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#11
12-05-2008, 08:30 AM
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Comments, from the JRA...
Admire Fuji (6yo, horse) Admire Fuji Takehiro Kodama (groom) "He's in good form, and we like his power. Now, if we can just get an outside draw so he won't get covered in sand. He's worked out on dirt for four straight weeks, and his strong feet should suit the surface. I'm looking forward to seeing how he does against a lot of very good horses. But we're going up against first-class dirt horses. We'll just have to see." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Blue Concorde (8yo, horse) Blue Concorde Toshiyuki Hattori (trainer) "The workout went well as we expected. He's been consistent and the extra trip will be a plus for him. But a tighter track is cause for concern, not to mention a very strong field. Hideaki Miyuki "The distance should be good for him because he's not responding as quickly as he used to with age. But the mile is still probably his best distance. It'll all come down to how he runs that extra furlong. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bonneville Record (6yo, horse) Masahiro Horii (trainer) "He's in excellent form. I'm counting on him to dig deep against some really good horses. He found his rhythm during the workout, and the jockey liked the way he worked. There are a lot of frontrunners in the field so if he comes around in decent position, it won't be like last time. Whatever he does in this race, hopefully we can take into the Tokyo Daishoten at the end of the year. I considered a bunch of scenarios, but we'll move him the day before the race. Hiroyuki Uchida "He's in superb condition. Switching to a roomy track is a plus, and with him, it'll be about how much he can close the gap on the straight. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Casino Drive (3yo, colt) Casino Drive Kazuo Fujisawa (trainer) "He's moved very well this week and last week. He's coming along much better than I had expected. The only reason he lost (in the Breeders' Cup Classic) was because of the synthetic turf. After his last race, he spent about 10 days in America resting and it's done a lot for him. He's been working well at Hanshin and is eager to go. There hasn't been a dramatic change in form, but he looks more switched on compared to last week. There are a lot of tough, older horses in the field and we'll have to see how he can handle them, but he's racing on dirt this time, I have my hopes up. Katsumi Ando "He responded incredibly well. Based on the workout, I think he's a very easy ride and has a lot of potential. It's possible he could get worked up over something, but for a horse who's had just four races, he's very mature and isn't fazed by much. I can ride him not having to worry about much. He was kind of slow to accelerate, but when he hits top speed, his footwork is amazing. I think any horse in the field can win it. But as long as I'm being given this opportunity, I hope to make the most of it. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Furioso (4yo, colt) Furioso Masayuki Kawashima (trainer) "He's been full of energy in his workouts. He weighed 508 kilograms, so he should be around 500 on race after the travel. That's probably his best weight. I like to think we have a chance. I wasn't too impressed ahead of the last race, but he was very sharp over the last furlong this morning. We're representing local racing, and I hope we run well enough to merit our place. Keita Tosaki "The trainer liked the way he worked, and I agree. He moved really well. His time was good, and his movement was good. He was too quiet when he hit the course in the JBC Classic. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Kane Hekili (6yo, horse) Kane Hekili Hiroaki Kiyoyama (exercise rider) "He made it through the final phase of preparations. His form is entirely different from what it was in the Musashino Stakes. His cardio, his muscles have all picked up and the horse is just much more aggressive. He still has several more good races in him. He was dynamic as you would expect him to be. It's a tough field, but given his track record, we're confident and we do have high expectations. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Meisho Battler (8yo, mare) Meisho Battler Shigetada Takahashi (trainer) "She still has a lot left in her. It's been a while since she last ran at the Hanshin course, but she's always run well there. I look forward to it. She's already put her work in, so we didn't need to push her. She was sharp, and she'll at least be in the form of her last race. It's hard to think big in this field, but she's been in form this fall. She got boxed in her last race, and with this field, at least the pace will probably suit her. We'll see how it all unfolds. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Meisho Tokon (6yo, horse) Meisho Tokon Isao Yasuda (trainer) "I was impressed with the way he closed the gap on such a tight track. His condition has been really stable. He's much stronger physically than he used to be and as a result, he's become much more consistent in races. He doesn't have to travel this time compared to last year (when the race was held in Tokyo), and runs better right-handed than left. I'm hoping he might surprise us. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Success Brocken (3yo, colt) Success Brocken Hideaki Fujiwara (trainer) "I didn't want him holding back today, so I wanted a fast time. The surface on the uphill course hasn't been great lately, but he still managed a fast time. He's in very good shape. I definitely saw a difference between him and the older horses. Our handicap will be down to one kilogram from two, but this has always been the race we were targeting and he's matured a lot. I'm trying to get him as close as possible to 100 percent, so we can close the gap and hopefully beat (Vermilion). He's put on some weight since the last race, but it's the fruit of all the training. It doesn't concern me at all. The last race was the closest race he's ever had and he ran it well. Now it's all up to Yokoyama. Norihiro Yokoyama "He tripped out of the barrier, and that hurt more than anything. And I don't think the tight track helped either. But he has tremendous talent. He was fighting Vermilion until the end, and he ran well up against the older horses for the first time. I didn't work him, but I've been told by the stable he's lighter on his feet with a race under his belt. He's coming along fine. Who knows if the pace will be fast or slow, and I don't really care. My job is to get the most out of this horse, and that's what I'm focused on. (It's not just Vermilion); there's CasinoDrive and other older horses we haven't been up against. Looking at the field, the race will be anything but easy. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sunrise Bacchus (6yo, horse) Sunrise Bacchus Hidetaka Otonashi (trainer) "He's in extremely good form. The horse he worked with likes to run in training. The 1,800 meters is definitely a plus for him. He's going into the race in good form, and now we just have to hope the pace suits the horse. The jockey likes his reaction time and we're entering the race in good shape. Tetsuzo Sato "I don't think there's any reason to worry about falling behind. Now it's just down to the draw and the pace. I think only luck stands in his way. The horse couldn't have been prepared any better. The hill (on the straight) will keep him focused; he won't be allowed to let up. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Vermilion (6yo, horse) Vermilion Sei Ishizaka (trainer) "Time wise, it was fine. I thought he might be a bit on the heavy side, but he wasn't like that at all. He's the same as he was for the last race, and I mean that in a good way. You never know how a race will unfold, but I'm convinced he'll perform to our satisfaction. We've been fortunate to be able to win last year and the year before, and Vermilion won't embarrass himself again this year. (The last race) was the tightest track he'd ever run on, but he handled it. If he can run well enough to win at Sonoda (in his previous outing, the JBC Classic), then he won't have any problems whatsoever with the new Hanshin course. He can run from any position. There are no obstacles for the horse. Yasunari Iwata "I want to make the most of this opportunity. His footwork is real strong, and he was relaxed. He's a tough horse, period. I've been told he likes any pace, so I have no concerns. I'm going to ride him with complete faith, and that's it. I was told he doesn't work very hard, but he doesn't seem the least bit difficult. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Wild Wonder (6yo, horse) Wild Wonder Takashi Kubota (trainer) "He was about 70 percent fit in his last race, but we've pushed him to the limit this time. The opposition is strong but if he saves himself for the straight, I don't think he'll be far behind. If we draw outside, then we have something to worry about but if we get an inside draw, he'll have the other horses to guide him. 1,800 meters at Hanshin is ideal, and we think he can compete here. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Wonder Speed (6yo, horse) Wonder Speed Hidenori Yamashita (exercise rider) "Today was supposed to be light because the jockey has worked him out two weeks in a row. He's in very good shape and he runs well on the home track. He can hold his own against any field. But against this field, he will need to break well. If he can stay calm on race day and not suffer from stage fright, I think he could be interesting. 
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