Jockeys and trainers of the 19 Japan-based horses entered in the Breeders’ Cup had the following comments about their contenders.

Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint

Ecoro Seig, 7-2 morning line

Expected favorite for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, jockey Christophe Lemaire said of the colt after his win in the Canna Stakes, “He got out of the gate well, picked up speed and naturally took the lead. We didn’t over-pace him during the race, we were able to keep up with the horse’s rhythm, and he accelerated in the straight. He still has a bit of a childish side before the start, so if he can grow in that area (that would be a positive).”

Additionally, Lemaire, who was aboard Ecoro Seig’s work Oct. 29, was pleased, saying, “He always runs hard; so I didn’t push him too hard today. It was a good workout. He seems fine for 1,000 meters.

“I need to ride with confidence.”

Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies

Otomena Shacho, 20-1 morning line

“The small field made it easy on her,” jockey Hiroshi Matsuyama said. “She got off to a fast start, and it kept going. She also had a good response in the straight, and at the end was able to move smoothly and win in record time.

“She is a strong horse.”

American Bikini, 5-1 morning line

“The horse won its last race in a much stronger way than I expected,” trainer Takashi Saito said. “I think she has a lot of potential in terms of physical condition, but if she runs like she did in the last race, I’m looking forward to seeing in a (Grade 1) race.”

“She has great speed but still a lot of immaturity in terms of physique and temperament, but she has a lot of potential,” jockey Danno Dai said.

Breeders’ Cup Juvenile

Shin Believe, 10-1 morning line

After his maiden-breaking win, jockey Hiroshi Matsuyama said, “The horse felt good from the warm-up. The start of the race itself was good, and he was in a good position from the first half and was able to get into the flow. He had plenty of room to maneuver from start to finish and ran a strong race. He has a big (stride), so it was good that he was able to run at his own pace, and I think the (outside) gate suited him.”

Fun fact: Shin Forever is owned by Fujita Susumu, the owner of the globally popular anime and mobile phone horse racing game Uma Musume.

Ecoro Azel, 30-1 morning line

“His training at Del Mar is going well,” jockey Aiira Sugawara said. “The track also looked easy to run on. I hope he does well.”

Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf

Satono Carnaval, morning line 20-1

“He eats well and has quickly adapted to the environment,” trainer Nobuyuki Hori said. “He eats well and has quickly adapted to the environment. He inherited speed from his parents, and genetic testing and jockey judgement shoe that he is suited to short distances. I want to see him make the most of his natural abilities.”

Breeders’ Cup Distaff

Alice Verite, 30-1 morning line

“I relied on my connections in America and asked Kyle Frey to ride,” trainer Kazuya Nakatake said of getting a local jockey. “American dirt racing is speed racing, so I think it’s better to have a local jockey.”

Awesome Result, 4-1 morning line

“She doesn’t mind being covered in sand, and she also has had a good response at the final turn,” jockey Yutaka Take said after her win in the Aldebaran stakes. “She took the lead early and used the sky to make her light and fluffy, and she won in a way that was greater than the margin of victory. She still has room to grow, so I’m looking forward to

seeing what she does next.

“With five wins in five races, there’s no telling what her potential is.”

Breeders’ Cup Turf

“He’s been doing well since coming here,” exercise rider Hokari-san said. “So our plan was to give him good exercise. He moved well and was able to run with a good sense of discipline. He’s five years old, but he’s growing.”

Shahryar, morning line 10-1

“He’s coming along as planned,” trainer Hideaki Fujiwara said. “He’s popular, so we’ll do our best to live up to the expectations”

“He’s getting better since coming to Del Mar,” assistant trainer Hokari-san said.”He’s doing really well.”

Breeders’ Cup Classic

“We were able to check him at the (starting) gates without any problems,” trainer Yoshito Yahagi said. “Everything is going well; we want to win and have fun.”

“I want to see the real Derma Sotogake,” Japanese Turf writer Tospo Keiba said. “He didn’t try very hard in Dubai and didn’t get going from the start. He started well in his last race but stopped early. He hasn’t used all his strength yet. I think he’ll be more aggressive with blinkers. The real Derma Sotogake can perform even better.”

“I think he’s in good condition,” trainer Noboru Takagi said.

Breeders’ Cup Sprint

“He won last time even though he wasn’t 100 percent,” trainer Takashi Saito said. “I think it will lead to an even better next run. He’ll get better after this race, and I have no worries about him in racing in America.”

Jockey Akira Sugawara said that his winning trip would come if he had a target to run at.

“I don’t know much about the course at Del Mar, but I think he can handle it based on his races in Saudi Arabia and Dubai,” assistant trainer Koichi Shintani said.

Breeders’ Cup Mile

“He’s doing well as always,” trainer Tetsuya Kimura said. “He does better at shorter distances.”

Jockey Akihide Tsumura said she has shipped well.

Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile

Before his 13th-place finish in the Meitetsu Cup, assistant trainer Tomomichi said, “The time is coming in and he;s moving well for this horse. At the moment, he seems to do well in the lead and let the others behind him use their legs. We’ll see how far he can go with his current condition and ability.”