Lightly raced but highly talented Equinox among Arima Kinen favorites

Five races into his career, the 3-year-old colt Equinox is already a fan favorite in Japan.

Second in the Grade 1 Japanese Derby in May, Equinox won his first start against older horses in the Grade 1 autumn running of the Tenno Sho at 1 1/4 miles at Tokyo Racecourse on Oct. 30.

Those results left Equinox among the top selections in a fan ballot for Sunday’s Grade 1 Arima Kinen at Nakayama Racecourse. The field is partially determined by a poll with the rest determined by earnings. Run at 1 9/16 miles, the $6.5 million Arima Kinen will have a maximum field of 16.

Equinox must beat Efforia, the winner of the 2021 Arima Kinen; Vela Azul, the winner of the Grade 1 Japan Cup on Nov. 27; and Titleholder, who was fifth in the 2021 Arima Kinen and has since won two Grade 1 races.

Equinox has won 3 of 5 starts. Aside from the Japanese Derby, his only other loss was a second in the Grade 1 Japanese 2000 Guineas at 1 1/4 miles in April. In the autumn running of the Tenno Sho, Equinox caught runaway leader Panthalassa in the final sixteenth to win by a length.

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The Arima Kinen distance will be a test for Equinox, who was beaten a length in the Japanese Derby at 1 1/2 miles in the longest race of his career.

Vela Azul can become the first horse to win the Japan Cup and Arima Kinen in the same year since the mighty Deep Impact in 2006. Japan Cup winners do not always return for a start in the Arima Kinen.

Titleholder won his first three starts this year before finishing 11th in the Group 1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in Paris on Oct. 2 in his most recent start. Bettors are likely to forgive Titleholder for that loss and focus on his excellent campaign earlier this year that included wins at Hanshin Racecourse in the spring running of the Grade 1 Tenno Sho at two miles and the Grade 1 Takarazuka Kinen at 1 3/8 miles.

Efforia can become the first horse to win consecutive runnings of the Arima Kinen, but has struggled in two starts this year. Efforia finished ninth of 16 in the Grade 1 Osaka Hai at 1 1/4 miles at Hanshin in April and was sixth of 17 behind Titleholder in the Takarazuka Kinen.

The Arima Kinen has a post time of 2:25 a.m. Eastern on Sunday or 11:25 p.m. Pacific on Saturday.

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