Japan: Hopeful Stakes distance should be no problem for Justin Vista

Justin Vista has the experience of a recent graded stakes win at 1 1/4 miles on turf when he starts at the same distance in Saturday’s Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes for 2-year-olds at Nakayama Racecourse in Japan.

Late-year distance races for juveniles are common in Japan. Justin Vista, trained by Tatsuya Yoshioka, is unbeaten in two starts, both at Kyoto Racecourse – a race for first-time starters at 1 1/8 miles on Oct. 13, and the Grade 3 Kyoto Nisai Stakes at 1 1/4 miles on Nov. 29, closing from seventh in a field of 11.

Justin Vista is one of eight runners in a field of 16 in the $866,400 Hopeful with a win at 1 1/4 miles, including Noche Cerreda, who won an allowance race at that trip at Kyoto on Nov. 16, and the promising Badrinath, who won a maiden race at 1 1/4 miles at Hanshin on Nov. 6 in his second start and followed with a one-length win in the Hagi Stakes at 1 1/8 miles at Kyoto on Oct. 26.

On Friday, Justin Vista was one of three horses at the top of the early betting, along with Anduril and Shonan Gulf, each between 3-1 and 7-2.

Anduril was second in his debut in a one-mile race for first-time starters at Hanshin on June 6, and has won his last two starts in a maiden race at a mile at Chukyo on Aug. 10 and the Ivy Stakes at 1 1/8 miles at Tokyo on Oct. 18. In both wins, Anduril was favored.

Shonan Gulf has equally appealing credentials, going undefeated in two starts at 1 1/8 miles – a race for first-time starters at Hakodate on July 6, and the Grade 3 Sapporo Nisai Stakes at Sapporo on Sept. 6 in which he closed from ninth of 12 to win by a neck.

The Hopeful Stakes has a post time of 1:45 a.m. Eastern on Saturday or 10:45 p.m. Pacific on Friday.

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