Japan's grade 1 turf racing season closes with a bang Dec. 28 at Nakayama Racecourse with the Arima Kinen (G1T), the "Grand Prix," featuring horses nominated by popular vote chasing purse money equaling that of the Japan Cup (G1T) for the richest of the season.
The winner over 2,500 meters (about 12 1/2 furlongs) of turf earns about US$3.2 million. The total purse is just shy of US$7 million.
It is one of two annual events that offer fans a chance to vote for horses they want to see in the field. This year's top pick, with more than 612,700 votes, is last year's winner, Regaleira. She, coincidentally, won the Hopeful Stakes (G1T) for 2-year-olds on this same weekend at Nakayama in 2023.
Also among the top 10 in the balloting and entered for the race are Danon Decile, Museum Mile, Meisho Tabaru, and Justin Palace.
Regaleira, trained by Tetsuya Kimura for Sunday Racing, seems in good fettle after some ups and downs over the past 12 months. She was idle with a medical issue from last year's Arima Kinen until June 15, when she finished 11th in the Takarazuka Kinen (G1) at Hanshin Racecourse. After another three-month break, the 4-year-old daughter of Suave Richard turned things around, winning the Sankei Sho All Comers (G2T) at Hanshin in September and the Queen Elizabeth II Cup (G1T) Nov. 16 at Kyoto Racecourse.
Assistant trainer Yu Ota said her connections are looking for improvement from the gate by Regaleira in the Arima Kinen.
"Her break was a little bit off in the Queen Elizabeth II Cup last out," Ota said. "But her timing was good, so we were lucky there. ... The main concern is the gate. The start isn't in front of the grandstand this time, which should make things easier."
Regaleira, the only female in the 16-horse field, was the first 3-year-old filly winner of the Arima Kinen in 64 years and would become the first distaffer ever to post back-to-back wins in the event. Christophe Lemaire, who has overtaken Keita Tosaki to lead Japan's jockey rankings, takes over from that rider aboard the filly.
Lemaire leads Tosaki 138 wins to 131 despite having taken 186 fewer rides.
A few proven rivals are standing in the way of a repeat.
Danon Decile, third last year in the Arima Kinen, went on to win the Dubai Sheema Classic (G1T) in April, defeating eventual Japan Cup (G1T) winner Calandagan, then finished fifth in the International Stakes (G1) at York Racecourse in England and last month was third behind Calandagan and Masquerade Ball in the Japan Cup.
Regular rider Tosaki sticks with Danon Decile over Regaleira, and trainer Shogo Yasuda said the jockey still has work to do with the 4-year-old son of Epiphaneia.
"I had the impression he was pretty on edge the day of the Japan Cup, and underway in the backstretch it looked like he got a bit difficult," Yasuda said of Danon Decile. "That may be a problem we still have to work on, but he really ran well in the straight. The top two finishers were very strong."
Museum Mile, a 3-year-old colt by Leontes, gets a distance test. He won this year's Satsuki Sho (Japanese Two Thousand Guineas, G1T) at 2,000 meters (about 1 1/4 miles) but then finished sixth in the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby, G1T) when challenged with 2,400 meters (about 1 1/2 miles). He since has won the 2,200-meter (about 1 3/8-mile) Asahi Hai St. Lite Kinen (G2T) and finished second in the Tenno Sho (Autumn) (G1T) at 2,000 meters.
