Hopeful Stakes (G1) Points to 2022 Japanese Classics

The Hopeful Stakes Dec. 28 at Nakayama Racecourse is the final grade 1 event of the Japanese season but, more meaningfully, is the effective start of the 2022 classics.

Fifteen 2-year-olds are set for the 2,000-meter (about 1 1/4 miles) Hopeful and those showing well in their first graded race will automatically be the favorites for the Triple Crown races a few months in the future.

Contrail won in 2019, went on to sweep the 2020 Triple Crown and retired after winning the 2021 Japan Cup. Saturnalia  won in 2018 and captured the Satsuki Sho (Japanese Two Thousand Guineas, G1) the following year. Danon the Kid won the 2020 edition and, while he didn't make an impact in the classics, was last seen third in last month's Mile Championship (G1).

Going in, the 2021 Hopeful is a mixed bag with 10 of the 15 coming off victories and six of those already stakes winners.

The pari-mutuel favorite on the eve of the race, at odds of nearly 3-1, was Command Line, a Deep Impact  colt who is 2-for-2 with his last win coming in the Saudi Arabia Royal Cup (G3) Oct. 9 at Tokyo Racecourse. From the royal connections of breeder Northern Farm and owner Sunday Racing Co., his early success is no surprise but trainer Sakae Kunieda expects more as he steps up in trip.

"In his last start, the pace was slow and jockey Christophe Lemaire did a good job of reading it and making his move. It was a very good ride and the colt gained good ground in the final stage. He came back looking one size bigger," Kunieda said.

"The added distance is a plus. He is a big horse but is not fat and I think he has just matured," the trainer added. He has lived up to expectations from his debut so I'm eager to see how well he does in the grade 1 level."

Adding to his appeal, Lemaire returns and the colt drew gate No. 6.

Killer Ability, Justin Palace, Ask Wild More, and Onyankopon also drew early support.

Killer Ability, another by Deep Impact, also was bred by Northern Racing and runs in the colors of Carrot Farm. He won his second start going 2,000 meters and finished second in the Hagi Stakes at Hanshin Racecourse in his last outing.

"He is looking good heading into the race," said Killer Ability's trainer, Takashi Saito. "Mentally and physically, he's still immature and he has a somewhat difficult temperament. But he has a nice big stride and moves well."

The third Deep Impact colt in the race, Justin Palace, is 2-for-2 with both wins coming at the 2,000 meters. In his last, he accounted for the Kigiku Sho at Hanshin, which trainer Hariuki Sugiyama called "a nice smooth trip" in a slow pace. "To look at him, he hasn't changed that much. But he's much stronger and more solid now," Sugiyama said.

Ask Wild More, by Kizuna , broke into the win column in his third start at Hakodate in August, then was second to Geoglyph in the Sapporo Nisai Stakes (G3) Sept. 4 in his most recent start. Geoglyph returned to finish fifth in the Asahi Hai Futurity going 1,600 meters (about 1 mile) at Hanshin Dec. 19.

Onyankopon, an Eishin Flash  colt, is out of Chariot d'Or, a daughter of Victorie Pisa, winner of the 2011 Dubai World Cup Sponsored by Emirates Airline (G1). He also is 2-for-2 with his latest win coming in the Hyakunichiso Tokubetsu at Tokyo Racecourse.

The Hopeful starts at the top of the Nakayama stretch and continues around two turns of the inner oval.