Pants on Fire draws post 10 of 16 in Japan Cup Dirt

Multiple Grade 2-winning millionaire Pants on Fire is the lone international

hope in Sunday's Grade 1 Japan Cup Dirt, which has drawn a capacity field of 16

in its final running at Hanshin. Hall of Fame rider Gary Stevens, in town for

this weekend's World Super Jockeys Series, picks up the mount on the Kelly Breen

charge.

Seeking to rebound from a tiring seventh in the November 1 Breeders' Cup Dirt

Mile, Pants on Fire will break from post 10. His prominent rivals include the

razor-sharp Hokko Tarumae; defending champion Nihonpiro Ours and 2009 Japan Cup

Dirt star Espoir City; Wonder Acute, runner-up in the last two editions; the

high-class mare Medeia; recent prep winners Belshazzar and Brightline; Roman

Legend, the beaten favorite in 2012; the Japan Dirt Derby hero Chrysolite; and

Testa Matta and Grape Brandy, the winners of the past two runnings of the

February Stakes.

Pants on Fire has a stamina question to answer in this about 1 1/8-mile test.

Although he scored his biggest career victory in the 2011 Louisiana Derby,

defeating Nehro and Mucho Macho Man, he has been well beaten in his four

subsequent attempts at nine furlongs. Pants on Fire has been more effective in

the mile to 1 1/16-mile range, as evidenced by his daylight wins in the July 28

Monmouth Cup and the September 7 Ack Ack Handicap in stakes-record time at

Churchill Downs.

With Hanshin being a right-handed course, Pants on Fire will also have to

adapt to a different direction. But Breen is pleased with the way that he's

handling the track.

"The horse looks phenomenal and has never looked better," the trainer said

Thursday after seeing him for the first time in two weeks, "and he has carried

his weight well, which means the travel hasn't affected him and that he likes

the food here.

"His training schedule is very similar to what we do in the United States,

but we have been training a little bit less in distance, worrying more of him

adapting to the right-handed turns. We've just been trying to keep him on the

correct leads as we're running in different directions, but he had a fabulous

work-out on Sunday, his first life-time breeze on a right-handed course, and our

jockey and I have no concerns whatsoever.

"This horse is a top-quality, striking individual and one of the best horses

we've ever had. He has been training extremely well and I think he will show a

good performance of himself."

Following training Friday, Breen said, "The track condition was looser than

yesterday, but he seemed to get over it and stride out very good. I'm very

pleased with seeing him showing a very good energy level being by himself on the

track. Putting his saddle on, and him being among the other horses on the day of

the race, will bring up his energy level another notch. Back home we try to

train him separate from the other horses on the track, so training alone here

isn't a problem for him.

"Ten is a favorable post for us -- it gives Gary Stevens a good tool to win

the race, and it's not a compromising or a bad post position. We haven't spoken

about it and haven't handicapped the race just yet, but we will after seeing the

past performances of the other horses. Tomorrow's training will be the same as

today."

Hokko Tarumae is arguably the one to beat. Much improved since his third to

Nihonpiro Ours and Wonder Acute here 12 months ago, the King Kamehameha

four-year-old has won no fewer than six stakes this season, including the April

13 Antares over Nihonpiro Ours at this track and trip. Hokko Tarumae capped a

five-race winning streak in the June 26 Teio Sho, beating both of the top two

from last year's Japan Cup Dirt. He returned from his summer vacation in the

October 14 Mile Championship Nambu Hai, where his skein was halted by the speedy

Espoir City. But Hokko Tarumae got right back on track with a two-length

decision in the November 4 JBC Classic, again downing Wonder Acute. He's well

drawn in post 6 with regular rider Hideaki Miyuki.

Nihonpiro Ours, who set a stakes record in the 2012 Japan Cup Dirt, mounts

his title defense off a five-month layoff. He has made only three starts since

his  career-best triumph, and played second fiddle to Hokko Tarumae in two

of them, the Antares and the Teio Sho last out. Those efforts bookended a score

in the May 18 Heian at Kyoto. Last year, the son of White Muzzle captured the

Hakusan Daishoten in his return from a break, and warrants respect for his

consistency. But he figures to be parked out wide from post 14.

Espoir City will be competing in this race for the fourth time. An

impressive, front-running winner in his first try in 2009, he skipped the 2010

edition for a very good reason -- he had just attempted the Breeders' Cup

Classic and faded to 10th behind Blame and Zenyatta. Espoir City finished third

in the 2011 Japan Cup Dirt, but threw in a clunker in 10th last year. The

eight-year-old has found the proverbial fountain of youth in 2013, though.

