NHK Mile Cup (G1) - Preview

Cavallerizzo

Diamond Knot

Ask Ikigomi

Admire Quads

Reservation

Ecoro Alba

Thunderstruck

Rodeo Drive

Valsecito

Fukuchan Sho

This coming Sunday (May 10) sees the Grade 1 NHK Mile Cup being held at Tokyo Racecourse, commencing a five-week run of top-level races at the track. The race is for 3-year-olds, and connections aim their runners at the race if they feel horses are better suited to a mile, rather than the extended distance of both the Grade 1 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) and the Grade 1 Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks), both of which are run over 2,400 meters.

The race was first run in 1996, and is run over the stiff mile of the Tokyo turf track. It became an international race in 2009. Big name winners of the race include King Kamehameha (2004) and Deep Sky (2008), both of which went on to win the Derby. Another high-profile winner was El Condor Pasa (1998), who went on to win the Grade 1 Japan Cup the same year.

Two official trial races for the Grade 1 NHK Mile Cup are the Grade 3 Churchill Downs Cup, run over a mile at Hanshin in April, and the Grade 2 New Zealand Trophy, run over a mile at Nakayama, also in April.

There have been 25 nominations for this Sunday’s race, which has a maximum field size of 18 runners. No geldings are permitted to run, and colts carry 57kg, with a 2kg allowance for fillies. The last filly to win was Aerolithe in 2017. First favorites have fared poorly, with just one winning in the last ten years, and that was Major Emblem in 2016. Consequently, the race often produces surprises, like last year when Panja Tower won as the ninth favorite, while also getting within 0.3 of a second of the record time, which is still held by Danon Chantilly, who won in a time of 1 minute 31.4 seconds back in 2010. The race is worth JPY 130 million to the winner, a figure just above USD 800,000.

The 31st running of the Grade 1 NHK Mile Cup will be Race 11 on the Sunday card at Tokyo, with a post time in Japan of 15.40. Final declarations and the barrier draw will be available later in the week.

Here’s a look at some of the runners expected to take on the race:

Cavallerizzo: Last year’s Best Two-Year-Old Colt was unable to get things to go his way in the Grade 1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) most recently, and now gets switched back to a mile, with connections hoping he’ll show his best this time around. Assistant trainer Sho Tajima said: “He transported to the track with no problem last time, and despite being off for a while, he started well and got a good early position in the race. The trouble was he pulled, and it seemed the 2,000 meters really was too far for him.” Different jockeys have ridden Cavallerizzo, and this time the ride goes to Atsuya Nishimura, who’s having a good year so far, and is looking for just his second JRA Grade 1 win.

Diamond Knot: The colt by Bricks and Mortar ran second in last year’s Grade 1 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes, and in one run as a 3-year-old, he posted a win in a Grade 3 race, the Chunichi Sports Sho Falcon Stakes. Comments from trainer Yuichi Fukunaga were: “He did well when leading for most of the way in the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes, so I wanted to try him over 1,400 meters. He was serious in that race, and as tough as it was, he did well to win. It sets him up nicely before this next Grade 1.” Yuga Kawada is set for the ride on Diamond Knot.

Ask Ikigomi: It is two wins from two starts for the son of Lord Kanaloa, and he’s coming off a win in the trial race, the Grade 3 Churchill Downs Cup at Hanshin in April. Assistant trainer Nobuyuki Tashiro said: “His second win was in a graded race, and he kept up the pace right until the finish, showing what a lot he has to give. He got a good handy position and didn’t pull, so he can be well controlled. He’s had a break at the farm, returning to the stable with this race in mind.”

Admire Quads: Another runner that found the Grade 1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) too much, Admire Quads is back to a mile - a distance he’s won over twice, including a victory at Tokyo. Trained by Yasuo Tomomichi, the trainer had the following to say: “It was difficult for him over 2,000 meters last time, and it was just too much for him. Since returning to Ritto, he’s been fine and has a good appetite. With the time between races, he won’t need such hard training.”

Reservation: Winner of the Grade 2 New Zealand Trophy over a mile in April, the colt by Danon Premium will be having his first run at Tokyo. Trainer Takeshi Matsushita commented: “He just settled in behind the leader last time, but found a good rhythm and ran on well at the finish to win. He seems to like cut in the ground, and is suited to a mile.” Reservation has now won twice from his latest two starts over a mile, and jockey Yusuke Hara will be looking to win his first Grade 1 race with him.

Ecoro Alba: It’ll be just the colt’s fourth start on Sunday, and he was last seen finishing fourth in last year’s Grade 1 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes. Anticipation is high as to what he might be able to produce on his first run as a 3-year-old, and trainer Yasuhito Tamura gave his update on the horse: “It’s taken him a while to get into a good condition again, so the rotation is such that he will go straight to this race. Things have been fine with him in training, and I’ve no complaints at all.”

Thunderstruck: From the stable of Tetsuya Kimura, Thunderstruck is another colt by Lord Kanaloa. He didn’t get the best of runs last time in the Grade 3 Churchill Downs Cup, where he could only finish twelfth, making it his worst career result so far. “He didn’t get a smooth run after the start last time,” assistant trainer Yu Ota said. “He took a knock as he was shuffled back in the run and didn’t find a good rhythm at all. I don’t think it was the fault of the blinkers, but he just seemed a bit frightened. There’s no problem with his legs now.” Christophe Lemaire once again teams up with trainer Kimura for the ride on Thunderstruck.

Rodeo Drive: The colt by Saturnalia has never been out of the first two in three career races, and most recently finished second, when only just beaten by Reservation in the Grade 2 New Zealand Trophy. Trainer Tetsuhide Tsuji said: “He didn’t change leads smoothly in the New Zealand Trophy, and it was the same in training, so I feel some responsibility for that. He also hung in his last race, and he’s still immature, but I think he’ll be better racing left-handed.”

Valsecito: Although he is yet to win as a 3-year-old, Valsecito has shown that he possesses a good turn of foot when it matters in a race. He’s coming off a third-place finish in the Grade 3 Churchill Downs Cup, and he’s another likely runner for trainer Takeshi Matsushita. “Last time the race was won from the front, but he showed good late speed at the finish to make up ground from behind,” the trainer said. “After that, he had a break at Northern Farm Shigaraki, and since returning to the stable, there doesn’t seem to be any change with him.” The colt by Kizuna was bred at Northern Farm and runs in the Carrot Farm Co. Ltd. colors.

Fukuchan Sho: It’ll be the first time for the colt by Isla Bonita to race over a mile, but he has shown consistency in his races, with most of his runs producing a top three finish. Last time out, he finished third to Diamond Knot in the Grade 3 Chunichi Sports Sho Falcon Stakes, run over 1,400 meters at Chukyo in March. Trainer Yukihiro Kato said: “He’s finished third in his last two races, so he’s perhaps currently not quite up there with the best. I think if he was a little more forward last time, he could have finished closer to the winner, but he’s the type to stride out well late in his races.” Jockey Takeshi Yokoyama takes the ride once again on Fukuchan Sho.

Sources: Keiba Book