The stage is set for the final big race of the year as 19 nominees prepare to take on the Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes on Saturday, December 28 at Nakayama Racecourse. Only 18 will secure a berth.
The Hopeful Stakes follows the other G1 2-year-old top-level competitions, the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes (open to both colts and fillies) and the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies, both over 1,600 meters. In addition, the Hopeful Stakes offers not only the distance option but also serves as something of a test run for the Grade 1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas), the first race in Japan's Triple Crown.
Brief History of the Hopeful Stakes
Established in 1984, the now 2,000-meter turf event has shapeshifted under various names, including most recently the "Radio Nikkei Hai Nisai Stakes." Currently, going by the name of the "Hopeful Stakes," it's the only middle-distance G1 event held for 2-year-olds. Winning this race, or one of the other previously two mentioned G1s, can lead to being recognized in January with the JRA Award for Best 2-Year-Old Colt or Best 2-Year-Old Filly.
The top prize is ¥70 million JPY (nearly $450,000 USD), an amount claimed in 2023 by Regaleira, who triumphed in the Arima Kinen (The Grand Prix) on Sunday, December 22. Her record-breaking time (2 minutes, 0.2 seconds) in the Hopeful Stakes was also the first time a filly has won the race since it was promoted to Grade 1 status in 2017.
On Saturday, only one filly, Reve de l'Opera, will compete amid 17 colts.
The Hopeful Stakes is the No 11 race of 12 on the Saturday card at Nakayama, with a post time of 3:40 PM.
Here's a look at some of the expected popular choices:
Croix du Nord Brings Unbeaten Record into the Hopeful Stakes
A striking black Northern Farm-bred colt by Kitasan Black, Croix du Nord aced his Tokyo debut, then returned some five months later posting a weight gain of 24 kg to top the field of nine in the Grade 2 Tokyo Sports Hai Nisai Stakes on November 16. Croix du Nord covered the final three furlongs in 33.3 seconds, clocking 1 minute, 46.8 seconds over 1,800 meters of fast turf at Tokyo.
Although he has had no experience racing to the right, Croix du Nord is seen as the horse to beat. He has a keen racing sense and his last race is expected to have sharpened him even further.
Jockey Yuichi Kitamura has ridden him for the past two starts and is expected to be in the saddle on Saturday as well.
Magic Sands Impresses Trainer with His Composure
The Kizuna-sired, Northern Farm-bred Magic Sands has been trained by Ritto-based trainer Naosuke Sugai. Like Croix du Nord, Magic Sands has also been given two 1,800-meter starts and won them both. However, unlike Croix du Nord, Magic Sands has experience racing to the right.
He leaped from his debut at Hakodate in July to beat 11 others in the Grade 3 Sapporo Nisai Stakes in late August. And he secured the win by a nose over Arma Veloce, who won the Grade 1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies on December 8. Unlike the filly, Magic Sands rounded into the straight five wide but still managed to make it to the top a winner with a time of 1 minute, 50.3 seconds over heavy going.
It is a new venue and he'll be racing for the first time in four months, raising some questions, but his times in morning trackwork have been good.
"He's a serious, honest horse, with impressive composure," Sugai said.
The trainer added, "He has a keen racing sense and I don't think the course will bother him at all."
Masquerade Ball Pursuing 3rd Consecutive Victory
Based in Miho, Shadai Farm-bred Masquerade Ball is sired by Duramente. His son shares his dam Mask Off with his highly consistent half-sister Masked Diva, who missed the top 3 only twice from her nine career starts, only once from her six graded stakes bids, until tendonitis ended her racing career this past October.
Little brother has won both his starts thus far, a debut at Niigata over 1,600 meters in August, followed by the listed Ivy Stakes over 1,800 meters at Tokyo on October 19. Jockey Keita Tosaki breezed the colt on December 18 on the right-handed woodchip course for a time of 85.0 seconds over six furlongs.
"He's no longer lugging out around the bend, but because he's only had one turn in a race until now, Tosaki is concerned about the four turns at Nakayama," trainer Takahisa Tezuka said. "The colt has a rather difficult temperament and he might not find them tolerable."
If he does, good results are well within reach.
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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