By Alan Carasso
Koji Maeda's homebred Lani (Tapit) captured the imagination of thousands of American racegoers earlier this year with his unorthodox training regimen and his participation in all three legs of the Triple Crown, capped by a third-place effort to Creator (Tapit) in the GI Belmont S. in June. But it is Lani's older half-brother Awardee (Jungle Pocket {Jpn}) they'll have to beat in Sunday's G1 Champions Cup (ex Japan Cup Dirt) at Chukyo Racecourse.
The 6-year-old made the first 26 starts of his career on the turf and was something other than an abject failure, with four wins, but with a switch to the dirt a little more than a year ago, he has been reborn. Undefeated in six trips since then, Awardee narrowly defeated G1 February S. hero Moanin (Henny Hughes) two starts back and exits a defeat of the recently retired Hokko Tarumae (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}) in the JBC Classic Nov. 3.
Given time to reacclimate following his two months in the States, Lani was a first-up third at Tokyo Oct. 23, but no better than 10th to Apollo Kentucky (Langfuhr) in the G3 Miyako S. at Kyoto Nov. 6.
Copano Rickey (Jpn) (Gold Allure {Jpn}) is one of the most accomplished dirt horses in Japan, having raced exclusively over the surface during his distinguished career. Seventh in this event last year, he defeated Nonkono Yume (Jpn) (Twining) in the Teio Sho in June, but exits a fifth in the JBC Classic.
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