2:50 p.m. After Tennno-sho (spring), the news broke out that the winner Rainbow Line has been met with a slight injury in his front right leg. No wonder having made to take his course sharply inward on the homestretch where horses usually gear up to its top speed.

Following the breaking news, old Curren Mirotic aged 10, has been announced to retire. He has finished 16th place (not the last, 17th!) in Tenno-sho, but how he amazed the fans with that stunning match against Kitasan Black only two years ago will stay in our memory forever.

Meanwhile, Smart Layer aged 8 seems to stay although she's a mare. It's very rare in the Japanese horse race world for a mare this age to enter races, and I was surprised to see her in Tenno-sho, a 3200m race. I cross my fingers she won't be entered in Victoria Mile.

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2:18 p.m. The consecutive G1 series has already begun and this week it's going to be NHK Mile Cup.

That winner from Arlington Cup is the most favored in expected win odds at the moment. Well, that was expected, as the expected win odds show. The second favored is not Tetradrachm, but Gibeon, assumingly pushed up because there was Mirco's name as the rider until yesterday. However, the rider's slot for Gibeon has turned to a blank today, along with Tower of London's. I'd took it for granted that Christophe was going to ride Tower Of London... Perhaps there might be some negotiation going on behind the scenes.

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5:45 p.m. The entry registeration has been closed and the competitors for NHK Mile Cup has been officially announced. Today is Thursday, so the barriers will be announced by tomorrow afternoon. Will start pondering then.

In the meantime, Kashiwa Kinen has been run on Funabashi tracks yesterday, with Gold Dream earning a perfect win since he'd lost a close battle against Nonkono Yume in February Stakes. Nonko lost in 4th place, but that wouldn't be much of a problem considering the barrier and the lap.

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5:35 p.m. Okay, the barriers have been announced!

Katsuji in post number 1, Fast Approach in 2, Tetradrachm in 3, Frontier in 4, Primo Scene in 5, Ryono Tesoro in 6, Tower Of London in7, Danon Smash in 8, Gibeon in 9, Pax Americana in 10, Keiai Nautique in 11, Encore Plus in 12, Lucas in 13, Delta Barows in 14, Cassius in 15, Mister Melody in 16, Red Veyron in 17 and Rock This Town in 18.

I'm sorry but the horses drew the outer posts won't stand a chance. Perhaps Cassius might have had a chance depending on the lap, if he'd drawn the inner most barrier. On the other hand, Lucas has drawn a good post. If the horse is in good condition, he might turn into a long shot. Gibeon, Keiai Nautique, and Encore Plus all drew good posts for Deep Impact descendants, while it might not become advantage for Katsuji, Tetradrachma, and Primo Scene.

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10:23 p.m. Sorry, the upload has been delayed. I've been out all day.

My key for NHK Mile Cup is Tetradrachm. I'm not going for another Aerolithe but, well. On the wheel would be Katsuji, Primo Scene, Tower Of London, Gibeon, Pax Americana and Lucas. Will cut out one or two from here depending on the weight gains and losses.

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7:43 p.m. Keiai Nautique... and Gibeon in second place oh, god.

Red Veiron was completely off the mark which means I was way off. The payout amounted to 129,560 yen, enough to buy me the bike I've been wanting for and left me change.

I haven't won a G1 this spring and the fearful thought is that I don't feel like winning. Sigh...

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3:37 p.m. Still the G1 series goes on and this week it's Victoria Mile Cup, one of the races I haven't won in the past decade.

Can't say anything big in this situation but I have a feeling that Miss Panthere won't do so well unless she's blessed with the barrier and track condition.

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4:10 p.m. Generally in horse race, winning a race taking the lead from start to finish leaves a big damage on the horse. That's why I'm skeptical about Miss Panthere. She had taken the lead in her previous race Hanshin Hinba Stakes which led her to a close winning, whereas she stayed behind in the race before. I'm suspecting that this change in position had temporarily helped the horse perform well. It is said that this is a method you can use for horses that lack concentration.

Whether it is intentional or not, I believe such boosting methods are always followed by backlashes. After all, they are only horses. Especially, if and when horses like Aerolithe or Kawakita Enka leads the race at an un-slackening lap. Every horse and crew wants to win the G1. I don't think other horses and riders would be so kind enough to pass down the trophy.

