Agnes Waltz

Hiroshi Miyamoto (trainer)
"The workout went just as we had hoped, with the emphasis on the last couple of furlongs. We were a little worried about how she might respond after her first race back, but she turned out OK. I don't think the distance will be a problem for her either."

Animate Bio (right)

Hiroki Goto
"We couldn't her work the way we wanted to last week because the track was in such bad shape. But she definitely got her work in this week, and I think the blinker is working because she was running straight until the finish. There's no way to tell until after the matter, but she seems like a horse much more suited to 2,400 meters than the mile. I have to ride her in a way that I don't upset her."

Apapane

Masayoshi Ebina
"She was outstanding when I gave her the green light in the workout today, and I don't think I could have asked the stable to prepare her any better than they have for a Grade 1 race. You can tell from her build; at Ritto, she had the body of a sprinter, but after all the training she's put in on the course at Miho, she has a nice, slim build of a long-distance runner. There's no question it will be a tough race and I'm sure some of the horses from the Oka Sho will try to get even with us here. But really, all my focus has been on getting my horse to run her best race. I'm just worrying about getting the most out of her."

Sakae Kunieda (trainer)
"I think she was good today; her action was real smooth and she was under control, every step of the way. The training since her last race has all been about rhythm – with this race in mind. You never know what will happen in a race, but in terms of preparation, we couldn't have done more. Her footwork was good and physically, she's right there. Her weight has been going up, but she's sweating a lot of it off with the heat as of late. I think she'll weigh in less than what she weighed last time. The track is very fast right now, but she can keep up with any pace. We're hoping she can pull off what Buena Vista did last year, and we certainly believe she has the potential to be in that class."

Apricot Fizz

Futoshi Kojima (trainer)
"She took it nice and easy today, just gliding ahead of the big race. We weren't creamed by any stretch of the imagination in the Oka Sho, but I was still a little disappointed. She had, though, lost some weight so it's possible she may not have felt like she was 100 percent. She's had a big appetite since the last race, and she's looking very powerful at the moment. If she can stay relaxed until about the next to last turn, you can count on her to finish the race strong. I think she's in the best shape she's ever been in since she's joined our stable and we've got to make ends meet here. "

A Shin Returns

Masanori Sakaguchi (trainer)
"We decided to go easy on her today, keeping the trip ahead of her in mind. But she still had a great time and we can only hope she'll maintain the form she's in at the moment. She always ends up racing better than she's expected to, and her bloodlines suggest she can handle the long distance. And she can race through traffic because she's always had the right balance of patience and competitiveness."

Blooming Alley

Shigeyuki Kojima (trainer)
"She may have turned over a new leaf in the workout today, and I think she's gained a lot of confidence from it. She's calm, but not in a distracted, out-of-focus way. There's an aggressiveness to her that she didn't have before, and physically, she's in very good condition."

Cosmo Nemo Shin

Hidekatsu Shimizu (trainer)
"She worked a little faster than we wanted her to because she has such a big stride, but her movement was good and we're pretty happy with the way she shaped up. She's relaxed, and I think she's in a state of mind where she can run to the best of her ability, which is all we can ask for"

Ginza Bonanza

Kenichi Ikezoe
"This is just my third time out here at Miho, the first since the 2006 Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger) for Mistral Cruise. The filly was able to jog right on the tails of her partner, and she was sharp coming through on the straight. I got the impression she can handle the 2,400 meters."

Morning Face

Yoshito Yahagi (trainer)
"I don't think the workout could have been smoother, especially against another horse. She's in much better shape than I ever imagined she would be in, and she can adjust to the distance for sure. All we need is just a bit of luck."

Nimaru Otome

Yasuhito Tamura (trainer)
"She's in good condition, by her standards at least. She has a habit of drifting to the outside so she tried on the blinkers and hopefully, that will be the end of that. It looked like it was working and the good thing is she can run from any position, be it the lead or from behind."

Oken Sakura

Katsumi Ando
"She's a very intelligent horse who can run any kind of race. I have all the faith in the world she can get the job done here."

Hidetaka Otonashi (trainer)
"It would have been nice if she had been under 13 seconds, but maybe that's asking for too much. She worked with a lot of intensity today, and she is the Oka Sho runnerup. I like to think we have a good shot here."

Princess Memory

Yoshihiro Takahashi (trainer)
"Time wise, it was just about right and her action was really good. She handled the trip out west for the Oka Sho, but I think she was a little thrown off by the change in environment. This time, she should be at around the same weight as she was for her last race."

Saint Emilion

Norihiro Yokoyama
"She was little bit edgy for the Flower Cup two races ago, and maybe it had something to do with her being worked too hard. But it was the third start of her career and she was probably worn out. She was very relaxed in her last race in the Flora Stakes after she took it easy in training. Obviously, no one knows how she'll do with the extra 400 meters, but I'm not too worried because she's so easy to navigate. She looks a lot like Zenno Rob Roy, from the color of her coat and her facial features – especially looking at her from the saddle. I think if Rob Roy were a girl, he would look like her. I always say this, but all we can ask from her is that she goes to the race in one piece, in a sound frame of mind. She has more than a chance here, against horses of her own class."

Masaaki Koga (trainer)
"She could have put in her fast work at the weekend if we wanted; that's how fast she's shaping up for the race. Her footwork was good today, and like her father Zenno Rob Roy, she has a knack for racing. She breaks well and can position herself anywhere. The way her neck moves reminds me so much of her dad."

Shimmei Fuji

Takayuki Yasuda (trainer)
"She's always been a good workout horse, but she was fantastic today even by her standards. We can't say how she'll do at 2,400 meters for the first time but her mother finished fourth in the 2000 Oaks. Her genes say she should be able to handle it."

Shoryu Moon

Shozo Sasaki (trainer)
"She's already in competitive form, and we didn't want to take any chances by working her too fast on a wet course. We probably didn't even need the work, period, and her time was still pretty fast. She ran a heck of a race in the Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) from the inside barrier. We only lost because of the draw, and I didn't think she was any less of a horse than Apapane. Unlike at 1,600 meters, she'll be able to gently roll over the turns at 2,400 meters. Her left leg is a little crooked, so counterclockwise is definitely a plus for her. She's really at ease, and I've got a lot of confidence going into this race."

Stellar Lead

Rikiya Imai (assistant trainer)
"Her movement was ideal and the workout went exactly as planned. Like the others, she's never raced at these conditions and we're counting on that she digs deep into her potential."

Tagano Elisabeth

Hiroyoshi Matsuda (trainer)
"She worked against a real training horse and she didn't back down at all. So I think it's fair to say it was a good workout. The problem with her isn't the distance; she just takes the bit as soon as she's in a race. If she can just stay relaxed, I think she has a shot."

Toreno Angel

Masanori Ito (trainer)
"She had been on the heavy side, but the work today should have her right where we want her to be. She's pretty much been racing on her natural ability alone so far, and we think she will fill out her frame sometime in the fall. So far, she's passed every test she's been given and there's no question she will last the 2,400 meters."