve been careful with his workload. Of course, his work has all been aimed at the Derby and all has been going well. He had some pretty hard work last week. I’ll be careful to see how he’s doing right up to the race. We won’t know how he’ll handle 2,400 meters until he’s raced over it. I think he’ll settle well.”

M’s

Hiroshi Kanetake, assistant trainer
“He traveled on the inside in the Kyoto Shimbun Hai and managed to find some good ground. He actually did better over the slightly heavy going than I had expected him to. However, the pace was slow and it all came down to the final stage. The jockey too said the way the race unfolded didn’t suit. Since then, everything has gone smoothly. This is the first time he only has two full weeks in between races, so the focus is on getting him completely recovered from his last race. For workouts, we’ll just up the pace a bit in the straight. That should be enough. In addition to the tight rotation, this will be his first long trip to the track. He still is rather immature in places, but can race at a good speed over distance so I think the extra distance this time will be a plus.”

Masquerade Ball

Takahisa Tezuka, trainer
“He broke well in the Satsuki Sho, but couldn’t pick up speed, then in the first bend there were traffic problems. He maneuvered through the pack and finished in third, not the most satisfying race but he did chase the two in front and showed good late speed. He came back from the farm two weeks ago and had no problem with fast work, so I could see he was in good shape. He has been training mainly on the uphill course, and he worked over the woodchip flat under Ryusei Sakai on May 22. Then on the 25th and 28th, he worked up the hill and this week’s work was his best. He has talent but he doesn’t bring it out on his own. He gives you a lot to think about, but from the Kyodo Tsushin Hai I think he’s been heading in the right direction. He has a huge stride and isn’t good taking the bends, so we’ve been working on that in work too. He’s suited to a wide-open, spacious course, so Tokyo is the better course for him.”

Museum Mile

Daisuke Takayanagi, trainer
“After the Satsuki Sho, he was tired but otherwise there didn’t seem to be any need for concern. He went to the farm with the focus on rest, but was also exercised. After returning to Ritto, we concentrated on his movement and seeing that he didn’t get tired out. On May 21, Damian Lane rode him to work along with another horse. I asked Lane to give him a good hard workout and get a reading on his responses and tendencies. The horse’s footwork didn’t look any different from his last race and Lane said he found nothing of concern. This week, there were just some final small adjustments and a matter of keeping him on his game. It’s been a long time since he has raced to the left and I am a bit concerned about the venue and the distance. However, he has gotten a lot of experience so there’s probably no reason to worry. He handled the Satsuki Sho well, which I think reflects how well he has matured mentally.”

Nishino Agent

Naoto Chiba, trainer
“In the Satsuki Sho, he didn’t have much room to run until the straight. The jockey did a good job of getting him through the tight spots, but in the final stage the horse seemed to be struggling and I think he just stopped by himself. After that, he seems to have toned up quite a bit and I think he’s more supple now, and is extending better than before. I am a bit concerned about racing to the left, so I changed his bit and I think he’ll be able to stay well in tune with the rider. As far as the distance goes, with his current disposition, I think he’ll be able to conquer it.”

Masaki Kon, assistant trainer
“He was able to bring out his potential and win the Principal Stakes. It was a strong race. He’s better on a fast track, but I wouldn’t say it’s a requirement. After the last race, the daily plan was all about getting him recovered. His condition is now on an even keel. We have the long haul to the track this time, but all looks well. Norihiro Yokoyama rode him on the woodchip course on May 21 and he said everything was as usual and coming along well. We won’t know how he’ll handle the distance until we try it. He’s an easy horse to ride. He’s well balanced and moves with a nice rhythm. There are a lot of expectations riding on him and I’m happy he has gotten this chance to run in the Derby. I’m looking forward to see how well he can do at this point in his career.”

Satono Shining

Haruki Sugiyama, trainer
“He had a pretty rough trip in the Satsuki Sho. He got bumped around, took the bit in his teeth at times and had to travel on the outside. Despite all that, he still didn’t finish that far off the top. Yutaka Take rode him on May 21, and it was Take’s first time up. The horse has a somewhat sensitive mouth and riding work is probably more difficult than a race, but Take got on and said things went more smoothly than he’d imagined they would from what he’d heard. And the horse moved well until the end. I think he got a good reading on the horse. I don’t think the left-handed Tokyo course will present any problems. I do wonder how well balanced he can remain over 2,400 meters. Of course, it’ll be the jockey’s first time riding him in a race as well, but he’s very well aware of everything so I’m hoping he’ll be able to guide the horse well.”

Shohei

Yasuo Tomomichi, trainer
“In the Kyoto Shimbun Hai, he was compromised by the slightly heavy going. He settled in second position and pulled away strongly in the straight to win. It’s always been that if he looks good in trackwork, he’ll do well in the race. On May 22, he worked under the jockey (Christophe Lemaire) together in a group of three, and I wanted to see how his responses were in the final stage. He looked good and the jockey said the horse was running with good form, that his responses were good, and that when the other horses came up next to him he picked up the pace. The little time between races isn’t a problem. In fact, last week’s work was perfect. I think the left-handed track should be fine and I’m not worried about the extra furlong this time. Given his temperament, the long trip to the track and the change in surroundings shouldn’t be a problem.”

Toppi Born

Kazuhide Sasada, trainer
“In the Kyoto Shimbun Hai, the jockey did seem to have ridden with the image of the previous win, but two starts ago there had been more pace and things are got difficult. Things have gone without a hitch, everything as usual. He does have a problem with getting keen, so I’ve been thinking of ways to help him there. In his last race, the difference in the position he raced in really made a big difference, especially with the final three-furlong time tying the record. Key will be how well he settles and stay in tune with the rider. If he can do well there, he’ll have something left for the final stage. If things come together for him, I’m sure he can handle 2,400 meters.”