Two Japan Racing Association G1 flat races and a top-level jump race will be held over the final weekend of 2025 at Nakayama Racecourse. The second of the three big races is the Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes on Saturday, December 27.
There were 19 nominees (all 2-year-old colts) for the 18 Hopeful Stakes berths and a chance at a first-place prize of ¥70 million JPY (about $450,000 USD), along with a share of the total purse exceeding ¥152 million (approximately $970,000).
The 2024 Hopeful Stakes winner Croix du Nord went to the gate unbeaten from two 1,800-meter tests at Tokyo, including the Grade 2 Tokyo Sports Hai Nisai Stakes a month earlier.
Sunday's lineup, however, has no G2 winners. But it does have two colts that have claimed a Grade 3 test ― Shonan Gulf and Justin Vista, both of whom are likely to be among the top choices. Ivy Stakes winner Anduril and Badrinath, with two wins and a second from three starts, are also expected to figure prominently in the wagering.
The 2,000-meter Hopeful Stakes is the only big race that gives youngsters preferring longer distances a chance to shine at the top level. It also allows a clearer picture of which horses will be more competitive in the coming year's mixed-company 3-year-old classics. And it is a perfect stepping stone to the Grade 1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas), the first and shortest of the classics, held over the same distance of 2,000 meters at Nakayama in Funabashi, Chiba Prefecture.
2025's Final G1 Race for 2-Year-Olds
Although the Hopeful Stakes has existed since 1984 under a variety of names, most recently the Radio Nikkei Hai Nisai Stakes, the current moniker dates to 2014. The race was only promoted to the G1 level in 2017. It is the last of the year's three G1 events for 2-year-olds, which are all held in December.
The Nakayama 2,000 meters is a very challenging race starting over the inner course at the top of the stretch. Runners soon hit the upward slope that begins from about 200 meters before the finish line, making it difficult for frontrunners and those very close to the pace. The upward grade continues until halfway around the bend into the backstretch, while rising a challenging five meters. After that, it's downward going until the field hits the upslope again in the stretch.
On Saturday, the Hopeful Stakes follows the Nakayama Daishogai jump race. It's the No 11 race of 12 on the day's card at Nakayama. Post time is 3:45 PM.
What follows is a look at some of the expected popular choices.
Unbeaten Justin Vista Has Exhibited Dazzling Speed
Justin Vista is 2-for-2 and one of the two Hopeful nominees to have won a graded stakes event. After acing his debut at Kyoto in mid-October, Justin Vista returned six weeks later to claim the November 29 Grade 3 Kyoto Nisai Stakes over 2,000 meters. In that race, he displayed dazzling late speed and topped two other Hopeful nominees, Ask Edinburgh and Winners Nine.
Justin Vista is the son of Saturnalia, who won the 2018 Hopeful Stakes. Saturnalia went on to win the Satsuki Sho the following year, then finished second in the Arima Kinen that same year, earning him the title of Best Three-Year-Old Colt that year. A big colt already weighing close to 520 kg, Justin Vista is very limber and his footwork is impressive. He will be traveling east from his base in Ritto, Shiga Prefecture, for the first time, and the key will be how he weathers that trip.
Notably, he ranks second (behind Winners Nine) among the nominees for the top race time. On December 20, he impressed trainer Tatsuya Yoshioka when he clocked a 10.8-second lap working on the flat.
"It's not a number you see often," said Yoshioka. "His footwork has gotten lighter compared to his last start, and he's showing improvement."
Anduril Awaits Longest Race of Career
With three starts already behind him and a glowing 2-1-1 record, the striking black colt Anduril (also by Saturnalia) returns from his win by a length of the listed race Ivy Stakes over 1,800 meters at Tokyo on October 18. The Ivy Stakes was one of his two starts racing to the left (the previous one he'd won by five lengths).
In Tokyo, he showed his versatility by running in second position as opposed to his more leisurely debut at Hanshin. However, he displayed his fine turn of foot that took him home in second place with a time of 32.8 seconds over the final three furlongs.
Based at Ritto, neither the direction of the race nor the haul eastward look to pose problems. This will be his longest race by 200 meters, but he should be able to handle the distance.
Yuga Kawada, who rode his Ivy Stakes run, is expected up.
Shonan Gulf is Another Impressive Entrant
Like Justin Vista, the Harbinger-sired Shonan Gulf stands above the others for accomplishments, having claimed the Grade 3 Sapporo Nisai Stakes in early September.
That victory came two months after he won his career debut by an astounding seven-length margin at Hakodate. In the G3 event, his competitiveness was chilling when, after advancing up the outside from far off the pace, he locked in on the frontrunning Gene King and went in for the kill. Both races were over 1,800 meters. Moreover, his speed, versatility and strength were all clearly evident in both tests, indicating he should have no problem with an additional 200 meters.
Contrail Offspring Badrinath Set for 4th Career Race
All eyes are on Badrinath, a first-crop son of the incredible five-time G1 champion Contrail, who won the 2019 Hopeful Stakes on a three-race winning streak from his debut. It was a streak that didn't stop until his eighth race (a second to the legendary Almond Eye in the Japan Cup). By that time, he had already landed four big titles.
Son Badrinath has started his career with far less flash, but he's 2-1-1 and on October 26 landed the Hagi Stakes, a listed race over 1,800 meters at Kyoto. He broke his maiden over 2,000 meters at Hanshin and, based at Ritto at the barn of former jockey Mikio Matsunaga, Badrinath will be racing at Nakayama for his first time. However, he did well in his debut at Niigata and is expected to weather the trip east well enough.
Read the rest of this article about the Hopeful Stakes and the Japanese horses in contention on JRA News.
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Author: JRA News
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