Japan: Jantar Mantar draws well for Asahi Hai Futurity

The undefeated colt Jantar Mantar has drawn an ideal post for Sunday’s Grade 1 Asahi Hai Futurity at Hanshin Racecourse in Japan, a one-mile turf race that annually plays a leading role in balloting for the country’s juvenile champion.

Jantar Mantar starts from post 3 in a field of 17, a good post for a colt who has won his first two starts from a stalking position.

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Two of Jantar Mantar’s leading rivals – Ask One Time and Strauss – were not as fortunate. They have the outside two post positions in the large field. The race is run on a right-handed track around one turn. There is a lengthy run to the first turn, but Ask One Time and Strauss will need to save some ground to be effective.

Jantar Mantar, by Palace Malice, has run twice. He won a race for first-time starters at 1 1/8 miles at Kyoto on Oct. 8, and won the Grade 2 Daily Hai Nisai Stakes at a mile at Kyoto on Nov. 11, closing from third to finish two lengths in front of Enya Love Faith, who is part of Sunday’s field.

Jantar Mantar will be ridden for the first time by Yuga Kawada for trainer Tomokazu Takano. Kawada was the leading rider at Japan Racing Association tracks in 2022 and is second in the standings to Christophe Lemaire this year.

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Lemaire rides the undefeated Danon McKinley in the Asahi Hai Futurity. Danon McKinley has won twice at seven furlongs – in a race for first-time starters in September, and an allowance race last month.

Strauss won the Tokyo Sports Hai Nisai Stakes at 1 1/8 miles at Tokyo on Nov. 18 for his first stakes win in his third start. Strauss will be ridden for the first time by British jockey Tom Marquand, who is riding in Japan on a short-term license through Dec. 29.

Ask One Time, a winner of 2 of 4 starts, will start at a mile for the first time on Sunday. He was a Grade 2 winner at six furlongs on Sept. 3 before finishing 10th of 12 in the Grade 2 Keio Hai Nisai Stakes at seven furlongs at Tokyo on Nov. 4.

Ask One Time’s trainer, Tomoyuki Umeda, told JRA publicity recently that Ask One Time can be “a bit stubborn,” but that “he should be fine racing over a mile.”

“The big thing is how he feels mentally,” Umeda said.

The Asahi Hai Futurity has a post time of 1:40 a.m. Eastern on Sunday or 10:40 p.m. Pacific on Saturday.

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