Racing in Japan

[lurkey mclurker]

... I thought we used to have a thread, but couldn't find one using search? So I thought it might be useful to have a dedicated thread like the one for the UK.

ANYhoo... very excited for the Tenno Sho Autumn (G1) today!!! So many of my favorite runners I don't know who to root for.

Soul Stirring
Kitasan Black
Real Steel
Satono Crown
Satono Aladdin
Staphanos
Makahiki
...too many possibilities!

Click on Tokyo race 11 - http://japanracing.jp/en/racing/result/

But I'll go with Mr Black & the Satono Bros

[tachyon]

It's been raining steadily in Tokyo with a typhoon approaching.
The Tenno Sho Autumn today will be run on the turf labelled 'soft' for the first time since 1991 when the first place finisher Mejiro McQueen(JPN) was disqualified and demoted to last.

-- replay of the 1991 Tenno Sho Autumn
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhC51BWwwO8

-- chart of the 1991 Tenno Sho Autumn
http://www.jbis.jp/race/result/19911027 ... 1504932591

I wonder if the horses who can race upfront will have good shots unless someone sets a killing pace.

I like:

Satono Crown
Neo Realism
Staphanos
Kitasan Black
Soul Stirring

[lurkey mclurker]

I wonder how some of them will handle the soft turf... looking forward to an excellent race! Only a few hours left to wait.

[BaroqueAgain1]

IIRC, Kitasan Black is quite capable of going to the front and staying there.

[lurkey mclurker]

I watched the 1991 replay as I had not seen Mejiro McQueen actually race... I saw in the post-race inquiry that he came over a little bit, but surely not enough to be placed LAST??? The inside horse with the blaze came out at the same time and seemed to me to contribute far more to the pinch & pile-up (which was very scary, I'm glad nobody went down!), but it was Mejiro McQueen who was disqualified??

[BaroqueAgain1]

I'm watching the races on TVG and, damm, the weather is bad.
Maybe that typhoon made landfall?
When Kiseki won the Japanese St. Leger, I thought the rain was so heavy that, IMHO, an American track might have held up its races. Japanese horses...and jockeys...are tough. And good swimmers.

[BaroqueAgain1]

After all the undercard races, with large fields tearing up huge clods out of the turf course, it may not be easy to find even ground to run on...that doesn't have a bunch of holes collecting water.

[lurkey mclurker]

Holy crap Kitasan Black looks like he's in beast form in the paddock. WOW.

[lurkey mclurker]

Satono Crown looks cranky... Real Steel all business. Soul Stirring up on her toes but not fractious.

Visibility is rather poor. :-p

[lurkey mclurker]

Neorealism looks good, not so sure Satono Crown wants to run today. Think I will go with Kitasan Black, Neorealism & Soul Stirring for my three.

And of course just want them all to come home safely.