Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) - Preview

The Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) turned out to be a one-horse race, the stage belonging to Buena Vista. But this weekend's Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) is shaping up to be anything but that, with a bundle of colts among an expected full field of 18 having a shot at the first jewel in the Japanese triple crown.

Modeled after the English Classic races, the Satsuki Sho was originally founded in 1939 as the Yokohama Norinsho Shoten Yonsai Yobiuma over 1,850 meters, before going through several changes and taking on its current platform as a 2,000-meter championship held at Nakayama in mid-April, with geldings disallowed to enter.

The shortest of the triple crown races with the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) run over 2,400 meters at Fuchu and the Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger) at 3,000 meters in Kyoto, the Satsuki Sho laps the inside course at Nakayama once, the stalls set on the 310-meter final stretch. The first turn to the right leads into a back straight of 400 meters before bending again toward home, where the famous - or infamous, depending on how one sees it - Nakayama hill awaits, which rises sharply over the last 200 meters.

Because of the tricky conditions at the track, the Satsuki Sho tends to be the wildest of the three triple crown races; Captain Thule won the race last year as the seventh choice, and the favorite has not won since Deep Impact came through in 2005.

Whoever the top pick ends up being on Sunday afternoon - whether it's the unbeaten Logi Universe or Reach the Crown or Unrivaled - he will certainly have to fight for the winner's check of 97 million yen. The following are the early favorites for the 69th Satsuki Sho:

