Danon Scorpion, who showed signs of revival with a fourth-place finish in the Keio Hai Spring Cup after changing stables, has taken the unusual step of staying at the Miho Training Center ahead of his run in the G1 Yasuda Kinen. This move, orchestrated by Yuichi Fukunaga's stable, has piqued the interest of reporters at Miho, who closely watched the final training session.

Trainer Yuichi Fukunaga himself rode Danon Scorpion, starting with some hacking in the paddock before moving to the woodchip course for a solo workout. The horse ran lightly along the outside rail, finishing with an impressive 6 furlongs in 85.1 seconds, with splits of 38.4 seconds and a stunning final furlong of 10.8 seconds, drawing cheers from the training stands.

Given the two long-distance transports and a two-week rotation, a softer preparation at Ritto Training Center would have been inevitable. Fukunaga pondered, "What is best for the horse?" His answer was to stay at Miho. Entrusting the experienced staff with the horse's preparation, he personally conducted the final track work. "The quality of his movement has improved since last time. It was like, 'He really is improving!'" Fukunaga remarked, expressing satisfaction with the results.

Drawing from his experience as a jockey, Fukunaga knew the importance of tailored preparation. "I've never won a G1 with a horse that had a soft preparation. We had a really good workout. The horse's condition is definitely improving. With this, I think we can at least place within the first five," he said. Aware of the harsh realities of racing, Fukunaga left no stone unturned in his preparations. Achieving a G1 victory within just three months of starting his training career is not just a dream, it's a very real possibility.