The usually quiet early morning at the Kyoto racecourse was filled with the pleasant sound of hoof beats. May Day Ready, a raider from the United States, made her way to the Kyoto dirt track under the morning sun.

First on the work schedule, a reconnaissance lap around the track to get used to her new terrain. She started with a trot and cantered until just after the fourth turn, when she turned left and began her workout with a gallop. The horse was in perfect alignment and the pitch was gradually increased. She ran in a good rhythm around the inside of the track and responded well as she headed into the stretch. Her head was a little high, but she ran with light footwork and clocked a 4F sectional of 49.7-38.0-12.6.

Trainer Lee, who watched the workout, commented, "We were able to train as usual. She looks very good, and all of her times are the same as we were in the U.S." He was pleased to be able to train well in a foreign country. "We were told we could use the turf course last Friday and Wednesday, but as it was only two days since we arrived, we decided it would be better not to run her on Friday. I didn't think it would be good if the clock was too fast on Wednesday, so we did it on Monday, even though it was on the dirt.

World-famous jockey Frankie Dettori has ridden her in every race since her debut. He also knows Japanese horse racing well and had a request. "He asked me to put a hood over her head. When I tried it, she didn't like it, so I put cotton on her ears. He also asked for a neck strap, so I ordered one. I'll leave the rest to Frankie."