Casino Drive looks to rebound in Japan Cup Dirt

Sunday's $2,646,100 Japan Cup Dirt (Jpn-G1) is a veritable treasure trove of

storylines, starting with the race itself. Formerly contested at about 1 5/16

miles at Tokyo on the eve of the grassy Japan Cup (Jpn-G1), the Japan Cup Dirt

has been moved to one week later on the calendar, transferred to the

right-handed Hanshin Racecourse, and shortened to about 1 1/8 miles. In this new

incarnation, it serves as the anchor of the four-race Japan Autumn International

series.

As ever, the most compelling stories swirl around the horses themselves, and

with 16 set to line up for the ninth running of the Japan Cup Dirt, there is no

shortage of intrigue. Will Peter Pan S. (G2) hero CASINO DRIVE (Mineshaft), now

back home with trainer Kazuo Fujisawa, atone for his deflating last-place finish

in the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1)? Can one of the American-based trio -- MAST

TRACK (Mizzen Mast), FROST GIANT (Giant's Causeway) and TIN CUP CHALICE

(Crusader Sword) -- lift the prize?

Will defending champion VERMILION (El Condor Pasa) become the first two-time

winner of the Japan Cup Dirt, or will that honor go to the comebacker KANE

HEKILI (Fuji Kiseki)? Might the veteran SUNRISE BACCHUS (Hennessy) break through

in his fourth attempt, could the eight-year-old BLUE CONCORDE (Fusaichi

Concorde) make it third time lucky, or will the up-and-coming SUCCESS BROCKEN (Symboli

Kris S.) achieve stardom? Will ADMIRE FUJI (Admire Vega) transfer his solid turf

form to the dirt?

Casino Drive is unbeaten on dirt (Benoit Photo) Casino Drive, a three-quarter brother to champion Rags to Riches (A.P. Indy) and a half-brother to Jazil (Seeking the Gold), was intent on following his famous siblings into the Belmont S. (G1) winner's circle. After a smashing debut victory at Kyoto, the chestnut traveled to the United States and kept the Belmont dream alive by romping in the Peter Pan. Unfortunately, he sustained a stone bruise in his left hind foot and had to be scratched on the morning of the 1 1/2-mile classic. Casino Drive, who returned to Japan to convalesce, later shipped back to the United States with designs on the Breeders' Cup Classic. He prepped with an effortless allowance score at Santa Anita, but in the Classic, things conspired to bring about his first defeat. Casino Drive found himself leading early, only to retreat precipitously on the far turn and trail home last of 12. "The only reason he lost (in the Breeders' Cup Classic) was because of the synthetic (surface)," Fujisawa said. "After his last race, he spent about 10 days in America resting and it's done a lot for him.

"He's moved very well this week and last week. He's coming along much better

than I had expected. He's been working well at Hanshin and is eager to go. There

hasn't been a dramatic change in form, but he looks more switched on compared to

last week. There are a lot of tough, older horses in the field and we'll have to

see how he can handle them, but he's racing on dirt this time -- I have my hopes

up."

New rider Katsumi Ando also likes what he sees in Casino Drive, who will

break from post 11 on Sunday.

"He responded incredibly well," Ando said. "Based on the workout, I think

he's a very easy ride and has a lot of potential. It's possible he could get

worked up over something, but for a horse who's had just four races, he's very

mature and isn't fazed by much. I can ride him not having to worry about much.

He was kind of slow to accelerate, but when he hits top speed, his footwork is

amazing. I think any horse in the field can win it. But as long as I'm being

given this opportunity, I hope to make the most of it."

