The Takarazuka Kinen (G1, 2200m) is quickly becoming one of my favorite Japanese G1 races. Just like it’s sister race, the Arima Kinen (G1, 2500m), 10 of the entries are determined by popular vote. The 10 most popular horses are determined with a fan vote. Those horses get a free spot in the gate if they want to/can run in the race. So the field is almost always chock full of the best horses Japan has to offer. Just like last year, the #1 most popular horse in Japan is Buena Vista.

The past two winners have turned out to be some very good horses. The 2009 winner was Dream Journey. He went on to win the Arima Kinen later that year over Buena Vista. He is also the full brother to current triple crown hopeful, Orfevre.

In 2010 the winner was Nakayama Festa, who went on to finish a thrilling second to Workforce in the Arc de Triomphe (G1, 2400m). He won the Takarazuka Kinen last year over four time G1 winner Buena Vista, 2008 two year old champion Seiun Wonder, 2008 Derby winner Logi Universe, 2009 Emperors Cup Spring winner Jaguar Mail, and three time G1 winner Dream Journey.

This year’s renewal is just as exciting. We have the current Horse Of The Year, five time G1 winning mare, three time G1 winning horse, 2008’s champion 2 year old who also won the 2009 Japan Cup, the 2010 Derby winner, the 2007 Kikuka Sho winner, and a slew of other G2 & 3 winners and graded stakes placed horses.

Another reason I am so excited about the Takarazuka Kinen is that for the first time it is being run as a Breeders Cup Challenge race for the Breeders Cup Turf (G1, 2400m). So as an American and as an racing fan, I am very excited!

52nd Takarazuka Kinen (G1)

June 23rd, 2011, Hanshin Racecourse

2200m, Turf, Left Handed

3 Year Olds & Up, 58.0kg (56.0kg for F/M)

Post# - Horse Name - (SexAge) - Sire - Trainer - Jockey

1 - Namura Crescent - H6 - Yamanin Seraphim - N. Fukushima - R. Wada

This guy has come close a few times to a G1 win and has won or placed in many graded stakes but he just never seems to be the best on any given day. He was 3rd in the Kikuka Sho (G1, 3000m) in 2008. He might be primed and ready for a surprise upset though, as long as this race isn’t too short for him. He was 3rd in his last start, the Emperor’s Cup Spring (G1, 3200m) in May. Before that he won the Hanshin Daishoten (G1, 3000m). He really seems to like the long distance races. He won a 2200m ungraded stakes race over Forgettable back in 2009. But that doesn’t really mesh well with the quality of this field.

2 - Earnestly - H6 - Grass Wonder - S. Suzuki - T. Sato

This colt really deserves to win a G1. He has raced 19 times but has only been out of the money 4 times! He was no worst than 5th in three of those as well. He is currently in the middle of a 8 race streak of being in the money. Since October 10th, 2009 he has not been worse than 3rd. 7 of those have been graded races and 2 of those were G1s. He was 3rd in last year’s Takarazuka Kinen to Nakayama Festa and Buena Vista, and was only a length away from the lead. He was also 3rd in last fall’s Emperor’s Cup Fall (G1, 2000m) behind Buena Vista (who won easy) and Pelusa. It is fair to assume he could be in the money again this time. Will he be able to win? I honestly don’t see why not. He has just as much clout as any of the other horses here. Could he finally score a G1?

3 - Rulership - C4 - King Kamehameha - K. Sumii - N. Yokoyama

There is only ONE horse in this entire field that has won their last race, and that horse is Rulership. He is basically Japanese royalty with a HOTY mother and champion father. But he tends to win one and then lose one. So coming off a victory might not be a good thing for the 4 year old colt. He will also be facing his half brother Forgettable. Both brothers, out of Air Groove, want a G1 but Rulership is the only one I think truly talented enough to get it done. His connections say he has really matured into a fine horse, we might see some impressive things form him this year.

4 - Eishin Flash - C4 - King’s Best - H. Fujiwara - K. Ando

The 2010 Derby winner has not had much luck capturing another G1 since last May. He was 1/2 shy of one this May in the Emperor’s Cup Spring (G1, 3000m) but he had to settle for second. The winner of that race (the France bound Hiruno d’Amour) had also nipped the Derby winner in the Osaka Hai (G2, 2000m) just a month before, he came in 3rd there. This was after taking 4 months off after performing miserably last fall. 8th in the Japan Cup (G1, 2400m) and 7th in the Arima Kinen (G1, 2500m). But it seem Eishin Flash is back to his old self. So it will be interesting to see if he will be the one finishing first this time, since Hiruno d’Amour is headed to France.

5 - Forgettable - H5 - Dance in the Dark - Y. Ikee - Y. Kawada

The “other” Air Groove son, not the best thing to be known by but with his track record he matches his name perfectly. He is forgettable. He has been in the double digits in his past 4 races, one of those was even an ungraded stakes race. I’d love to see a win here for this guy but he doesn’t seem to have the class necessary to take on the G1 winners anymore. He will have stellar odds but for a very understandable reason... the bettors have forgotten all about him!

6 - Asakusa Kings - H7 - White Muzzle - R. Okubo - S. Hamanaka

This guy is handsome AND a G1 winner... FOUR years ago! He won the 2007 Kikuka Sho (G1, 3000m). His connections pretty much only run him in distance races and only G1 or G2s. He hasn’t seen the winners circle since March 2009 in the Hanshin Daishoten (G1, 3000m). He actually hasn’t even been in training for over a year. I couldn’t figure out what happened to him, I think they just rested him for over a year. His connections have not been very pleased with his works but said that his final major prep work for the race went better. Not very encouraging huh?

