Aliseo

Craig Williams
"He's in perfect form for the Derby. But he's a real competitive horse and how we can save some of that fight for the end of the race will be key. I saw the workouts of the other horses on film, and the horse from the Sumii stable (Victoire Pisa) looked very sharp. Before I became a jockey, I watched an Australian horse win the Japan Cup and I was so excited about it. It's just a privilege to be taking part in the Derby where all the future stars are."

Cosmo Phantom

Toru Miya (trainer)
"He'd done his fast work on Sunday so he just went through the motions today. He's pretty tough when he gets out in front, and we're hoping he can do just that in the race this weekend."

Danon Chantilly

Katsumi Ando
"He ran at about the same rhythm he had before the NHK Mile Cup. And we didn't even work him that hard during the week of the race. He can switch on easily in a race so I have to make sure he stays relaxed during the trip. The plan is to get him to explode on the straight like last time. Ideally, Victoire Pisa and Pelusa will be in front of us and they make their move first, and I think that's how it'll turn out. I feel like we're challengers here. I've been fortunate enough to have won the Derby once before, and I know it's a huge race. But there's no pressure on me. "

Kunihide Matsuda (trainer)
"He's very relaxed, just like he was a week ago. I think today's workout was perfect. It takes a truly strong horse to win the 1,600 meters at Tokyo. I'm convinced our horse is the toughest, the fastest. Everything's gone according to plan so far so I really don't know what more to say. He breezed through his last race and set a national record. He's worked a little harder for the Derby, but that's about the only difference. King Kamehameha, Tanino Gimlet and Kurofune were all strong, but this horse is the only one going to the Derby with a Japan record in hand. I personally think Danon Chantilly is in a totally different league, one of his own."

Eishin Flash

Hideaki Fujiwara (trainer)
"He worked really well today. We had to pass on the Wakaba Stakes because he had an infection, and the Satsuki Sho ended up being his first race back from a break. But it worked out for the better for the Derby because he's had a lot of time to get ready. We just hope he exceeds all of our expectations."

Gestalt

Kenichi Ikezoe
"He was real loose, and he was responding well. He's in better shape than he was for his last race. He can handle the distance and we're looking forward to it."

Hansode Bando (horse number 6)

Mitsuhiro Ogata (trainer)
"He lost his concentration when he got out in front. I think he was struggling a bit today. I don't think he's any better or worse than he was for his last start, and we hope he puts on some weight although he'll probably be at the same."

Hiruno d'Amour

Shinji Fujita
"He's in great condition. The best ever. He's at ease and his frame is bigger. He might be more than 10 kilograms heavier this time, but it's not a problem. You can't complain with his form. If he can run a clean race, he's as good as any in the field. Victoire (Pisa) and Pelusa will be marked, but we won't and that's completely to our advantage. We'll be out to show who's the strongest."

Mitsugu Kon (trainer)
"We pushed him last week and the week before so we just wanted to see how he responded today. He looks unfazed even after working, and the jockey couldn't stop himself from smiling. He's worked him every week and he knows firsthand how much the horse has improved. Mentally, he's right where he should be and I don't think we could ask any more from him. We've done everything we possibly can."

L'Ile d'Aval

Yuichi Fukunaga
"I can guarantee you he's improving. He's full of energy at the moment. I thought his form would dip because he ran such a fast race in the NHK Mile Cup, but he's managed to take it up another notch which is impressive. He's definitely in the best shape I've ever known him to be in."

Meisho Uzushio

Akihiro Iida (trainer)
"He went all out last week so he took it easy today. He came up short in his last start, but he finished the race strong like he never has before. He's a much improved horse in his own right and I just hope we're allowed to enter."

Pelusa

Norihiro Yokoyama
"He felt good. It's fun just being on him, and it was another good day at the office. He's come along fine so far, and I hope it stays that way to the race. That's all I ask. He ran a strong race, as everyone saw, and he's so easy to ride. He's really learning with each race. I can't tell you how excited I am. This week will be even better than last week. We want to make up for the defeat seven years ago. (Zenno) Rob Roy was a great horse, but Pelusa is also a great horse. He's just really, really good. We're going up against some fantastic horses and I think the fans can expect a good race."

