Are Blueskiesnrainbows in the Tokyo City Forecast?

One of the most unique races on the Santa Anita calendar, the Grade 3 Tokyo City Cup, will be run Saturday at the Great Race Place. Eight older horses will make the 1 1/2-mile trek on the main track, including some of the top thoroughbreds on the West Coast.

Jerry Hollendorfer's Blueskiesnrainbows is the 5/2 morning-line favorite. The runner-up in last year's Breeders' Cup Marathon reeled off a pair of graded stakes wins before an off-the-board finish in February's San Antonio Stakes. However, that race featured a speed duel between Blueskiesnrainbows and eventual Santa Anita Handicap winner Game On Dude, and Saturday's race may not have that kind of early speed presence to contest this one and jockey Corey Nakatani.

Also exiting the San Antonio is Majestic Harbor, who ran fourth behind Blingo that afternoon. While the son of Rockport Harbor has not won in more than a year, he ran second behind Blueskiesnrainbows two back in the San Pasqual and has been working well for trainer Sean McCarthy.

The list of intriguing horses in this field also includes three co-third choices, all of whom are listed at 4-1. American Blend and Segway both exit disappointing tries earlier this year. American Blend was a distant eighth in the Big 'Cap, while Segway goes to dirt after a 10th-place finish in the San Marcos where he was forced into the rail and did well to stay upright. Meanwhile, Tiz Dynamic was last seen winning an allowance race earlier this month after spending most of his career in the claiming ranks.

The most intriguing horse in the field, though, may be Ever Rider. The Argentinian-bred was sent off as the favorite in the Breeders' Cup Marathon, but did not finish the race. His two starts since then have been uninspiring, but if he channels his stakes-winning South American form, he could easily contend on Saturday afternoon.

The Tokyo City Cup is the eighth race on Saturday's nine-race card, and the field will go postwar at 4:13 p.m. Pacific time.