Japan: Naran Huleg looks for sweep of Grade 1 sprints in Sprinters Stakes

Naran Huleg can became the first horse in four years to sweep Japan’s two Grade 1 sprints when he returns from a layoff of nearly four months in Sunday’s $2.2 million Sprinters Stakes at Nakayama Racecourse.

Naran Huleg, who is part of a field of 16 in the Sprinters Stakes at six furlongs, won the Grade 1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen at six furlongs at Chukyo Racecourse in March for his third stakes win. In his only subsequent start, the 6-year-old Naran Huleg finished ninth as a longshot in the Grade 1 Yasuda Kinen at a mile at Tokyo Racecourse on June 5.

A win on Sunday would make Naran Huleg the sixth horse to sweep the two Grade 1 sprint races in Japan and the first to do so since Fine Needle in 2018.

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Naran Huleg, who runs as a closer, starts from post 6 and will be ridden by regular rider Kyosuke Maruta. A 6-year-old horse, Naran Huleg has won 6 of 30 starts.

Meikei Yell, a winner of three of four starts this year, and the miler Schnell Meister are two other leading contenders.

Meikei Yell won the Grade 2 Centaur Stakes at six furlongs at Chukyo Racecourse on Sept. 11 in her first start since a win in the Grade 2 Keio Hai Sprint Cup at seven furlongs at Tokyo in May. She tends to run as a stalker.

Schell Meister has never raced at six furlongs and has won two stakes, including the Grade 1 NHK Mile for 3-year-olds in May 2021.

The Sprinters Stakes has a post time of 2:40 a.m. Eastern on Sunday or 11:40 p.m. Pacific on Saturday.

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