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4:59 p.m. Soul Stirling seems to be in a slump. This, I believe, derrives from her high performance last spring. Her trainer, rider and the crew apparently have been struggling, but unfortunately the results haven't been improving.

The reason for Soul Stirling's entry in Victoria Mile is probably because she'd performed well on Tokyo turf including the Japanese Oaks last year. However, the situation has changed since then. Her rider Christophe, has also mentioned that she gets frustrated in a slow lap and tends to fight to break free. This is not a good sign for a horse waiting for its race to be run.

If the lap becomes tight as I'd mentioned before, there may be a chance for Soul Stirling to run a bit more relaxed than usual, though my personal opinion is that she needs some more time to recover and regain from her damage. She'd performed that well last year.

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2:50 p.m. It's Thursday afternoon which means it's about time the entry for Victoria Mile Cup to be closed. It apparently hasn't yet as of a couple of minutes ago when I'd checked the entry form, but will be.

Miss Panthere's trainer seems to have a lot of confidence in his horse's condition, while mine has already collapsed and crumbled away. Still, I will challenge him with my experience that Miss Panthere will not do well. I just hope that I won't freak out to keep her on my wheel on Sunday.

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2:33 p.m. It's Friday and the barrier draw has been announced!

Let's Go Donki in post number 1, Miss Panthere in 2, Rabit Run in 3, Jour Polaire in 4, Reine Minoru in 5, Red Avancer in 6, Kawakita Enka in 7, Queen's Milagro in 8, Soul Stirring in 9, Aerolithe in 10, Admire Lead in 11, Eterna Minoru in 12, One To One in 13, Rieno Tesoro in 14, Dea Regalo in 15, Lys Gracieux in 16, Denko Ange in 17 and Maids of Honor in 18.

Aw, too bad for Lys Gracieux and Denko Ange. Well, that's unless the lap tightens up to become very fast.

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4:50 p.m. I've been interrupted. I was in the middle of calling Victoria Mile Cup, but was forced to put that aside to attend someone who just dropped in. I've been released after over an hour, and now I'm completely unfocused. Darn, I've had enough. Humph.

So far I've narrowed my choice down to Let's Go Donki, Jour Polaire, Red Avancer, Aeolithe, Admire Lead, Lys Gracieux and Denko Ange. Will cut out 2 more. I'm thinking of keying Lys Gracieux at the moment rather than Aerolithe, though this might turn out on the bad side as you can guess from my recent losses. Miss Panthere is on the out list for now, but you never know until the last minute.

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9:27 p.m. Congrats, to everyone who believed in my call! And thanks to you all for still having faith in me.

It would have been even better if the payout had been bigger, but that's what you call wishful thinking, so I'll be happy and satisfied with my first win ths season.

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5:34 p.m. After a night, I still think that the payout was too small, even though Lys Gracieux the most favored has come in 2nd place. The winner Jour Polaire was the 8th favored in win odds whereas Red Avancer was the 7th favored. Such trio would usually amount to over a 10,000 Yen.

I have to be convinced though, looking at the actual odds. It only points out that the trio of these three horses sold much more than I'd expected. It's just that it makes me feel regretful to think that there were some sort of calculation and mechanical system for a big purchase behid this, while I worked hard to win this race.

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3:20 p.m. I was pretty much disappointed by the payout but well, that's life. All you have to do is just win the triplet...

This week it's the Japanese Oaks though the top three favored horses offer nothing exciting. The most favored as of this afternoon is not to mention, Almond Eye, the second favored Lucky Lilac, and the third favored Satono Walkure as expected. Hmm, so stimulating.

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2:26 p.m. I have nothing against Almond Eye and agree with the favored odds that she is the closest to winning the Japanese Oaks at this point. She has a well-thought relaxed racing schedule, and she'd probably do well on Tokyo 2400m, judging from her racing career and her lineage.

As a horse race fan, I'd like Lucky Lilac to turn over the match between Almond Eye, but so far I don't see any signs that the distance extension or change of course can bring her advantage. Though that doesn't mean she can't. Orfevre, her father is a triple crown winner. There's nothing to prove she can't win a 2400m race.

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3:56 p.m. The Japanese Oaks is one of the classics so the barrier is announced today.

