Sunday's G1 Takarazuka Kinen is the final Group 1 of the season in Japan, and also represents an opportunity for its participants to gain an automatic entry into the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Turf as a “Win and You're In” qualifier.
All 16 opponents will have to answer to Duramente (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}), who makes his domestic return after being touched off by British star Postponed (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) when second in the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic Mar. 26. Duramente lost a shoe before the start of the race that day and was not re-shod, and while Postponed has further flattered that race's form with an eye-catching win in the G1 Coronation Cup at Epsom June 4, suggesting he would have won regardless, conditions could not have helped Duramente in Dubai. Never worse than second in eight starts, Duramente won last year's G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) and G1 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) but missed out on a Triple Crown bid due to injury. He bested Ambitious (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) by a neck in the G2 Nakayama Kinen Feb. 28 before embarking on his Emirates trip.
Assistant trainer Atsunori Hashimoto said, “After his trip to Dubai, naturally it took a bit out of him. It was just too bad that he lost a shoe and wasn't able to run to his best. But he's come back to himself well and we now have this race in mind. We'll be upping his training load and have him back in best condition.”
Kitasan Black (Jpn) (Black Tide {Jpn}) looks to close out the season with back-to-back big-race scores, having taken the prestigious G1 Tenno Sho Spring over 3200 metres at Kyoto May 1. The 4-year-old won last year's G2 Asahi Hai St. Lite Kinen over this trip before stepping up to 3000 metres to score in the G1 Kikuka Sho (Japanese St Leger), and he closed out the season with a third in the G1 Arima Kinen going 2500 metres Dec. 27. He was bested by the re-opposing Ambitious when returning from a three-month holiday in the 2000-metre G2 Sankei Osaka Hai Apr. 3 before leading nearly all of the way and turning back a game Curren Mirotic (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) in the Tenno Sho. The latter, an 8-year-old gelding, is 30-1 on the morning line here, but showed last-out he still has some spark in him, and he gets the services of top Australian rider Tommy Berry this time.
Lovely Day (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}) looks to defend his win in this race last year, after which he added the G2 Kyoto Daishoten and the G1 Tenno Sho Autumn and finished third in the G1 Japan Cup. The 6-year-old has been off the board in his last three outing, however, the most recent being a fourth-place finish in Hong Kong's G1 Audemars Piguet QEII Cup Apr. 24. Trainer Yasutoshi Ikee said his charged has bounced back well, however, from his most recent defeat.
“He came back from Hong Kong and recovered from the trip well,” the trainer said. “Everything's been satisfactory so far, and hopefully he'll be in the same condition as last year when he won. I'd certainly like the ground to be the same as last year.”
The Takarazuka Kinen is one of two Japanese Group 1s where fans vote on who makes the lineup. Kitasan Black was the number one pick, and Lovely Day second. “I'm honored that he's gotten the fans' votes,” Ikee added. “He didn't take in the Naruo Kinen this year, so his rotation has been different, but he should be spot on again for the race here.”
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