Mitsuru Hashida (trainer)
"The workout went exactly the way we wanted it to. His action was really good. We have zero concerns with fatigue because we've been careful to space his races well. He's showing no signs of age, and the distance is well within his range. He'll run much better on the soft Hanshin course than the hard fast track at Niigata, that's for sure."

Shigeki Matsumoto (trainer)
"Considering the going on Thursday, I thought he moved really well. He was race ready as of last week, and he could be even better than he was for the Tenno Sho. He runs so hard during a race that the shorter distance won't be an issue. The most important thing with this horse is getting the most out of him. He's had plenty of time to recover from the Tenno Sho, and we've managed to get in the work that we wanted. Unlike the spring when we had a tough time getting his weight down, he looks a much sharper horse. He's never been the greatest training horse, and I didn't expect him to be this time around. Our opponents are quality, but I still expect a lot from him."

Hidetaka Otonashi (trainer)
"The session went just like clockwork. If he had hit 52 seconds, it would have been too much but the jockey timed it brilliantly; it was perfect. He doesn't seem to be as tired as he usually does after a race since the Yasuda Kinen. His muscle tone looks good, and you can clearly tell from the movement, the air he gives off that he's in better condition than he was last time. He could even be in the best form of his career right now. He's looked sharp since the last race, and it's a help for us that we won't have to travel as far to the race this time. His last performance was pretty impressive, coming home way on the outside. A few sprinkles won't bother him, but no puddles because he's been beaten by the rain before. He can definitely handle anything up to 2,000 meters so it comes down to how he handles that extra 200 meters. He ran a heck of a race in the Tenno Sho last fall, so he should be OK. I'm leaving it all in (Yasunari) Iwata's hands now."

Kazunori Tabe (trainer)
"His time was slower than what we expected today, but I still thought he showed a lot of desire to run. It was impressive. The Tenno Sho was never our race because he was badly cut off on the next to last turn. All I ask is that he's given an opportunity to run his race."

Hirofumi Shii
"I was asked to make sure that he finished strong today. It was pretty wet out there so I was wondering how he would do, but he came up the hill very well, and his time was much faster than I thought it would be. I worked him for the first time after the Yasuda Kinen on the 17th, and he's definitely improved since then. I think you all saw what kind of form he's in at the moment; there's no need for me to comment, really. He's definitely the type to get better every time he races, and his action speaks of his great form right now. I thought we ran a good race, keeping Vodka in our sights during the trip. I was a little bit worried that we might get left behind because it was his first mile in a long time, but that was never the case. We ran the best race we could give the circumstances, but you can only tip your hat to the winner because she just ran an even better race than we did. There are no definite in racing, but what I do know is that Deep Sky is one tough horse, and he's in good shape at the moment. The Tenno Sho champion is in the field, and we'll have to be on the watch for everyone. I expect a strong performance from him. You can only say almost or next time for so long, and I don't think the fans or his connections will let us off the hook if we don't win this time around. We've got center stage, and I fully expect us to perform like the leading man. We haven't won since the Kobe Shimbun Hai last year, so this is a must win race for us."

Kenichi Ikezoe
"I don' think he could be in better condition. If we do end up on the losing end, it won't be because he's not in shape. I was checking to see his response time during the workout, but he was class. I thought he was pretty good last week, but he's managed to one-up himself this week. Before, we could never work him very hard on the week of the race. But he's much stronger now, and can handle the tough workouts. He's going into this race in the best form this year. He used to only be able to come from behind, but he figured out how to race last summer; he's learned to finish strong from any position during the trip. I had a lot to think about after the last race because he could have probably done even better had I ridden a better race. We had the advantage last time because two kilograms on him (Deep Sky), but this time, the terms are same. And I want to beat him again. For the jockey, this distance is much easier to ride and I'm convinced we can come out on top as long as I ride him the right way."

Ryuji Okubo (trainer)
"His time wasn't particularly fast, but I was impressed with the way he moved today. I'm hoping he can still have his moment even against a group of horses this good. If it were up to us, we could do without any rain. He's come a long way in returning from a long layoff with the injury. He was always the type to get better with each race, but more importantly, his legs can withstand all the racing. We don't need to worry about spacing his races again."

Ryuji Okubo (trainer)
"He's showing no signs of stress after his last race, and he's ready to go. This horse runs his best race when he comes from behind, so he has to have a smooth journey and save himself for the straight. He's racing on back-to-back weekends, but he's put back all the weight he lost from Fukushima. Now if the pace will just be to his liking."