Mast Track, who has spent his career on the turf and synthetic, will be racing on dirt for the first time (Benoit Photo) Two of the three American shippers will also be trying to bounce back from losses. Suburban H. (G1) winner Frost Giant was eased last time out in the 1 1/2-mile Northern Dancer S. (Can-G1) on yielding turf at Woodbine, but the Richard Dutrow charge should enjoy returning to dirt and cutting back in trip. Earlier this season, Frost Giant turned in one of his better efforts in a nine-furlong allowance/optional claimer at Gulfstream Park, where he rolled to a 4 1/2-length score. Cornelio Velasquez, who was aboard that day, will reunite with the five-year-old as he breaks from post 2. Hollywood Gold Cup (G1) winner Mast Track is riding a three-race losing skid. The Bobby Frankel homebred was a solid third in the Pacific Classic (G1), a disappointing eighth in the Goodwood S. (G1), and a creditable fifth in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile after battling a quarter-crack. Mast Track is eligible to put a much better foot forward on Sunday, but the speedy colt will have to overcome post 13 in his dirt debut. New pilot Garrett Gomez will be in the cockpit. Frost Giant and Mast Track are both in line to receive a $950,000 bonus, should either one succeed. The incentive is offered to the winners of selected Grade 1 races who go on to add the Japan Cup Dirt to their resume, and Frost Giant and Mast Track qualify by virtue of their victories in the Suburban and Hollywood Gold Cup, respectively.

The lone American who enters on a high note is Tin Cup Chalice, the pride of

Finger Lakes who will attempt to become the first gelding to win the Japan Cup

Dirt. Bred and trained by Mike LeCesse, the bay has already made New York-bred

history as the first horse to sweep the Big Apple Triple for state-bred

sophomores. Tin Cup Chalice suffered his only defeat when just missing by a neck

in the Step Nicely S. two back, but he regrouped in fine style to take the

Indiana Derby (G2) in his graded debut, beating 6-5 favorite Pyro (Pulpit). Tin

Cup Chalice faces another steep class hike here, and he will bid to keep his

Cinderella story going from post 8. Edgar Prado picks up the mount from regular

rider Pedro Rodriguez, who was unable to get his visa and passport in time to

join him.

Tin Cup Chalice is not the only runner who could make history on Sunday, for

Japan's own Vermilion and Kane Hekili are trying to become the first two-time

winners of the Japan Cup Dirt. Adding to the challenge is the fact that neither

has ever run on the Hanshin dirt.

Vermilion will try to prolong his reign as Japan's preeminent dirt horse (Tomoya Moriuchi/Horsephotos.com) Vermilion has been unbeatable in his homeland for the past two seasons. Since finishing fourth in the 2006 Japan Cup Dirt, he has won seven straight races in Japan, and his only losses during that span have come in the Dubai World Cup (UAE-G1). Vermilion wrapped up Japanese champion dirt horse honors when driving to a 1 1/4-length victory in this event last year, and trainer Sei Ishizaka is following the same pattern this time around. Just as he did in 2007, Vermilion was freshened after his poor showing in Dubai and returned from a seven-month layoff to capture the JBC Classic. Yasunari Iwata will guide the dark bay from post 6. "He's the same as he was for the last race, and I mean that in a good way," Ishizaka said. "You never know how a race will unfold, but I'm convinced he'll perform to our satisfaction. We've been fortunate to be able to win last year and the year before (with Alondite), and Vermilion won't embarrass himself again this year. (The last race) was the tightest track he'd ever run on, but he handled it. If he can run well enough to win at Sonoda (in the JBC Classic), then he won't have any problems whatsoever with the new Hanshin course. He can run from any position. There are no obstacles for the horse."

Kane Hekili landed the 2005 Japan Cup Dirt as a sophomore, and when he

followed up with an impressive victory in the February S. (Jpn-G1), the

Katsuhiko Sumii pupil looked destined to be a leading player on the world stage

for some time to come. The chestnut was unable to build on that potential,

however. Promoted to fourth in the 2006 Dubai World Cup, he reappeared with a

runner-up effort in the Teio Sho, only to sustain an injury that sidelined him

for more than 28 months. Kane Hekili shook off the rust with a ninth-place

finish in the November 8 Tokyo Chunichi Sports Hai Musashino S. (Jpn-G3).

"He made it through the final phase of preparations," exercise rider Hiroaki

Kiyoyama said. "His form is entirely different from what it was in the Musashino

S. His cardio, his muscles have all picked up and the horse is just much more

aggressive. He still has several more good races in him. He was dynamic as you

would expect him to be. It's a tough field, but given his track record, we're

confident and we do have high expectations."

