Asahi Hai Futurity Tests Top Japanese 2-Year-Olds

There's a lot of sorting out yet to be done among the top Japanese 2-year-olds and the Dec. 20 Asahi Hai Futurity (G1) at Hanshin looks like it will be a good start to that process.

Sixteen colts are entered for the 1,600-meter (about one mile) race, run right-handed around the outer turf course. A case can be made for most of them, with victories in grade 2 and grade 3 preliminaries scattered up and down the past performances.

Among the first to catch the eye is Red Belle Aube, a Deep Impact colt produced by the Unbridled's Song mare Red Fantasia. He enters the Futurity off a victory in the Daily Hai Nisai Stakes (G2) over the course and distance Nov. 14. That was his second win in a row following a career-opening second in August at Nagata.

Hideaki Fujiwara, looking for his first win in the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes, trains Red Belle Aube. Yuichi Fukunaga, in command for the colt's last two starts, again has the mount.

"He's in good shape and running well, keeping his mind on things," Fujiwara assistant Nobuyuki Tashiro said after drawing gate No. 8. "It's good that he's back at the course where he's won and his last two wins have been achieved in (race) record time. While he's just a young horse, the power he has right now would certainly put him in with a chance, even though it's a grade 1."

A major threat is Stella Veloce, a Bago colt out of the Deep Impact mare Oh My Baby. Stella Veloce won at first asking at 1,600 meters at Hanshin July 5, then was idle until Oct. 10 when he jumped up to win the Saudi Arabia Royal Cup (G3) at Tokyo Racecourse by three lengths.

"The jockey (Norihiro Yokoyama) has been putting him through his paces, and he knows what to do with him to keep him on task, without overdoing things," said Stella Veloce's trainer, Naosuke Sugai. "The horse is in good shape and can run well on good ground, plus he's already won over a mile at Hanshin.

"Hopefully things will go well, and I want to look to next year's Classic races with the horse," Sugai added.

Both Red Belle Aube and Stella Veloce have posted good recent works.

After those, the question becomes which of the youngsters can continue their progress from promise to performance.

Godolphin's Japanese contingent fields Blue Spirit, an Invincible Spirit colt out of the Galileo mare Jasmine Blue. He is 2-for-2 but steps up in both class and distance for trainer Mitsumasa Nakauchida.

Also in with a 2-for-2 mark is Dura Mondo, a Duramente colt whose second start produced a victory in the Aster Sho going 1 mile at Nakayama. Takahisa Tezuka trains for Silk Racing.

Ho O Amazon, a King Kamehameha colt, returns after finishing second, just a head back of Red Belle Aube, in the Daily Hai Nisai. He has two wins and two seconds, all at the 1,600 meters, and one of those wins came at Hanshin.

Mondreise won the Keio Hai Nisai Stakes (G2) at Tokyo Racecourse in his last start after finishing second in the Kokura Nisai Stakes (G3) one race earlier. 

Grenadier Guards, a Frankel colt out of the Harlington mare Wavell Avenue, took three tries to get a win and backed up to 1,200 meters (about six furlongs) to do that at Hanshin on Nov. 7. He was bred by Northern Racing and campaigns for Sunday Racing. Wavell Avenue won the TwinSpires Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (G1) at Keeneland in 2015 and was second in the same race a year later at Santa Anita Park.

Then there's Shock Action, by Gleneagles, dual Guineas (G1) winner in 2015. He is 2-for-3 with his last race a victory in the Nigata Nisai Stakes (G3) in August. Trainer Ryuji Okubo's thoughts about Shock Action could apply to most of the field:

"As he's developing," Okubo said, "it'll be interesting to see what he can do this time."