Japan Winds Up the Season With an Eye on the Future

Japanese racing is closing out the old year with an eye firmly to the new one—and beyond.

Not only does the Dec. 28 Hopeful Stakes (G1) at Nakayama Racecourse showcase top 2-year-olds pointing for next year's classics but this year's final race for older horses, the Arima Kinen (G1) on Christmas Day, saw 3-year-olds finish first and second, soundly defeating some of Japan's older stars.

All in all, Nakayama Racecourse staged a year-end show promising good things for 2023.

Equinox capped a tremendous season with a 2 1/2-length victory in the Arima Kinen, the final top-level test of the year for 3-year-olds and up. With Christophe Lemaire aboard, the 3-year-old son of Kitasan Black  surged from a stalking position to grab the lead turning for home and easily was best through the final 200 meters of the 2,500-meter (about 12 1/2 furlongs) event.

The colt, bred by Northern Farm and racing in the powder blue and red polka dot colors of Silk Racing, capped a season that saw him finish second in both the Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas-G1) and the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby-G1), then, after five months to grow up, score victories in the Tenno Sho (Autumn) (G1) Oct. 30.

"What happens twice will happen thrice," said a happy Lemaire. "I won the Arima Kinen with Heart's Cry  and Satono Diamond, both on Christmas Day, and I'm really happy to be able to win the race on Christmas Day again. We were able to make a good start and the horse was keen to go so I held him and he responded strongly when I brought him to the outside."

Equally encouraging for those looking to the future was the gutsy run of Boldog Hos, a 3-year-old Screen Hero  colt. He ran second-last of 16 through much of the race, swung widest of all around the final turn, and passed all but the winner. He finished 1 1/2 lengths ahead of the improving Maurice  filly Geraldina in third.

In their wake were the likes of last year's Arima Kinen winner, Efforia, who reported fifth; 2021 Tokyo Yushun winner Titleholder ; and recent Japan Cup (G1) winner Vela Azul. Titleholder was making his first start since finishing 11th in the Oct. 2 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1).

Lemaire noted Equinox' progress after his mid-year break.

"Though he was not mature yet during his spring campaign, he became really strong from this fall and I look forward to his performance next year," he said.

The aptly named Hopeful Stakes, at 2,000 meters (about 1 1/4 miles) closes out the grade 1 season in Japan with a test of 2-year-olds who might be seen in the springtime in the classic races. The race is only in its seventh running as a grade 1 but already has produced some champions. Most recently, 2019 Hopeful winner Contrail went on to sweep the Triple Crown and finish second to Almond Eye  in a dramatic finish to that year's Japan Cup.

Last year's winner, Killer Ability, hasn't lived up to the promise, finishing 13th in the Guineas and sixth in the Derby. The 2020 winner, Danon the Kid, also made little impact in the classics but wound up finishing 2022 with runner-up showings in the Mile Championship (G1) at Hanshin and the Longines Hong Kong Cup (G1).

Nominees for this year's renewal include the first-, third- and fourth-place finishers from the Tokyo Sports Hai Nisai Stakes (G2), Gastrique, Hearts Concerto, and Dura Erende. Also nominated are the first three finishers from the Radio Nikkei Hai Kyoto Nisai Stakes (G3), Gruner Green, Top Knife, and Wurtemburg.

Both Contrail and Danon the Kid came to the Hopeful off wins in the Tokyo Sports Hai.