Realize Sirius Among 3-Year-Olds in Mainichi Okan

Racing returns at Tokyo Racecourse this weekend for the first time since June 21 and features the Oct. 4 Mainichi Okan (G2) over 1,800 meters (about 1 1/8 miles), one of the most important prep races for the Tenno Sho Autumn (G1) Nov. 1 at Tokyo. With both the winner and runner-up of the Aug. 30 Niigata Kinen (G3) being 3-year-olds, the quality of the current 3-year-old crop is widely recognized as high, and sophomores should be well fancied in the Mainichi Okan. Realize Sirius (JPN), bred by Shadai Farm and bought at the Chiba Thoroughbred Sale by Yosuke Imafuku for ¥40 million (approx. US$250,344), has started six times and won three of them, including the Niigata Nisai Stakes (G3) and Kyodo News Hai (G3). In addition, the colt by Poetic Flare (IRE) finished second in the Satsuki Sho (G1), the first leg of the Triple Crown for 3-year-olds in Japan. Though he was beaten seventh in the Japanese Derby (G1), he is not a 1 1/2-mile horse and the best trip for him should be 1,600 meters (about 1 mile) to 2,000 meters (about 1 1/4 miles). Realize Sirius looks ready for the Mainichi Okan following his most recent work. He breezed 5 furlongs Sept. 24 on Miho Training Center's woodchip track with Akihide Tsumura in the irons and clocked 1:06.4. Another interesting 3-year-old in the field is Admire Quads (JPN), who finished third in both the Asahi Hai Futurity (G1) and NHK Mile Cup (G1).