Ikee Holds Classic Key

Last year's G1 Kikuka Sho (Japanese St Leger) winning trainer Yasutoshi Ikee is well represented for this year's renewal on Sunday, with three of the 18 runners emanating from his stable, and among those is morning line second choice Al Ain (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), who bids for a second Classic after a win in the G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) in April. Al Ain, a son of Grade I winner Dubai Majesty (Essence of Dubai), was a narrowly beaten fifth in the G1 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) in May and returned from a summer break to be second in the G2 Asahi Hai St. Lite Kinen over 2200 metres on Sept. 18. Assistant trainer Hiroshi Kanetake said “He ran well last time in the St. Lite Kinen, and he got to put in the kind of race he's suited to. Returning after his break and putting in such a good run, he showed his sharpness, and that he's capable of more improvement.”

The winner of the St. Lite Kinen was the rapidly improving Mikki Swallow (Jpn) (Tosen Homareboshi {Jpn}), who gets the morning line nod here. Mizuki Noda's bay has done all his running this year and has won three of six.

The two other runners from the Ikee stable are St. Lite Kinen third Satono Chronicle (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) and Satono Arthur (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), the son of top Australasian mare King's Rose (NZ) (Redoute's Choice {Aus}) who was third behind the Tokyo Yushun winner Rey de Oro (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}) in the G2 Kobe Shimbun Hai on Sept. 24. Assistant Kanetake said of the latter, “He was a bit excited last time and ran freely for a while, but settled later and ran well in the end. He's developed since the spring and gained weight, and he should be in top condition come race time.”

Second in the Kobe Shimbun Hai was the fast-improving Kiseki (Jpn) (Rulership {Jpn}), and Yasuyuki Tsujino, assistant to trainer Katsuhiko Sumii, said that experience helped the colt mentally. “He was second in the Kobe Shimbun Hai, and he had to be patient during the race with things tight on the inside, but he really ran on well in the end,” he said. “It was a good experience in the race overall. He's come on a lot since the spring, especially mentally.”