Lily Noble in post number 1, Lucky Lilac in 2, Mau Lea in 3, Tosen Bless in 4, Cantabile in 5, All For Love in 6, Toho Artemis in 7, Satono Walkure in 8, Sister Flag in 9, Red Sakuya in 10, Pioneer Bio in 11, Syakachan in 12, Almond Eye in 13, Randonnee in 14, Usubenino Kimi in 15, Win Lanakila in 16, Rosa Glauca in 17 and Ohana in 18.

Lucky Lilac and Almond Eye have both drawn good barriers. We'd probably be able to witness a great match, no gimmick. On the other hand, it's annoying that it was Lily Noble that drew the lucky post. Meaning that if she comes in 3rd place three times in a row, the payout is going to be miniscule.

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2:12 p.m. Before the Japanese Oaks, there is as a matter of fact, an important race held tomorrow. The Heian Stakes on Kyoto dirt. Great Pearl who hasn't lost a race in his six races of dirt career is going to run against T.M. Jinsoku, last year's Champion's Cup runner up. Both of them are favored in the win odds not to mention, and I'm sure it's going to be an interesting race in the sense that either one of them would win, while the other lose.

As for the Oaks, I'll have to say that horses that performed well in Ohka-sho seem to have the advantage. If there's a chance for horses from other step races to butt in, I think it will be limited to the winners. Though I'd rather not choose Satono Walkure at this point, since she would probably have damage from her former races.

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1:08 p.m. I have unexpectedly met an indication that Almond Eye has a problem of flying change that the horse changes its lead leg more frequently than necessary. It musn't be much of a problem since Almond Eye has been winning easily despite that flying change, but it's a weakpoint, nonetheless.

Supported with my feeling of cheer to pay revenge against Almond Eye, I will key Lucky Lilac. If Almond Eye is as great a horse as we all think she is, then she'd probably win the fillies' triple crown which means the Japanese Oaks is going to be another easy win for her. Still, Lucky Lilac cannot be far behind. On the wheel would be, Lily Noble (hate to have to buy her but she's drawn the lucky post), Mau Lea, Cantabile, Satono Walkure (just in case) and Almond Eye. Might possibly cut out Cantabile and Walkure, depending on the weight gains and losses.

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6:17 p.m. Oh, man. There's nothing much to say besides Almond Eye's high performance. It is uncertain whether she would challenge for the Arc, but if she stays in Japan, she'd win the fillies' triple crown.

Lucky Lilac put up a tough fight. I would have to check out the video once again later, though it seemed as if she'd lost her course and hit the brakes in the last stretch. Naughty Lily Noble! If Lucky had been able to pick up her speed smoothly on the outside without being blocked, it could have been a match race between Almond Eye which I've been wanting to see. That must have gone down in history if it ever came true. Again, naughty, Lily Noble!

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4:05 p.m. As I reviewed the video of the Japanese Oaks several times, I came to think that it was not Lily Noble but rather Lucky Lilac that was naughty. In the last stretch when Ishibashi gave Lucky Lilac the go sign, Lily Noble was ahead of her by say, 2 lengths. The next second, Lucky Lilac bolts inward to get herself right behind Lily Noble and lose course, or so it seems.

I'd like to take this opportunity to correct and appologize, that Lily Noble was not naughty, it was Lucky Lilac. I assume though, that the distance and racing schedule was too tough for Lucky which got her into this situation. Anyway, the past is in the past. This week it's the D'erby. Wonder how that horse is?

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2:02 p.m. It's no big surprise that Danon Premium who skipped Satsuki-sho is being the most favored, most horse race fans would agree he is a great horse. But I haven't been checking out the 2nd favored horse that won the Mainichi-hai. The name's Blast Onepiece.

According to some articles, it seems his schedule that otherwise look less-experienced has been carefully planned out. Blast Onepiece has only raced three times in his short career though haven't lost a race. The results are not the point, though, the important thing is that he has less damage and already proved his high potential for Tokyo 2400m. No wonder he's the second favored in the win odds.

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1:22 p.m. The tension is building up, it's Wednesday. The D'erby is a special race for the horse race world including us fans and we all get a bit excited regardless of whether we win or not.