Christophe Lemaire has been named to ride Kane Hekili. Lemaire, who kicked

off the Japan Autumn International by taking the November 16 Queen Elizabeth II

Commemorative Cup (Jpn-G1) with Little Amapola (Agnes Tachyon), is the only

jockey with a chance to win two legs of the series.

Sunrise Bacchus will be taking his fourth straight swing at the Japan Cup

Dirt. Fifth to Kane Hekili three years ago, the dark bay was fifth to Alondite

in 2006 and third to Vermilion in 2007. Sunrise Bacchus, whose biggest career

victory came in the 2007 February, is exiting a flying second in the Musashino.

Blue Concorde was unplaced in the past two editions of the Japan Cup Dirt,

but the 13-time stakes winner stands to benefit the most from the new distance.

The bay has finished second in back-to-back runnings of the about one-mile

February, beaten fewer than two lengths on each occasion by Sunrise Bacchus and

Vermilion, respectively. Now aged eight, Blue Concorde has maintained his form

well. Two starts ago, he garnered the Mile Championship Nambu Hai for the second

time, and in his latest venture, he was a solid fourth in the JBC Sprint at

about seven furlongs. Note that he sports a three-for-five mark at Hanshin.

Success Brocken is five for six on the dirt, with his lone loss coming to

Vermilion in the JBC Classic by a mere neck. In his other dirt attempts, the

sophomore has won by daylight margins, including a 3 1/2-length stroll in the

Japan Dirt Derby. Success Brocken is expected to move forward off his first

encounter with Vermilion.

"He tripped out of the barrier, and that hurt more than anything," jockey

Norihiro Yokoyama said of his JBC Classic. "And I don't think the tight track

helped either. But he has tremendous talent. He was fighting Vermilion until the

end, and he ran well up against the older horses for the first time. I didn't

work him, but I've been told by the stable he's lighter on his feet with a race

under his belt. He's coming along fine. Who knows if the pace will be fast or

slow, and I don't really care. My job is to get the most out of this horse, and

that's what I'm focused on. (It's not just Vermilion); there's Casino Drive and

other older horses we haven't been up against. Looking at the field, the race

will be anything but easy."

MEISHO TOKON (Mayano Top Gun) and FURIOSO (Brian's Time), the respective

third- and fourth-place finishers in the recent JBC Classic, will renew rivalry

with Vermilion and Success Brocken. In the 2007 Japan Cup Dirt, Meisho Tokon was

fourth, but he could improve on that effort here, as trainer Isao Yasuda

believes that he is better going right-handed. Furioso wound up 10th in last

year's Japan Cup Dirt.

Admire Fuji, a Grade 2 winner on the turf, tries a surface switch. Although

the dark bay has not scored since January, he has posted a few useful

performances in defeat, especially his fine third to Super Hornet (Rodrigo de

Triano) and Vodka (Tanino Gimlet) in the Mainichi Okan (Jpn-G2) two back. Super

Hornet came back to finish a terrific second in the November 23 Mile

Championship (Jpn-G1), the second leg of the Japan Autumn International, while

champion Vodka was a game third in the third leg, last Sunday's Japan Cup. If

Admire Fuji can run up to that level at the same distance on the dirt, he is

capable of springing a surprise.

Completing the field are BONNEVILLE RECORD (Assatis), a well-beaten 14th in

last year's Japan Cup Dirt, but who has defeated Blue Concorde and Sunrise

Bacchus and traded decisions with Furioso this season; multiple Grade 3 scorer

WILD WONDER (Brian's Time), who has chased Vermilion, Blue Concorde and

Bonneville Record; Grade 3 victor WONDER SPEED (King Glorious), a near-miss

runner-up in the Sirius S. (Jpn-G3) over the track last out; and the

eight-year-old mare MEISHO BATTLER (Meisho Homura), exiting a fifth in the JBC

Sprint.