Contrail returns in Japanese 2000 Guineas

There were no photo finishes required in Contrail’s unbeaten season in 2019, which led to him being named Japan’s champion 2-year-old male. He won three races by at least 1 1/2 lengths and finished the season with a victory in the Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes at 1 1/4 miles on turf at Nakayama Racecourse.

Contrail, a colt by top Japanese stallion Deep Impact, will start his 3-year-old season at Nakayama Racecourse on Sunday in the Grade 1 Japanese 2000 Guineas at 1 1/4 miles, a race formally known as the Setsuki Sho.

Contrail is expected to be a strong favorite in a field of 18, even though he has not raced since late December. Trained by Yoshito Yahagi, Contrail tends to run as a stalker. He has progressed in training in recent weeks, Yahagi recently told Japan Racing Association publicity.

“He’s looked good in training, getting into the flow of things and responding well, even when the training track has been a bit heavy,” Yahagi said. “He seems fired up.”

The race drew only colts. Geldings are not permitted to be entered.

Post time for the $2.27 million Japanese 2000 Guineas is 2:40 a.m. Eastern on Sunday, or 11:40 p.m. Pacific on Saturday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

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Contrail’s main rivals – Salios and Satono Flag – have had different preparations.

Salios, unbeaten in three starts, has not raced since December when he won the Grade 1 Futurity Stakes at a mile on turf at Hanshin. The Japanese 2000 Guineas will be the first start beyond a mile for Salios, who is by Heart’s Cry.

Satono Flag was sixth in his debut last October and has won his last three starts. By Deep Imact, Satono Flag won a Grade 2 race at 1 1/4 miles on turf at Nakayama on March 8 in his stakes debut.

There is a Kentucky-bred in the field in the longshot American Seed, a colt by Tapit. Purchased for $825,000 at the 2018 Keeneland September yearling sale, American Seed won his debut at Hanshin in December, but is winless in his last three starts.

American Seed was third in the listed Wakaba Stakes at 1 1/4 miles on turf on March 21 at Hanshin.