Capping the spring season of top-level action is the Takarazuka Kinen, its lineup, like that of the year-end Arima Kinen, chosen in part by the fans. The top 10 vote-getters receive an automatic place in a maximum field of 18 in the 2,200-meter G1 turf race, staged at Hanshin Racecourse near Osaka.

Established in 1960 and opened to foreign-trained horses in 1997, the Takarazuka became the first international Grade 1 race to be held in western Japan and is named after the city in Hyogo Prefecture, which is located nearby and is the home of the famed Takarazuka Revue, the musical theater troupe.

Though open to horses based overseas, there has been only one such contestant -- the Australian-trained Seto Stayer in 1997. This year again there are no foreign raiders.

The inaugural Takarazuka Kinen was held initially at a distance of 1,800 meters and assumed its current distance in 1966. The race starts in the pocket of the home straight with a run of 500 meters before three right-handed turns leading back into the stretch. The course remains flat for most of the trip until the last 800 meters, where it descends toward the 200-meter mark before rising two meters over the next 150 meters.

The race record of 2 minutes, 10.1 seconds, was set in 2011 by Earnestly.

The expected field for the 54th running of the Takarazuka Kinen had made the race a highly anticipated one. It was seen as a clash of Four Titans, a match, even, of the century.

Unfortunately, that number has been reduced to three, but they are titans nonetheless. The sudden announcement on June 13 that Orfevre was being pulled from the 12 nominees for this year's Takarazuka due to pulmonary bleeding came as a shock, especially to the over 70,000 fans who had taken the trouble to cast their ballots and vote Orfevre the horse they most wanted to see run.

2012 Takarazuka champion Orfevre would have had the chance to become the first horse in the race's history to capture the winner's share twice. And the Triple Crown champ, ahead of a possible second bid for the Arc at Longchamp, would have had the chance to revenge his Japan Cup loss last year to Gentildonna.

Still, three strong, this year's Takarazuka Kinen is without a doubt one of the strongest fields one has seen in a long time.

Gentildonna and Gold Ship, two established heavyweights, will face off for the first time in a battle of the sexes. And Gold Ship will have his chance to prove to young turk Fenomeno, that fifth-place in the Tenno Sho (Spring) was a fluke, no indication of failing form.

In fact, even without Orfevre, the top three names in the balloting – Gold Ship, Gentildonna, and Fenomeno – could run the race alone and still draw the crowd. Not to throw cold water on the rest of the competition, but the smallest field in seven years indicates the competition may have already been a bit much for the more timid.

But, horse-racing being as it is, with a little luck or lot, the winner's circle may be in reach.

Here's a look at the field.

Gentildonna - The Deep Impact daughter claimed the filly Triple Crown last year and topped that with a Triple-Crown-champion trouncing in the Japan Cup. Following that, she winged her way to Dubai and brought home a second in the strong field of the Sheema Classic at Meydan on March 30. This will be her first race since then and her first race at home since the Japan Cup. She is reported looking good and her form indicates she should have no difficulties with either the course or the distance. Gentildonna has three wins at Hanshin and three wins at distances between 2,000 meters to 2,400 meters. Key will be whether she can handle the 56 kg she'll be asked to carry, 1 kg heavier than what she has had to shoulder until now.

Gold Ship - By Stay Gold, out of the Mejiro McQueen mare Point Flag, Gold Ship will, like his maternal granddaddy, be looking to maintain the incredible win rate of Takarazuka grays. Incredibly, in the race's past 20 runnings, three of the only seven gray horses that have run, have won the race. Those include Mejiro McQueen and Narita Brian's older brother Biwa Hayahide. Gold Ship, however, has far more than the color of his coat on his side. Last time out, his fifth-place run in the Tenno Sho (Spring) was only the second time he nearly missed the board. In fact, it stopped a winning streak at four. Other than two fifths, in the Japanese Derby and the Tenno Sho, Gold Ship has literally hauled in the treasure, with eight wins and two seconds, including wins of the Satsuki Sho, the Kikuka Sho, and up against older runners in the Arima Kinen. He's had three runs at Hanshin, two of them winning. Gold Ship likes to start things off slowly and race from the rear. His fastest final 600 meters have been run at 34.5 seconds and the long stretch and upward slope from 200 meters out should suit, if the pace isn't too heated. Current leading rider at Miho, Hiroyuki Uchida, has ridden the colt for his past eight races. Uchida has been staying at Ritto for over a week now just to "build communication" with Gold Ship. Strategy and response will be key and Uchida is looking to be well in tune with his mount. "There's a lot I have to think about when taking into consideration this horse's running style." Gold Ship will once again be carrying 58 kg, a weight under which he has yet to win.

Fenomeno - Another son of Stay Gold is Fenomeno, out of the Danehill mare De Laroche. Second in the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) last spring and second in the Tenno Sho (Autumn) last fall, this 4-year-old fellow stepped to the head of the class and his first G1 jewel -- a decisive win of the Tenno Sho (Spring). Fenomeno finished a full 0.9 seconds ahead of Gold Ship and that under the race top weight of 58 kg over the grueling distance of 3,200 meters. It looks like this colt may have come into his own. He showed finesse beyond his age with a smooth trip in the Kyoto twice-around. When asked for more, he responded with a willingness that Orfevre's connections surely dream of. He's shown he can handle the trip west and though it will be his first time at the venue, his two wins at Nakayama, one over the Takarazuka distance, bode well for smooth sailing at Hanshin. Fenomeno also has five wins and two seconds at the 2,000-2,500 meter range.

Tosen Ra - This 5-year-old from Deep Impact's first-year crop has yet to win a G1 race, but he has come close. He was closest last time out, with a smooth run in the Tenno Sho (Spring) that brought him, as runnerup, to within a length and a quarter of the winner. It was his first race in 2 1/2 months and he handled his first 58 kg well. Tosen Ra has two wins of black-type races, including his recent first in the G2 Kyoto Kinen in February. He also notched a second in the St. Lite Kinen as a 3-year-old and finished in the money in three G3 races last year. After the Tenno Sho, Tosen Ra was given only two weeks off, then was back in training. He has put on muscle to match his newfound maturity mentally. In the saddle will be Yutaka Take, who is enjoying his best year in quite a spell. "Rain is the only worry," is the claim from stableside.

Danon Ballade - Another 5-year-old by Deep Impact is Danon Ballade, who will be taking on his first G1 since the 2011 Satsuki Sho, in which he ran third, 2 years and 2 months ago. A stablemate of Orfevre, the Yasutoshi Ikee-trained Danon Ballade last won in the American Jockey Club Cup, a G2 over 2,200 meters at Nakayama at the end of January. His three races since then have given him a sixth, a seventh and a third, last time out in the 2,000-meter G3 Naruo Kinen at Hanshin. He has changed riders frequently, but this time out finds him paired with Yuga Kawada, who won the Japanese Oaks aboard Gentildonna last year. Kawada has 56 wins thus far this year, only four off leading rider Yasunari Iwata.

The extra distance could be just what the White Muzzle-sired Silport has been looking for, while Hit the Target, a 5-year-old by King Kamehameha, may fare well with new partner Yuichi Fukunaga. Rosen Konig is making a huge leap up in class as he races in his first graded-stakes event since last September. The 4-year-old by Symboli Kris S has a blistering late kick that has helped bag him four wins, three seconds and a third in 14 outings. His last five races, the last three under Cristian Demuro, have brought him to the winner's circle three times, home in second once. Rosen Konig will be paired with Craig Williams.