Apapane out for a double at Tokyo

Japanese 1000 Guineas winner Apapane goes in search of a classic double at Tokyo on Sunday when she will start the favorite in the $2 million Yushun Himba, or Japanese Oaks. Although she is a daughter of Japanese Derby winner King Kamehameha, there are doubts about her ability to stay 1 1/2 miles, as her Salt Lake dam Salty Bid never won beyond six furlongs.

Moreover, Apapane will be facing the four who chased her home in the 1000 Guineas, and all of them are better bred to get 12 furlongs. Chief among them is Oken Sakura, the half-length Guineas runner-up who is by Arc winner Bago. In her previous start she won the 1 1/8-mile, Grade 3 Flower Cup, and she is the selection with Katsumi Ando aboard.