LOGI UNIVERSE: Coming off a convincing win in last month's Hochi Hai Yayoi Sho - set at the exact same terms as the Satsuki Sho - Norirhiro Yokoyama's mount should be the favorite come post time on Sunday. Sired by former Satsuki Sho and Japanese Derby winner Neo Universe, Logi Universe has been untouchable in the first four races of his career. On top of the Yayoi Sho victory by two-and-a-half lengths, the Kiyoshi Hagiwara-trained colt has already beaten the popular Reach the Crown by four lengths in the 2,000-meter Radio Nikkei Hai Nisai Stakes back in December. Yokoyama can't stop raving about this horse and while recent history hasn't favored the No. 1 pick, Logi Universe is looking like the best choice of the lot, almost guaranteed of a top-three finish. Yokoyama, currently the nation's leading jockey, could very well be due for his first Satsuki Sho title since 1998, when he won aboard Seiun Sky.		Logi Universe
REACH THE CROWN: Trainer Kojiro Hashiguchi has been gushing about this son of Special Week since his debut, and he has every right to be. He won his first race by a whopping 12 lengths, and followed it up with a victory of three lengths in the 1,600-meter Senryo Sho at Hanshin. Reach the Crown is coming off a win of three and a half lengths in the 1,800-meter Kisaragi Sho (NHK Sho), a Satsuki Sho trial race, and with superstar Yutaka Take in the saddle, it's hard to dislike this frontrunner. He was thrashed by Logi Universe in December, but knowing the competitor that Take is, Reach the Crown should at the very least close the gap this time around. Could even be the favorite on Sunday, and will make it difficult for Logi Universe to stay undefeated.		Reach the Crown
UNRIVALED: Another son of Neo Universe, some see this Yasuo Tomomichi-trained colt as the most talented horse in the field. Unrivaled won his debut race by a length and a half ahead of Reach the Crown and newly crowned Oka Sho queen Buena Vista, and won the 2,000-meter Wakagoma Stakes at Kyoto by more than three lengths. He cruised to victory in last month's Fuji TV Sho Spring Stakes over 1,800 meters at Nakayama, and his stock has risen with each performance. Unrivaled certainly has it in his blood to become a champion, his dam being Ballet Queen, who produced former Japanese Derby winner Fusaichi Concorde. Unrivaled will be ridden by big-race jockey Yasunari Iwata, who won the Tenno Sho (Spring) and the Yasuda Kinen last year and could be due for his first big win of 2009 this weekend. It wouldn't be a stretch to see this horse steal the show from Logi Universe and Reach the Crown.		Unrivaled
SEIUN WONDER: The top 2-year-old colt of the Japan Racing Association in 2008 will be looking to restore his No. 1 status after flopping to eighth in the Yayoi Sho. Seiun Wonder won the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes as the second favorite in December, and much was expected of him coming into the spring. With the rise of Logi Universe, Reach the Crown and Unrivaled, the reputation of this son of Grass Wonder has taken a beating following the Yayoi Sho debacle, which trainer Masazo Ryoke attributes to the horse simply being overweight. If so, Seiun Wonder is bound to improve on his previous finish and it would be a little too early to write him off. With new partner Hiroyuki Uchida set to take the rein in place of Yasunari Iwata, a fresh start just maybe what this colt needs.		Seiun Wonder
BEST MEMBER: The Manhattan Cafe bay rose into contention after winning the trial race at Hanshin, the 2,000-meter Wakaba Stakes on March 21. He may not have the record of Logi Universe or the pedigree of Unrivaled, but Best Member, trained by Hiroshi Miyamoto, has won a 2,000-meter race at Nakayama - the Kanchiku Sho in January - which bodes well for a horse at this age. Wily jockey Hirofumi Shii has been known to crash the party on an occasion or two, and you can bet the house that he will be eyeing to do so this weekend. Could be tough to rule out for the punters.		Best Member
FIFTH PETAL: If any horse in the field has the momentum, it's this horse who will be ridden by Katsumi Ando. Ando is coming off a sweet win in the Oka Sho aboard Buena Vista, and with Yutaka Take opting to ride Reach the Crown, the veteran has managed to land a mount that could take him to the winner's circle for a second straight Sunday. Ando is just 13th in wins this year, but again leads the country in winning percentage. His 23 wins trail Norihiro Yokoyama by 19, but has had just half the number of amounts as Yokoyama. Ando's new partner Fifth Petal has been a model of consistency in five career starts, winning twice, finishing second twice and third once. He took just third to Unrivaled in the Spring Stakes, and was runner-up to Seiun Wonder in the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes so the quality is definitely there. Could it be fate that Ando also rode Fifth Petal's sire - former Japanese Derby and NHK Mile Cup champion King Kamehameha - to the top of his class? A very, very interesting pick.		Fifth Petal
NAKAYAMA FESTA: Had the Stay Gold offspring not pulled out of the Yayoi Sho, Nakayama Festa would likely be rated higher than he is. After taking second with an extra kilogram in the Grade 3 Keisei Hai in January, another 2,000-meter race at Nakayama, a lot had been expected from the Masayoshi Ebina-ridden colt for the spring. But after a lack of conditioning forced the horse out of the Yayoi Sho, Nakayama Festa goes into the Satsuki Sho without a prep race under his belt. He does have the Tokyo Sports Hai Nisai Stakes title to show for, but a triple crown race could be too demanding as his first start of the season. Then again, if Nakayama Festa is fit on Sunday, he could be an element for surprise - just like his sire used to be in big races.		Nakayama Festa
EARLY ROBUSTO: In his first five starts, Early Robusto had never finished below second and had the Keisei Hai crown to boast. But in his first race of the spring, he fizzled to sixth in the Yayoi Sho as the third pick, and his appraisal since has tanked. Yet with magician Yuichi Fukunga in the saddle, Early Robusto, trained by former popular jockey Masaru Honda, probably deserves another look in a race that could make or break the colt's career. Never say never.		Early Robusto
ANTONIO BAROWS: His tantalizing potential won him the 1,600-meter Nikkan Sports Sho Shinzan Kinen at Kyoto in January, but a minor injury made him a last-minute scratch for the Yayoi Sho. Like Nakayama Festa, the Koichi Tsunoda-ridden Antonio Barows is difficult to gauge because he has not raced this spring. But considering the rave reviews the Manhattan Cafe-sired colt was receiving ahead of the Yayoi Sho, there's a chance the Hiroshi Takeda-trained Antonio Barows could turn a few heads this weekend, even against this class of competition.		Antonio Barows