The Japanese are all set for their first Grade 1 action of the season with the 52nd running of the Sprinters Stakes.
This year sees 22 horses nominated for the maximum 16 runner field including the 10-year-old Snow Dragon, winner of the race in 2014.
Hong Kong runner, Lucky Bubbles, adds international flavor, and bids to become the third winner of the race for Hong Kong, after victories by Silent Witness (2005) and Ultra Fantasy(2010).
Here’s a look at some of the top contenders for the Sprinters Stakes:
Fine Needle: The 5-year-old by Admire Moon is looking to become just the fifth winner of the Grade 1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen and the Grade 1 Sprinters Stakes in the same year.
Red Falx: The evergreen 7-year-old has won the last two Sprinters Stakes, and is bidding to become the first horse ever to win the race three times, what’s more in consecutive years.
Nac Venus: The 5-year-old mare by Daiwa Major has finished in the first three in her last four races, all over 1,200 meters, and won the Grade 3 Keeneland Cup most recently by 2 1/2 lengths.
Seiun Kosei: 5-year-old Seiun Kosei has seven wins and six seconds from 23 career starts, and bounced back last time when winning the Grade 3 Hakodate Sprint Stakes over 1,200 meters in June.
Ares Barows: The 6-year-old by Deep Impact comes into contention here through his two sprint victories this summer, both at Grade 3 level, the latest being the Nishinippon Corp.
Let’s Go Donki: Versatility is a word that comes to mind with this 6-year-old mare, and she’s up for another challenge here after finishing second in last year’s Sprinters Stakes, and second in this year’s Grade 1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen at Chukyo in March.
Daimei Princess: The 5-year-old mare by King Halo won the Grade 3 Ibis Summer Dash over 1,000 meters at Niigata in July, and has since finished second to Ares Barows over 1,200 meters.
Love Kampf: The 3-year-old filly will be racing off a light weight of 53kgs, claiming allowances for a filly and her age.
Click here to watch Sprinter Stakes Winner Race 2017
1st Red Falx (T. Ozeki, M. Demuro), 2nd Let's Go Donki (T. Umeda, Y. Iwata), 3rd Once In A Moon (M. Saito, S. Ishibashi), 4th Snow Dragon (N. Takagi, T. Ono), 5th Blizzard (R. Yiu, G. Mosse), 6th Big Arthur (K. Fujioka, Y. Fukunaga), 7th Melagrana (M. Ikezoe, K. Tosaki), 8th Dance Director (K. Sasada, S. Hamanaka), 9th Fiducia (S. Matsumoto, K. Miura), 10th Shuji (N. Sugai, N. Yokoyama)
Distance:1,200 meters,(About 6 furlongs), Surface:Turf, Track:Right-handed,2014: Left-handed,Qualification:3-y-o+, Thoroughbreds, Weight:3-y-o 55kg / 4-y-o+ 57kg, Purse:¥ 180,500,000 (as of 2014),1st: ¥ 95,000,000, Bonuses:see Global Sprint Challenge
Credit: Japan Racing Association