7 - Heart Beat Song - C4 - Zenno Rob Roy - O. Hirata - S. Akiyama

This colt is new to the G1 arena but he has been running very well and has trained well. He was 2nd in the Meguro Kinen (G2, 2500m) last month and 3rd in last year’s Aoba Sho (G2, 2400m), but all of his other races have been either allowance level or ungraded. He has won 3 turf races and one dirt. It will be interesting to see what he does here, but I am not sure how much of a threat he will be to the others.

8 - Buena Vista - M5 - Special Week - H. Matsuda - Y. Iwata

Apparently she is currently in the best shape of her career. She is primed and ready for action. Even Vodka’s old trainer, Sumii (also the trainer of Rulership), thinks that this filly is in a class of her own. She has been training well and is over her Dubai jet lag. She has a tendency to get caught at the end by another horse or be in a situation where she can’t catch the horse on the lead but she is always in the money (with the exception of her Dubai WC). If nothing gets in her way, or surprises her at the end, she’ll get the job done.

9 - Rose Kingdom - C4 - King Kamehameha - K. Hashiguchi - C. Williams

I will forever call him the “winner” (use of sarcastic quotations) of the 2010 Japan Cup (G1, 2400m) but he is a very talented race horse. He came in a very bad 11th in his last start, and the reason was he just wouldn’t settle down. His trainer isn’t very happy with the weather report for this weekend. He says if it doesn’t rain then the harder turf will suit his closing kick, but if it rains (and it looks like it will) then he says “don’t bother” betting on Rose Kingdom. How much rain will be too much is the question I suppose. Out of 12 starts (13, but one was a scratch) he has only been out of the money twice, both of those times it was on a slightly soft turf. Every time the track was labeled as firm, he was in the money.

10 - Dream Journey - H7 - Stay Gold - Y. Ikee - K. Ikezoe

Trainer Yasutoshi Ikee has FIVE horses in this race but Dream Journey is his star attraction. The elder full brother of the current Ikee trainee and this year’s Triple Crown hopeful, Orefevre, has a sparkling career all his own. He has won three G1 races (including this one) and multiple graded races. Ikee says he is in amazing condition and training much better than he did last year. Will he upset Buena Vista the same way he did in the 2009 Arima Kinen (G1, 2500m)?

11 - Danon Yo Yo - H5 - Dance in the Dark - H. Otonashi - Y. Kitamura

Based on the comments by his connections you would think this horse isn’t a miler anymore, even though every single one of his victories (6 in total, including the Fuji Stakes (G3, 1600m)) has been at a mile. His trainer said he couldn’t handle the pace in the Yasuda Kinen (G1, 1600m) earlier this month and thinks that the extra furlongs might be better for him now. He has raced 15 times, 14 of those were 1600m and one was 1800m. 2200m might be too much for him, but maybe he is maturing into a different horse.

12 - Shingen - H8 - White Muzzle - H. Toda - S. Fujita

This guy either wins, or really loses. There isn’t much of an in between for him. He has raced 19 times, with 9 wins and 8 finishes out of the money. He has won a pair of G3s and the All Comer (G2, 2200m) but has not performed well in the G1 arena. His last race was in the Japan Cup (G1, 2400m) last winter and he was 12th. So he is coming off a long lay off but being fresh has helped him in the past. He last win was after a 10 month layoff.

13 - Tosen Jordan - H5 - Jungle Pocket - Y. Ikee - N. Pinna

He scored his second graded stakes victory earlier this year in the American Jockey Club Cup (G2, 2200m) but that was back in January and he hasn’t run since. He ran pretty well in the Arima Kinen (G1, 2500m) last year, coming in a game 5th. His connections say he is ready for the race at the very least, but they don’t know if he can match wits with Buena Vista. He finished in front of several of these horses in the Arima Kinen (Rulership, Eishin Flash, Forgettable, and Dream Journey) but several also finished in front of him (Buena Vista and To The Glory).

14 - To The Glory - C4 - King Kamehameha - Y. Ikee - Y. Fukunaga

This colt looked primed and ready to capture his first G1 win easier this year in the Emperor’s Cup Spring (G1, 3200m) but he came in a surprisingly poor 13th. The distance shouldn’t be a problem but his connections are worried about the heat, he doesn’t seem to be responding well to the sultry Japanese summer and even with the rain on Sunday it is going to hit almost 90.

15 - Trail Blazer - C4 - Zenno Rob Roy - Y. Ikee - F. Komaki

Another Ikee trainee, this colt doesn’t really fit in here, but he is well suited for the distance. He enjoys races from 2000m to 2500m. If he is up to the challenge he could do well tomorrow but he has never really raced against this level of competition.

16 - Beat Black - C4 - Miscast - H. Nakamura - Y. Take

The last trainee in Yasutoshi Ikee’s Takarazuka herd is this onyx colored colt. He was 3rd in last year’s Kikuka Sho (G1, 3000m) but has not done that well at the G1 level since. He has won two ungraded stakes races. I highly doubt he will be a factor but with so many Ikee trainees it is hard to imagine ONE won’t get there right?