We have a few attractive races for top horses on the card this weekend in Japan. The twelvth race on the card this weekend is the Rising Sun Spring Cup (G2) over seven furlongs on the turf. The Group II race is open to four-year-olds and up. The prize purse up for grabs this weekend in the race is a total of $250,000. This race is in its inaugural year this racing season, so whoever goes down as the champion on Saturday will also go down in the history books. There will be some early morning showers the day before the race, but the track will be well dried out by post time on Saturday, leaving us with what will be a firm turf course. There is a total of six horses in this weekend’s race. Let’s take a glance at each of the contenders.

1. Super Risk (IRE) - (Danehill Dancer (IRE) x Fusaichi Pegasus x Storm Cat) - wistful0 of More Evil Than The Evil Empire - R. Duffy - 2/1

The extremely talented four-year-old colt has a total of nine lifetime wins out of a total twenty-two career starts. The brown Irish-bred colt is out of the stakes placed broodmare Storm’s Fury. The colt made his most recent start in The George Rides Stakes (G3) in Queensland, Australia. The race, seven and a half furlongs over the turf, ended will for the colt as he went on to win by a length and three quarters after settling just off the pace in third behind the pacesetters. The colt set a speed figure of one hundred fifteen, a lifetime best speed figure for the colt. The colt has also finished second in a couple of prestigious races, mainly the Smellington Guineas (G3) and the Irish 2000 Guineas Trial (G3). The colt will likely be forwardly placed on Saturday, and could even possibly take the lead out of the gate. If the colt is not on the lead out of the gate, he probably won’t be back any further off the pace than fourth.

2. Campeador - (Theatrical (IRE) x Kris S. x Danzig) - samurai of Galileo Stables - G. Arnold - 3/1

With twenty-six lifetime starts, the five-year-old homebred horse is well seasoned, winning seven times over the turf. The Kentucky-bred homebred made his most recent start  in The Happiness Stakes, a seven furlong listed stakes race in Ireland. The brown horse broke right on the lead towards the outer part of the starting gate. He never lost his leading position throughout the race, winning at the wire by a length and a quarter. The horse also set a lifetime best speed figure of one hundred ten. This was his second consecutive win, the horse previously winning at seven and a half furlongs in an allowance race in Italy. The horse will face his first graded start this weekend, so he will be facing a step up in class. However, the connections of the horse feel he is ready for the step up after his very impressive last race. It will almost be a sure thing that this horse goes straight to the lead in the race on Saturday. The only thing that could tangle up his bid for the lead is the rest of the field, most of whom also like to run on the pace.

3. Waring Nation - (Smart Strike x War Chant x His Majesty) - tenderfoot of Empire City Racing - C. Roser - 6/1

Under the light blue and yellow silks of Empire City Racing, the five-year-old brown horse is a homebred who will be making his twenty-first start this weekend here in Japan. The Kentucky-bred has won six times in his career. Most recently the brown horse made a start in The What Shower (GB) Stakes, a listed stakes race over seven furlongs on the turf in the United States. This will be yet another colt in the field this weekend that likes to run on the pace during his races. In this most recent start he went straight to the lead, but would quickly loose it to finish second at the wire. He was off the pace by a length and three quarters, while setting a speed figure of one hundred. His most recent win was last September during a seven furlong allowance race. The horse won by a narrow margin, a head bob at the wire. He will be making his first graded stakes start this weekend, and as he has done in the past, will likely be running towards the front of the pack, although the horse can be rated back.

4. Arvandor - (Grand Slam x Danehill x Dynaformer) - belsup of Royal Belgian Kempen Farm - W. Lloyd - 8/1

The Kentucky-bred five-year-old horse is approaching the half a million dollar earnings mark in his career with his total of thirty-two lifetime starts. The brown horse has won nine times in his career, all of his victories coming over the turf. The most recent start for the horse was right here in Japan last February during The Silk Road (G3) over six furlongs. This was an uncharacteristic start for the horse, who broke far off the pace at the start. He did manage to gain a position in the stretch of the race, but still finished a shocking thirty and a half lengths off the pace in an unlucky thirteenth. He set a speed figure of forty-eight for the race. His prior start, in The Azerley Challenge, a six and a half furlong listed stakes race, earned the horse a half length victory. Though still starting this race off the pace towards the back of the field, he was in much better shape than his most recent start. In his listed stakes, the horse set a speed figure of one hundred ten. The connections of the colt are hoping he’ll rebound off whatever happened in his last race and do better this time out. The horse will probably break towards the rear of the field, not making any definite move until the field is in the stretch.

5. S R Wedge (JPN) (King Halo (JP N) x Medaaly (GB) x Manshood (GB)) - ballylinch of The Big Oil Conglomerate - A. Blundin - 13/1

Perhaps a sentimental favorite with the racing crowd gathered on Saturday, the four-year-old colt is a local native, bred here in Japan. Though fairly inexperienced with just eleven races inn his career, the colt has won five times in total. Four of his wins have came over the turf that he will be racing over this weekend, while he has scored a single win over the dirt as well. The colt made his most recent start in a seven furlong allowance race over in the United States. He went straight to the lead on the rail right out of the gate and never lost position. He won the seven furlong sprint by a length and three quarters, coming close to equalling a lifetime best speed figure. He fell one digit short in this race, setting a figure of one hundred one. After starting  his career in claimers, the colt will be making his first start in a stakes race, graded or otherwise, this weekend. Like many of the horses in this field, he should like to run on or near the lead, which could cause a problem with all this speed in the race.

6. In My Blood (IRE) - (Holy Roman Emperor x Unbridled’s Song x Northern Dancer) - stevemunoz of Stevemunoz Stables - K. Ledwith - 8/5

Certainly one of the most accomplished horses going to the gate this weekend in the Rising Sun Spring Cup (G2), the four-year-old Irish-bred colt is out of the graded winning broodmare Nexis Song. The dark gray colt has made seventeen lifetime starts, winning nine times in his career. Despite being lightly raced the colt has accumulated a total of $1,823,320 in career earnings. The colt made his most recent start in The Powerful Sun (G2) over six furlongs here in Japan. The colt broke out of an outside post, settling back behind the front runner. The dark gray colt never managed to pass him up, but still managed to finish at the wire in second, just a quarter length off the pace. The colt set a speed figure of one hundred twelve. The colt’s most recent win was in the Teleprompter Cap (G1) in New Zealand, where the colt again was held back in second, but took the lead in the turn, winning by a length and a quarter. Like many of the horses in this race, he’ll want to be forwardly placed, but he may counter some opposition with the amount of speed in the race.

Flrancho’s Picks
Win: In My Blood (IRE)
Place: Super Risk (IRE)
Show: Campeador