Rodeo Drive (3-year-old colt, trained by Tsuji) showed a lively presence in his stable at Miho Training Center on the morning of May 11, the day after his NHK Mile Cup victory. The horse returned to the stable around 8:30 p.m. the previous evening. Assistant trainer Kenichi Kobayashi (44) described the atmosphere after the race: “He was a bit on edge. He’s always like that after a race.” Kobayashi also handles Immigrant Song, who won last year’s New Zealand Trophy. This year’s second-place finisher in that same race ran hard to make up for the disappointing result in the NHK Mile Cup, representing their shared stable colors.
The following is a Q&A with Assistant Kobayashi.
Where did you watch the race?
I was by the gates, so I listened to the race commentary on the radio. My horse’s name wasn’t called out at all until the very, very end (laughs). It was a close battle, so I had no idea who had won. Until I knew the result, I couldn’t say anything for sure.
When did you find out the result?
When I got off the bus and met up with the assistant trainers and the trainer. At that point, it wasn’t officially confirmed yet, but they told me, “We’ve won!”
How did you feel then?
I thought, “We won. We actually won” (laughs).
What was the atmosphere like before the race?
In the morning, he was no different than usual. Even after arriving at the track, he wasn’t extremely worked up.
He was also calm in the paddock.
Yes. From his debut, he’s always walked calmly in the paddock. This time, we had two handlers as a precaution, but he was calm enough that it wasn’t necessary.
What about the equipment?
Up until two races ago, he didn’t wear anything. Last time, we put a hood on him in the paddock and removed it behind the gate. This time, we kept the hood on during the race, and also used a pacifier in the paddock.
Did the pacifier work?
I think he was relatively calm while heading to the starting gate. This time, even after the jockey mounted him in the paddock, he wasn’t as edgy as in his last race, so he moved smoothly to the starting gate. It had a certain effect.
And the hood?
Last time, he was a bit keen in the early stages, but this time he settled well throughout. The fast pace might have helped, but I believe the hood also contributed.
Still, Rodeo Drive’s explosive speed yesterday was incredible.
I always believed he has the ability to run this well. His time when winning a Class 1 race (1:32.1 over 1,600m at Nakayama) was fast. That race gave me the impression that this horse is something special. At that time, his final workout a week before, ridden by Tsumura, was also amazing. He clocked a final 11.9 and 11.2, times I’ve rarely seen. From then on, I thought he might be different.
What are his running characteristics?
He has strong front legs, I’d say… How should I put it? In races, you can feel the power when his front legs come forward. That’s been the case since his training.
What is he like normally?
He seems to like horses—if one passes in front of him, he neighs immediately, and even if they pass by in the paddock, he neighs. He still has a childlike side. Yesterday, though he was calm at the track, he neighed when other horses were around, just like at Miho.
What other graded-stakes winners have you handled?
Immigrant Song, who won last year’s New Zealand Trophy. That horse was my first graded-stakes winner and my first G1 runner.
And this year, that same race’s second-place finisher went on to win the NHK Mile Cup?
Yes, that’s right (laughs).
Finally, what are your hopes for Rodeo Drive?
I have enormous hopes for him (laughs). How to put it into words… From now on, he will be the one to beat, a target for others in races. I hope this victory isn’t a fluke, and I’ll do my best to keep him going. [Okuda Mikihiro]
