Saturnalia was the champion 3-year-old male in Japan in 2019, a title that understandably encouraged high expectations for him this year. So far, Saturnalia has not disappointed. Saturnalia won his only start of 2020 in the Grade 2 Kinko Sho at 1 1/4 miles at Chukyo Racecourse on March 15. The performance has made Saturnalia the early favorite against a very good field for Sunday’s Grade 1 Takarazuka Kinen at 1 3/8 miles on turf at Hanshin Racecourse. Saturnalia was 7-4 in future-book betting on Friday, a slight choice over the females Lucky Lilac at 11-4 and Chrono Genesis at 9-2. Saturnalia, trained by Katsuhiko Sumii, has won 6 of 9 starts, including the Grade 1 Japanese 2000 Guineas in April 2019. Last December, Saturnalia was second to eventual Japanese Horse of the Year Lys Gracieux in the Grade 1 Arima Kinen, one of Japan’s top races. Lucky Lilac, a 5-year-old mare, won the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup at 1 3/8 miles for fillies and mares at Kyoto Racecourse last November and was second against males in the Group 1 Hong Kong Vase at Sha Tin at 1 1/2 miles in December. Earlier this year, Lucky Lilac and Chrono Genesis were first and second against males in the Group 1 Osaka Hai at 1 1/4 miles on April 5. Prior to that race, Chrono Genesis, a 4-year-old filly, won the Grade 2 Kyoto Kinen Stakes at 1 3/8 miles at Kyoto Racecourse in February. There are berths to international stakes available for the winner of the $2.71 million Takarazuka Kinen, which drew a field of 18. The winner receives a fees-paid berth to the Breeders’ Cup Turf at Keeneland on Nov. 7. Also, the winner of the Takarazuka Kinen receives a starting spot in the Group 1 Cox Plate at Moonee Valley Racecourse in Australia on Oct. 24. Last year, Lys Gracieux won the Takarazuka Kinen and Cox Plate before the Arima Kinen. Post time for the Takarazuka Kinen is 2:40 a.m., Eastern, on Sunday, or 11:40 p.m., Pacific, on Saturday.