Saturnalia Heads Satsuki Sho

Before the colts even line up in the starting gate for Sunday's G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) at Nakayama, a couple of parallels can be drawn between this first colts' Classic of the year and last Sunday's G1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas).

First, there is an even-money favourite. Second, it is a race with a sub-par record of favourites emerging victorious.

Last weekend, we saw the 2-year-old filly champion Danon Fantasy (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) turned over at Hanshin. This weekend, it will be Saturnalia (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) running with a target on his back.

Carrot Farm's Saturnalia is unbeaten in three runs but has not been seen since taking the G1 Hopeful S. over this course and distance on Dec. 28. Assistant trainer Yasuyuki Tsujino said of the son of G1 Yushun Himba and GI American Oaks winner Cesario (Jpn) (Special Week {Jpn}) and half-brother to G1 Japan Cup winner Epiphaneia (Jpn) (Symboli Kris S), “He showed both mental and physical strength last time when winning the Hopeful S. After that he had a break at Northern Farm Shigaraki and came back to the stable on Mar. 13. His work since has been good and we have enough time to get him just right for the race.”

Earning the crown of 2-year-old champion last year off a win in the G1 Asahi Hai Futurity-and his three prior races-was Riichi Kondo's Admire Mars (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}). The chestnut lost a bit of lustre, however, when second to the unbeaten Danon Kingly (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in the G3 Kyodo News Service Hai on Feb. 10. Trainer Yasuo Tomomichi said, however, that tactics may have got him beaten. “In the Kyodo News Service Hai, he was out in front, and I thought he might be able to sustain things to the end, but the pace was a bit slow and the winner was just able to find a bit more at the finish,” the trainer said. “He's had a break at the farm, but we now have this race in mind for him.”

Danon Kingly looks a progressive sort and while he'll be trying 2000 metres for the first time, he did win an allowance race over the course last December.

Connections of Velox (Jpn) (Just A Way {Jpn}) have taken the route of plenty of seasoning this campaign, so the bay shouldn't lack fitness. The son of Selkis (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}) had a relatively unremarkable juvenile campaign, winning one of three starts, but he has won both outings in 2019, both over this trip, comfortably: the Wakagoma S. at Kyoto on Jan. 19, and the Wakaba S. at Hanshin on Mar. 16. Assistant trainer Teruhiko Saruhashi said, “It was a good win last time in the Wakaba S. and he's come out of that race well. There's no tiredness about him and things are as usual.”