After starting the year with seconds to Grape Brandy and Hokko Tarumae,

Espoir City has regained his old sparkle. He won the Mile Championship Nambu Hai

for the third time, upsetting Hokko Tarumae, and followed up promptly to sweep

from just off the pace in the November 4 JBC Sprint. Yet that very choice of

prep reveals what could be his Achilles' heel: Espoir City has not won at this

trip for two years, and it's an open question whether he can carry his speed

quite this far anymore.

Wonder Acute, a seven-year-old son of Charismatic, will likewise make his

fourth Japan Cup Dirt appearance. Sixth to Espoir City in 2009, he missed the

race in 2010 after playing catch-up because of injury, and has rallied boldly

for second in both 2011 and 2012. Wonder Acute has yet to finish out of the top

three this year. Victorious in the September 23 Nippon TV Hai two back over

Solitary King, he was most recently runner-up to Hokko Tarumae as the defending

champion in the JBC Classic. Legendary jockey Yutaka Take, who has struck up a

good partnership with him of late, will try to help Wonder Acute secure an

elusive Japan Cup Dirt trophy.

The streaking Medeia aims to become the first female to win Japan's marquee

dirt race. By King Halo and out of Grade 2 heroine Witchful Thinking, Medeia has

won five of her last six, all in stakes. Her only flop in that span came in a

rare turf tilt in the May 12 Victoria Mile. She has since reeled off a hat trick

in the July 3 Sparking Lady Cup, the October 3 Ladies Prelude and the November 4

JBC Ladies' Classic. This marks her toughest challenge so far, but her

forwardly-placed running style, and her lethal early move to deliver the coup de

grace, make her dangerous. 

Belshazzar, who placed behind Orfevre in the 2011 Japanese Derby and Spring

Stakes, was sidelined by injury early in his four-year-old campaign. Reinventing

himself on the dirt this year, the son of King Kamehameha has thrived, and

boasts back-to-back wins in the October 20 Brazil Cup and November 10 Musashino

Stakes. Christophe Lemaire will be back aboard Sunday.

Brightline failed to progress in graded stakes on turf, but has similarly

found a more congenial home on dirt. The Fuji Kiseki colt just edged Incantation

in the November 3 Miyako, with Grade 1 winner Roman Legend another 1 1/4 lengths

astern in third.

Roman Legend brought a progressive profile into last year's Japan Cup Dirt,

but could do no better than fourth as the favorite. Although he ended the year

with a top-level success in the Tokyo Daishoten, the son of Special Week has yet

to reach the winner's circle in three outings in 2013. On the other hand, Roman

Legend is entitled to move forward off his tightener in the Miyako, and rates as

a sleeper.

Incantation is one of two sophomores in the Japan Cup Dirt. The Sinister

Minister colt has spent nearly all of his season at this trip, and claims a

good-looking 2 1/2-length tally in the August 4 Leopard Stakes versus his own

age group. Trying graded-caliber elders for the first time in the Miyako,

Incantation failed by a nose to Brightline, and could have still more to offer.

But post 15 won't help.

The other three-year-old, Chrysolite, stamped himself as a budding star when

demolishing the July 10 Japan Dirt Derby by seven lengths. Not seen again until

the JBC Classic, he never got involved from off the pace on the sloppy track,

and is surely much better than he showed on that occasion.

Chrysolite will be joined by two past Japan Dirt Derby heroes, Testa Matta

(2009) and Grape Brandy (2011). Testa Matta later earned his signature score in

the 2012 February Stakes. The Kentucky-bred son of Tapit has been consistently

beaten in better company since then, however. Coming off a fourth to Espoir City

in the JBC Sprint, he wound up widest of all in post 16.

Grape Brandy, fifth in this race last year, looked on the upswing when

rolling to victories in the January 20 Tokai and the February Stakes on February

17. Unfortunately, he sustained an injury thereafter and has been on the

comeback trail in the fall. After an encouraging fourth to Espoir City in the

Mile Championship Nambu Hai, Grape Brandy missed the start in the Miyako and

ended up a non-threatening 10th behind Brightline and Incantation. If away in

good order, and anywhere hear his early-season best, Grape Brandy has upset

potential.

Nice Meet You and Solitary King have been knocking on the door, but must

improve to break through. Grand City shapes up as a cut below, and is winless

from six local starts to boot. Grand City might not have minded if the race had

moved from Hanshin already, but he's got to wait a year.

In 2014, the Japan Cup Dirt will be renamed the Champions Cup and transferred

to the left-handed circuit at Chukyo.

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