The Hopeful Stakes (ホープフルステークス) is the only Grade 1 middle-distance race for two-year-old

thoroughbreds The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are co ...

in the JRA. This race was started as the Radio Tampa Hai Sansai Hinba Stakes (Grade 3), a mile race that was held at

Hanshin Racecourse is located in Takarazuka, Hyogo, Japan. It has a capacity of 139,000 and it is used for horse racing. The land was originally owned by Kawanishi Aircraft Company, which manufactured combat planes during World War II. After the World War II, GH ...

for two-year-old fillies. In 1991, not fillies but colts were allowed to run, with the distance extended to the current 2,000 meters. Its name was changed several times (Radio Tampa Hai Sansai Stakes (1991-2000), Radio Tampa Hai Nisai Stakes (2001-2005) and

Radio Nikkei is Japan's nationwide free-to-air shortwave commercial radio station. It started broadcast on August 27, 1954. Radio Nikkei 2 started broadcast on September 2, 1963. Radio Nikkei's headquarters are located at Kotohira Tower, 2-8 Toranomon 1-ch ...

Hai Nisai Stakes (2006-2013)). This race was considered important because no other graded race over 2,000 meters for two-year-olds existed in those days. In particular, it was a good chance for horses with ambition for Triple Crown Races to experience a middle-distance race. In fact, some triple crown race winners had previously won this race.

Logi Universe Logi Universe (Japanese ロジユニヴァース foaled March 11 2006) is a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. As a juvenile in 2008 he was unbeaten in three races including Grade 3 successes in the Sapporo Nisai Stakes, Radio Nikkei Ha ...

(2008) and One and Only (2013) won the

Japanese Derby Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspo ...

Victoire Pisa Victoire Pisa ( ja, ヴィクトワールピサ, link=no) is a retired Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse and active sire. After winning three of his four starts as a juvenile, the colt won the Satsuki Shō at Nakayama Racecourse in April 2010. Aft ...

(also

Dubai World Cup The Dubai World Cup (Arabic: كأس دبي العالمي) is a Thoroughbred horse race held annually since 1996 and contested at the Meydan Racecourse (Arabic: ميدان) which in Arabic suggests a place wher ...

winner) (2009) won the

Satsuki Shō The is a Japanese Grade 1 flat horse race in Japan for three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies run over a distance of 2,000 metres (approximately mile) at the Nakayama Racecourse, Funabashi, Chiba, in April. It was first run in 1939 and ...

, and Epiphaneia (2012) won the Kikuka Shō. In 2014, the

Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes The Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes (朝日杯フューチュリティステークス) is a one mile turf stakes race for thoroughbred colts two years old. It is considered the ''de facto'' year-end championship for Japanese thoroughbred racing in the t ...

, a grade 1 race for two-year-old colts previously held at Nakayama Racecourse, was moved to Hanshin Racecourse. Then the Radio Nikkei Hai Nisai Stakes was moved to Nakayama Racecourse. With this transfer, its name was changed to Hopeful Stakes, and the grade of the race was elevated to Grade 2. The race was promoted to Grade 1 level in 2017. The winner in 2016,

Rey de Oro Rey de Oro ( ja, レイデオロ, link=no foaled 5 February 2014) is a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse. As a juvenile in 2016 he was undefeated in three races including the Grade 2 Hopeful Stakes and was rated one of the best two-year-old colts ...

, became the Japanese Derby winner in 2017. Until 2016, this race was held on

Arima Kinen The Arima Kinen (有馬記念) is a Grade I flat horse race in Japan open to Thoroughbreds which are three-years-old or above and the world's largest betting horserace.

day. But since 2017, it was moved to December 28, which is the final day of the JRA racing season.

Winners since 2014

Winners during the Radio Tampa Hai Sansai Himba Stakes era

Winners during the Radio Tampa Hai Sansai Stakes era

Winners during the Radio Tampa Hai Nisai Stakes era

Winners during the Radio NIKKEI Hai Nisai Stakes era

References

*Netkeiba.com:
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*

Racing Post ''Racing Post'' is a British daily horse racing, greyhound racing and sports betting publisher which is published in print and digital formats. It is printed in tabloid format from Monday to Sunday. , it has an average daily circulation of 6 ...

: **, , , , , , , , * JR
Hopeful Stakes

External links

Horse Racing in Japan
Flat horse races for two-year-olds Turf races in Japan {{horseracing-race-stub