Japan: Many Hopeful Stakes runners have experience going 1 1/4 miles

Shin Emperor, who starts in the Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes at Nakayama Racecourse in Japan on Wednesday evening, is a 2-year-old with a fascinating pedigree.

Bred in France, Shin Emperor is by the prominent stallion Siyouni and is out of Starlet’s Sister, making him a full-brother to Sottsass, the winner of the Group 1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in Paris in 2020;, and a half-sister to Sistercharlie, who won the Eclipse Award as the champion turf female of 2018 in the United States.

Shin Emperor, unbeaten in two starts at 1 1/8 miles, has shown early promise in Japan and can add to the accomplished family’s resume in the Hopeful Stakes, run at 1 1/4 miles.

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Shin Emperor, the only non-Japanese-bred runner in the Hopeful Stakes, won a race for first-time starters at Tokyo Racecourse on Nov. 5, and the Kyoto Nisei Stakes at Kyoto on Nov. 25. In both wins, Shin Emperor closed from off the pace.

The Hopeful Stakes, the final Grade 1 race of the year in Japan, drew a full field of 18, including the stakes winners Gonbade Qabus and Sirius Colt.

Gonbade Qabus is unbeaten in two starts, both at a mile at Tokyo Racecourse – a race for first-time starters, when he raced near the front on June 10, and the Grade 2 Saudi Arabia Royal Cup on Oct. 7, when he closed from off the pace.

Sirius Colt has won 2 of 3 starts, notably the Fuyo Stakes at 1 1/4 miles at Nakayama on Sept. 30 in his most recent start.

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What makes the Hopeful Stakes fascinating, compared to late-season races for juveniles in the United States, for example, is the number of runners with experience at the distance.

Admiral Ship, Mr G T, Sunrise Earth, and Win Maximum are maiden race winners at 1 1/4 miles.

Mr G T has raced once. He chased a slow pace in his debut at 1 1/4 miles at Kyoto on Nov. 5 and rallied through the final three furlongs in 33.7 seconds to win by a neck. Along with a majority of the field for the Hopeful Stakes, Mr G T is unexposed and can show he belongs in stakes company among Japan’s 3-year-olds of 2024.

The Hopeful Stakes has a post time of 1:40 a.m. Eastern on Thursday or 10:40 p.m. Pacific on Wednesday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

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