February Stakes in Tokyo draws wide-open field of 16

Copano Rickey and Moanin have won the last three runnings of the Grade 1 February Stakes at Tokyo Racecourse.

They will need a reversal of form to keep the streak alive in Sunday’s running of the $1.86 million February Stakes, at a mile on dirt. The race is one of two Grade 1 races for older horses on dirt at Japan Racing Association tracks through the year. The Grade 1 Champions Cup is run in December.

The February could have implications for American racing later this year. The winner of the February Stakes will receive an automatic berth in the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar on Nov. 4, provided the horse is nominated to the Breeders’ Cup program.

The February Stakes drew a field of 16 and includes many contenders.

Sound True won the Champions Cup, but has been third and second in his last two starts. Sound True was the champion dirt horse in Japan in 2016.

Moanin, a 5-year-old New York-bred by Henny Hughes, and Copano Rickey, who was bred in Japan and is by Gold Allure, were seventh and 13th in the Champions Cup in December. Copano Rickey won the 2014 and 2015 February Stakes, but was seventh behind Moanin last year.

Moanin, who set a track record of 1:34 in the 2016 February Stakes, will be ridden by top international jockey Ryan Moore on Sunday.

Many of the runners in Sunday’s race have run on dirt in stakes at Japan Racing Association tracks, notably Kafuji Take, who won the Grade 3 Negishi Stakes on dirt at Tokyo Racecourse on Jan. 29. Best Warrior, a 7-year-old Kentucky-bred by Majestic Warrior, was second in the Negishi Stakes, his fourth consecutive runner-up finish.

Denim and Ruby, the 7-year-old Japanese-bred mare, is switching surfaces for the first time after mixed results on turf. Denim and Ruby was second in a Grade 1 on turf in June 2015 and did not race again for more than 17 months until she finished eighth in the Grade 1 Kinko Sho in early December. Denim and Ruby was ninth in the Grade 1 Arima Kinen at Nakayama on Dec. 25, the final major turf race of the year in Japan.