Danon Premium is still the most favored on the expected win odds list followed by Blast Onepiece and Wagnerian. If Blast Onepiece can get over the hurdle of his first experience racing against upper class rivals, then we would see a defeatless Derby horse in a while. If Danon Premium handles this race easily as he has with all his former races, then we'd also see a defeatless D'erby winner. Either wins, it will be a defeatless champion. The barriers will be announced tomorrow afternoon.

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2:33 p.m. It's announced! The barrier draw for the Japanese D'erby!

Danon Premium in post number 1 (woah), Time Flyer in 2, T O Energy in 3, Admire Alba in 4, Kitano Commandeur in 5, Go for the Summit in 6, Cosmic Force in 7, Blast Onepiece in 8, Oken Moon in 9, Stay Foolish in 10, Gendarme in in 11, Epoca d'Oro in 12, Grail in 13, Etario in 14, Stervio in 15, Generale Uno in 16, Wagnerian in 17, and Sans Rival in 18.

Oh yes, Sans Rival's main rider Yusuke Fujioka can't ride the horse because of his penalty, but that doesn't mean you can get away with such injustice while the most favored Danon Premium is miraculously in post number 1. This is so unshamingly blatant that it seems to be insulting the prestigious race. Humph.

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2:42 p.m. It's ironic that I am rapidly losing interest in D'erby. What else could I do but to shut my eyes and key Danon Premium no matter how favored he is, if he's drawn the lucky post number 1 (not to mention I am suspecting JRA has something to do with this result)?

Think I'll go and check out the final race of the D'erby day, Meguro Kinen.

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7:04 p.m. Sorry, I've been repeatingly interrupted while calling the D'erby and couldn't reach a consequence until now. I'm pretty much drained having to use all my concentration on the race.

My key is Danon Premium not to mention. He's drawn the lucky post, there's nothing to stop him unless I've overestimated his potential. On the wheel would be Blast Onepiece, Oken Moon, Stay Foolish, Gendarme, Grail and Stervio. Oken and Grail I'm not so sure. It's just that they might have a chance, but whether they make use of it or not is up to many uncertain things. I'm planning to cut off one or two from the wheel depending on the weight gains and losses tomorrow. Happy D'erby, everyone!

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9:18 p.m. Wagnerian... and Epocadoro... then Cosmic Force...

Too far off the mark I have nothing to say...

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4:13 p.m. It was a terrible loss. I will have to look over where I went wrong to at least make a better result next year, though I'd probably forget my own advice by next year.

Still, that is the only way to improve my calling that might or might not lead to a happier future, so that's what I'll do. Must finish up quick as Yasuda Kinen is right behind.

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2:10 p.m. Some stupid training assistant working at Ritto Training Center has been arrested to have used an equipment to prevent horses from eating. The police is now investigating while this guy said that he vaquely remembers he might have done something like that. What does he mean, "vaguely remember"?

They should announce the name of the stable, trainer, the suspect, and the horse that became victim to this unhuman act. We are betting the second most important thing next to our lives after all. We deserve to know.

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4:40 p.m. Haven't heard or read further news on the assistant trainer. In the meantime, I've been working hard to figure out where I went wrong with the D'erby, and am mostly finished except for the reason why Kyoto Shinbun-hai winners sometimes perform unexpectedly well in D'erby.

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to reach a conclusion so far, as there are no common factors aside from the fact that such horses were all Deep Impact descendants... will wrap it up soon anyway, since I have to move on to Yasuda Kinen which also seem complicated.

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2:31 p.m. While there is no further news of the shameful assistant trainer, information on horses that raced in the Japanese D'erby is coming in.

Kitano Comandeur has been met with an accident of an injury that transpired on his right foreleg. It looks like it's going to take a long time before he'd be able to race again. I thought he wasn't in his usual state when he ran last week, but I guess his condition wan not at all sound. Poor thing. The crew of Go for the Summit has revealed that they are discussing Belmont D'erby as his next race, wow.

On the other hand, Epoca d'Oro the Satsuki-sho winner who came in second, has been announced to run in Kikka-sho this fall. The crew are planning to enter him in Kobe Shinbun-hai for the prep. After the D'erby, I see Epoca d'Oro in a different light and think that he can do well in fact, very well in Kikka-sho depending on his condition.

As for the coming up Yasuda Kinen, Star Of Persia, Tower Of London and Moon Quake is scratching off.

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