Kazuo Fujisawa (trainer)
"He was calm when he worked, which is a good sign. We didn't work him very fast ahead of his last two starts, and it's just the way he is. But he's gotten his work in for sure; we timed him last Wednesday, Friday and also on Sunday. He ran an outstanding race for a 3-year-old. I was a little worried he might be tired after the race, especially since he'll be running the 2,400 meters at Tokyo for the second time inside a month. But he's actually managed to get better since. I guess it was that easy of a race for him last time. I think his father was a better looking horse, more intimidating. Pelusa doesn't look big, but the weight is there. He's probably more mature than his father was at this point in his career. His father was the same, but the best thing about him is that he's easy to navigate. He can keep up with any pace, run from any position. He has to be ideal for a jockey, I think. Zenno Rob Roy's loss seven years ago was a tough loss at the time, but I think I've finally gotten over it. He's a hard working horse, and I hope he's rewarded for it."

Reve d'Orient (horse number 11)

Hiroyoshi Matsuda (trainer)
"He was his usual self in the workout, nothing special to note. I think the long straight at Tokyo is right up his alley, and I'm personally looking forward to the race."

Rose Kingdom

Hiroki Goto
"I was reassured by his footwork, which was completely normal. He runs well, just like I imagined he would but he's a lot sturdier mentally than I thought. I expected him to be a bit edgy, like a lot of small, quick horses tend to be but it couldn't be more true. It's got to be stressful for the horse that I'm riding him since (Futoshi) Komaki is the only jockey he's ever known. How I can fool him into thinking Komaki is riding him will be the key. I don't think I've ever seen a better field for the Derby. If you held the race 10 times, I'd bet you get 10 different results. I spoke with Komaki about it, but the positioning will be important."

Kojiro Hashiguchi (trainer)
"He hasn't missed a single workout, but he did have a little accident so I can't sit here and say everything has gone exactly according to plan. If the weather holds up, he will give the others a run for their money, but really, there's no telling this weekend."

Rulership

Hirofumi Shii
"He's a much better horse than I'd imagined, such an easy ride. He was just really good today. The movement, the vibes he was giving off, everything. I think he's ready for battle. He ran well in his last race. I think lady luck is on his side; for him to win the very last trial and qualify for the Derby, you've got have luck which is important. I'm fortunate to be riding on another good horse this year. This race is like no other; I always get nervous for it. Jockeys have a chance to race in the Derby every year as long as they're riding well, but for horses, it's a once in a lifetime opportunity. I've got to make it count."

Katsuhiko Sumii (trainer)
"He's in much better form than he was for the Principal Stakes, fortunately. He's probably tapped into only 70, 80 percent of his potential; his ceiling is pretty high. He's in the best condition he can be in right now, so we hope he runs a big race."

San Diego City

Suguru Hamanaka
"He trained at a nice, easy rhythm and kept his focus throughout the workout. He wasn't winded at all from the session, so he's obviously in pretty good shape. He looks sharp physically, and he should be able to run to the best of his ability."

Shine

Ryuji Wada
"We couldn't get the positioning we were looking for in the Satsuki Sho. He doesn't have the closing rush some of the others do here, so we're going to have to push forward from the start."

Yusaku Kugita (assistant trainer)
"His action, his response, he's improving in every aspect. He needs to be able to run at his own pace, though."

Tosen Ares

Yasuhiro Suzuki (trainer)
"He was relaxed out there, but his time was a little slower than what we were expecting it to be. We raced from too far behind in the Satsuki Sho. We hope he can turn things around on a good going at Tokyo."

To the Glory

Toshiyuki Ikee (assistant trainer)
"He worked really well, his breathing was especially good. He'll just keep getting better and better."

Victoire Pisa

Yasunari Iwata
"I thought he felt a bit heavy last week, but he was light on his feet today. He kept his cool on the course, even when someone tried to pass him on his inside and he finished strong. I just want to thank all the connections for giving me the opportunity to ride this horse. If I can get the most out of his ability, get him to run his best race, then all will be fine. I switched to the JRA because I wanted to win the Derby someday, and I couldn't be happier if I could fulfill that dream with Victoire Pisa. The entire stable has worked so hard for him and I've got to do my job. I'm not riding just for myself, but also for Yutaka (Take)."

Katsuhiko Sumii (trainer)
"He was nothing short of fantastic in his last race. He carried the weight of the world against that field and he still came through as everyone expected him to. We just wanted the jockey to get a feel for where he's at right now. This time, it'll be crucial that he can settle and we wanted to check on that. His action itself was fine. It was different with Vodka because she was a filly taking a shot at the boys. There's a lot of pressure on us this time because he's the champion and we're out for the Triple Crown. We've got a truly great field this year. There's an unbeaten horse, as well as a horse who's already won a Grade 1 race in record time. I think it'll be an excellent race. You couldn't ask for a better field for the Derby. We can guarantee Victoire Pisa's form so we hope the fans will support him."