February Stakes (G1) comments from runners' connections
| Admire Subaru (6yo, horse) |
Admire Subaru |
| |
Hidemasa Nakao (trainer)
"He's looking sharp, and he's been able to keep his good form all along. It's a plus that he'll be racing at Tokyo where he's had success in the past. But maybe the Grade 1 level is too much for him, even if the race unfolds as well as possible. He doesn't quicken like he used to, but looking at it from the bright side, it's helped him learn to race from behind at 1,600 meters."
|
|
|
| Bamboo Ere (6yo, horse) |
Bamboo Ere |
| |
Masami Matsuoka
"It was my first time with him in training, so I can't say if he had a good or bad workout. But just basing it on feel and response time, I think he's ready to run to the best of his ability. He can handle anything up to a mile, and can race from any position. There are a lot of strong horses in the field, but we're prepared to give it everything we've got."
|
|
|
| Cafe Olympus (8yo, horse) |
| |
Yasuhisa Matsuyama (trainer)
"The last race was his first after a long layoff, but he managed to put in a lot of work beforehand with the injury healed. He didn't come out on the winning end, but his performance convinced me that he was in good enough form to enter in this race. He's been training very well, showing no signs of suffering a relapse. He's very good in the mile, and we're really looking forward to the race."
|
|
| Casino Drive (4yo, colt) |
Casino Drive |
| |
Kazuo Fujisawa (trainer)
"It hasn't even been a month since his last race, so this will more than do. He had his movement, breathing down. He lost some weight for his last race because he put in a lot of work in the country. He'll have put on weight, this time. Money wise, I didn't think it'd be possible for him to race here, but after looking at the situation of the other horses, I thought we might have a shot. So we're ready. He's good running lefthanded, and he has a tendency to take off so I think the mile suits him. I know some people are concerned about the turf early in the race, but my guess is that the horse probably isn't all that worried."
|
|
|
| Espoir City (4yo, colt) |
Espoir City |
| |
Tetsuzo Sato
"He responded really well. He's definitely in much better form than he was for his last race, when he was coming off a bit of a break. He breezed through the mile at Tokyo three races ago. I don't think you can ask a horse to be fitter than he is right now. I know it won't be easy going up against first-class competition, all the while shouldering 57 kilograms. But we're in this thing because we think we have a shot at winning it."
|
|
|
| Ferrari Pisa (5yo, horse) |
Ferrari Pisa |
| |
Toshiaki Shirai (trainer)
"I think his time was a little more than 53 seconds. The Negishi Stakes was his first race in a while, but so far he hasn't shown any stress from it. We really weren't sure about him in his last race, but I think he looks sharper and seems more confident. The training has gone well since the last time out, and there is no drop off in form."
|
|
|
| Hishikatsu Leader (5yo, horse) |
Hishikatsu Leader |
| |
Nobuyuki Matsui (exercise rider)
"He was relaxed, very at ease when he worked out. He's been racing constantly, so there was no need to push him. He's maintained good form, and he'll gamble on the stretch as always. He just needs to sit tight during the trip."
|
|
|
| Kane Hekili (7yo, horse) |
Kane Hekili |
| |
Katsuhiko Sumii (trainer)
"He's fired up, but he's not out of control. You can see by the veins popping up that he's raring to go. He's been fit so I wanted him to do his work in around 53 seconds. He looks like he's ready. The injury he's overcome goes with the territory in thoroughbred racing, but really, it's amazing that he's managed to come back from it. If you loosen him up too much, you end up having to work him more to get him back in form. It's much easier on the legs to just keep him in shape, rather than build it up again from scratch. Just making it back from the injury was impressive, but he's won three big races in a row. I would love to see him do it again, because he's one away from tying the record. He made his comeback in the Japan Cup Dirt, and all the patience, effort we've put in has been worth it. But I never thought he would be this strong. I'm at a loss for words."
|
|
|
| Kikuno Salire (4yo, colt) |
Kikuno Salire |
| |
Toshiyuki Takashima (exercise rider)
"He lost his motivation in his last race, after not being able to run in the Japan Cup Dirt - which was our biggest goal last season. But I think as a 3-year-old, it was good to find out what losing feels like, and it's probably taken some pressure off of us as well. He looked worn out before his break, but now he's put the weight back on; I think he's due for a big race. His workout went well, and he tends to race better when the pace picks up, so the mile is a good distance for him. We'll be among some very strong company, but we hope he can take his position toward the front and show that he belongs."
|
|
|
| Nanyo Hilltop (4yo, colt) |
Nanyo Hilltop (left) |
| |
Yoshitomi Shibata
"His breathing was good, and his response time wasn't bad at all. I'd say he's in excellent form, and I think he might actually be able to keep up. He's still growing, but his legs are getting stronger and stronger. I don't think he'll embarrass himself - even in a Grade 1 race."
|
|
|
| Officer (7yo, horse) |
| |
Takashi Watanabe (exercise rider)
"He worked out nice and easy on his own. He's come along without any hitches, which is a sign of his consistency. I think we can get the best out of him when the race comes, but we're up against some very tough competition, and you have to wonder about the extra furlong he has to endure. It could be difficult."
|
|
| Success Brocken (4yo, colt) |
Success Brocken |
| |
Daisaku Matsuda (exercise rider)
"There's no question he's better than he was for his last race. He's not wound up and worked really well. He hasn't been able to run up to potential recently, and I think he'll give the other horses a race. He was boxed inside in his last race, the Kawasaki Kinen, and he never got the chance to run his race. He's definitely on the up, and we think the pace in a mile will suit him. We like our chances in the spacious track at Tokyo."
|
|
|
| Sunrise Bacchus (7yo, horse) |
Sunrise Bacchus |
| |
Kazushi Shibuya (exercise rider)
"We had a very good workout, and it should get him fired up for the race. He showed no signs of fatigue after his last race, and was ready for his next race in a hurry. Tetsuzo Sato, who knows the horse real well, worked him out just as we had planned. He's getting closer and closer to the form he was in when he won the race two years ago. The pace has to suit his style of running late, but the long straight at Tokyo definitely works in his favor. The jockey (Kosei Miura) is red hot, and we think he'll ride him without any preconceived notions. We're looking forward to it."
|
|
|
| Tosen Bright (8yo, horse) |
Tosen Bright(right) |
| |
Yukihiro Kato (trainer)
"He lost control during the trip in the Urawa Kinen before his holiday. But it's not because the race was too long, but rather the way he was ridden. I think he'll be able to get through it. He was out in the pastures after not being able to enter in the Japan Cup Dirt, and I would say he's at about 80 percent right now. The field could be a little too tough for him, and I think for this horse, it'll come down to how he can perform on a good but slow track."
|
|
|
| Vermilion (7yo, horse) |
Vermilion |
| |
Sei Ishizaka (trainer)
"All we did was take precaution and put off his workout one day because we didn't think it would affect him. His right shoulder didn't look quite right to me, and that was it. He got the work we wanted him to get in, and he looks sharp just as he always does. There's nothing wrong with him. Last year, we had to scratch him from the Kawasaki Kinen, so I would say he's in better shape now than he was one year ago. We suffered a tough loss in the Tokyo Daishoten, and we're very eager to even the score this time."
|
|
|
| Victory Tetsuni (5yo, horse) |
Victory Tetsuni |
| |
Norihiro Yokoyama
"I don't think we could have been cut off any more than we were in the last race. But maybe the good thing from it was that the horse didn't lose anything for this race. The horse looks switched on, and I'm excited about the race."
|
|
|
|