Takamatsunomiya Kinen (G1) - Preview (2)

2009 Takamatsunomiya Kinen

After the withdrawal of Sacred Kingdom and Ultra Fantasy from Hong Kong last week, on top of the absence of defending champion and the Japan Racing Association's best sprinter in 2009 in Laurel Guerreiro, the 40th Takamatsunomiya Kinen lost a little luster in its final race at Chukyo Racecourse before the track goes under renovation work. The next time the Takamatsunomiya Kinen is held at the course, gone will be the flat stretch Chukyo has become known for over the years. Sunday afternoon's race is expected to be wide open, with just one Grade 1 winner in a full field of 18 (the race's 2008 champion Fine Grain, 7). While it looks like the red-hot Kinshasa no Kiseki will be the No. 1 pick, he has yet to get the job done at the highest level.

Post time is 3:40 p.m. on March 28. The record time is 1 minute, 6.7 seconds by She is Tosho, with the winner to receive 95 million yen:

A Shin Forward A SHIN FORWARD: A Shin Forward joined the small fraternity of graded race winners in late February, winning the Hankyu Hai in convincing fashion as the second choice under Yasunari Iwata. The Takamatsunomiya Kinen will be his first Grade 1 challenge since the 2008 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) in which A Shin Forward finished 15th of 18, but the Forest Wildcat son is now twice the horse he was back then. The Masato Nishizono-trained A Shin Forward has won three of his last five at a mile and under, and the American-bred looks to have finally come into his own. "He's an all-rounder up to 1,600 meters," Nishinozo says. "As his weight of 480 kilograms shows (he was 462 kilograms on his debut), he's getting stronger and stronger with each race." Considering the quality of the playing field on Sunday, A Shin Forward's chances are as good as any. Would be bold to bet against him.

B B Guldan B B GULDAN: The 6-year-old son of Chief Bearhart came within a centimeter of his first Grade 1 title, losing out to Laurel Guerreiro by the closest of margins in the Sprinters Stakes back in October. The Masazo Ryoke-trained horse launched his 2010 campaign on Feb. 28 with the 1,400-meter Hankyu Hai at Hanshin – a race he won last year – but was far from taking the tape first, finishing seventh almost four lengths out of first. B B Guldan's performance in the Sprinters Stakes, however, underlined his class as a thoroughbred and the Katsumi Ando-ridden cannot be written off just yet. Without the two Hong Kong horses and Laurel Guerreiro, B B Guldan has every chance here of making the long awaited trip to a Grade 1 winner's circle.

Fine Grain FINE GRAIN: The 7-year-old Fine Grain's last victory dates all the way back to – yes, the 2008 Takamatsunomiya Kinen, which he won as the No. 4 pick over Kinshasa no Kiseki. In the nine races since, Fine Grain has not done better than third in the 2008 Mile Championship (won by Blumenblatt). The Shadai-bred, Shadai-owned son of Fuji Kiseki started the year with a fifth-place finish in the March 6 Yukan Fuji Sho Ocean Stakes, not a terrible effort considering that he was carrying 58 kilograms in yielding conditions at Nakayama with new partner Masaki Katsuura in the saddle. While it would be a stretch to say Fine Grain is all the way back, he has to appear as an interesting pick for the gambling man.

Kanoya Zakura KANOYA ZAKURA: The winner of the Japan Racing Association's Summer Sprint Series in 2008 and in 2009, the 6-year-old Kanoya Zakura returns to the track after a layoff of almost half a year. Her last race goes back to the Sprinters Stakes on Oct. 4, when she was third as the eighth choice, a little more than one length behind champion Laurel Guerreiro. Yet despite the lengthy absence, trainer Kojiro Hashiguchi is said to have the mare in good shape for this weekend – much better than she was at this time last year. Don't be too surprised if Kanoya Zakura has a legitimate run at the 95 million yen winner's check on Sunday.

Kinshasa no Kiseki KINSHASA NO KISEKI: Given his present form and the field he's up against, it's now or never for the 7-year-old Kinshasa no Kiseki. Ever since his debut in December 2005, the Australian-bred by Fuji Kiseki for long has been touted as a sure Grade 1 winner. But in six Grade 1 races so far, the Noriyuki Hori-trained Kinshasa no Kiseki has come up short with a pair of second-place finishes and one third-place finish. The Kazumi Yoshida-owned horse, nevertheless, currently appears to be in the best shape of his career, heading into the Takamatsunomiya Kinen with three consecutive graded victories – the Oct. 31 Mainichi Broadcast Swan Stakes, the Dec. 20 Hanshin Cup and last month's Ocean Stakes. Kinshasa no Kiseki was 10th in the Takamatsunomiya Kinen last year, but a vast improvement on that is all but guaranteed. Says Hori: "We felt like we couldn't lose in his last race and he responded, running a tough race on the wet surface under 58 kilograms. He's shown no signs of fatigue since then, and I think he'll be in good condition for the big race. The Chukyo course will be a good fit for him, and we're looking forward to the race."

Premium Box PREMIUM BOX: Bred and owned by Shadai, the 7-year-old Premium Box could be staring at his best chance yet at a Grade 1 title. Boasting one of the fiercest closing rushes around, the Admire Vega son does seem to be in excellent condition but will need a good going and a fast pace. "He drew an inside barrier and couldn't find a free lane the last time out," trainer Hiroyuki Uehara said, referring to the horse's fourth-place finish in the Ocean Stakes last month. Premium Box departed from the No. 15 stall at Nakayama. "The poor conditions didn't help. If the pace picks up on a dry surface, then I like our chances."

Ultima Thule ULTIMA THULE: The 6-year-old mare by Fuji Kiseki will call it a career with the Takamatsunomiya Kinen. But can she do it with a Grade 1 title in hand? The Shadai Race Horse-owned Ultima Thule was the first choice in the 2009 Sprinters Stakes, only to finish a disappointing fifth as she ran out of room on the final straight under Masami Matsuoka. The Masashi Okuhira-trained Ultima Thule started the 2010 season with victory in the Grade 3 Silk Road Stakes on Feb. 7 – her second graded win – with a new partner in Norihiro Yokoyama. Okuhira hasn't been able to stop gushing about the partnership with the veteran Yokoyama, who is currently the nation's leading jockey ahead of superstar Yutaka Take. "The jockey rode a perfect race last time, and it turned out to be a great prep race," said the trainer. "She had some time off after the race at the Yamamoto training center, and she came back to us refreshed and ready." Also working to Ultima Thule's favor is the course, where she has two wins in as many races in the past. The stars are clearly starting to align for this horse, who may just get the perfect ending she has been looking for. "Everything's gone according to plan so far," Okuhira said. "It's her last race, and we're hoping she can go out a Grade 1 winner."