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Killer Ability Marks Race-Record Win in Year-End Hopeful Stakes

Second favorite Killer Ability romped to a convincing victory in record breaking time to capture his second win in this year’s Hopeful Stakes, stamping his name on the list of most prominent candidates for next season’s Triple Crown classics. After turning in a fifth in his debut start (1,800m) in June, the Deep Impact colt displayed a strong seven-length win in his following start (2,000m) in August. In his latest Hagi Stakes (Listed, 1,800m) start, Killer Ability was a neck short in second to subsequent Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes third-place finisher Danon Scorpion. Following his latest G1 win with Chrono Genesis in the Takarazuka Kinen in June, trainer Takashi Saito has now six overall JRA-G1 titles under his belt while jockey Takeshi Yokoyama collected his fifth JRA-G1 title, his most recent being in the Arima Kinen with Efforia just two days before.

The race got underway with Grand Line setting the pace, Born This Way sitting a few lengths behind in second and Killer Ability on the rails another length behind that in third. As the field made their bids entering the straight, Killer Ability had switched to an outer path avoiding the frontrunners turning the last corner. As the pacesetter weakening near the rails, the brown colt stole the lead from Born This Way after the furlong marker with a second gear and crossed the line a 1-1/2-length winner.

“Sitting in the saddle in his workouts two weeks in a row convinced me that he was going to run and run fast. We sat in a good position and when the colt was able to relax in the backstretch, I had all the confidence I needed that he was going to win. I’m sure he will go on to improve further and become stronger. Personally, my goal for this season was to capture a G1 title and land 100 seasonal wins—winning five G1 titles is just unbelievable and I cannot thank all the connections and the horses enough for such a wonderful season,” commented jockey Takeshi Yokoyama after the race.

Fourth pick Justin Palace was settled in around fifth, three to four lengths behind the eventual winner. After making steady headway after the third corner, the colt picked off the runners in front one by one up to the last half furlong but proved no match to the winner while holding off the rest of the field by 1-1/4 lengths.

Eighth choice Lagulf sat behind the winner along the rails in fourth and after struggling for room in early stretch, made an inside bid alongside the runner-up but was unable to keep up while snatching third place from Born This Way in the final strides.

Race favorite and this year’s Saudi Arabia Royal Cup winner Command Line was reserved on the rails in lower mid-pack and switched to an outer path entering the straight but failed to fire, never reaching contention to finish 12th.

Other Horses:

4th: (13) Fidele—traveled in 12th, improved position with 2nd fastest late speed, belatedly
5th: (9) Born This Way—tracked leader in 2nd, inherited lead at early stretch, weakened in last 200m
6th: (10) Matenro Leo—settled around 10th, angled out, passed tired rivals
7th: (2) Achernar Star—sat 2nd from rear, showed fastest late charge, failed to threaten
8th: (1) Shelby's Eye—hugged rails around 9th, even paced
9th: (4) Grand Line—set pace, surrendered lead at early stretch, showed tenacity until 100m out
10th: (15) Ask Wild More—unhurried in 13th, unable to reach contention
11th: (12) Onyankopon—ran outside winner around 4th, outrun after final corner
13th: (7) Satono Helios—raced around 8th, driven after 3rd corner, circled wide, showed little
14th: (11) Crowned Magic—trailed in far rear, no factor
15th: (14) Tyler Tesoro—traveled 3-wide around 5th, faded after 3rd corner

THE 38TH HOPEFUL STAKES (G1)
2-year-olds, Colts & Fillies, 2,000 meters (about 10 furlongs), turf, right-handed
Tuesday, December 28, 2021      Nakayama Racecourse         11th Race        Post time: 15:25
Total prize money: ¥ 152,200,000 (about US$ 1,450,000 <US$1=¥105>)
2-y-o: 55kg (about 121 lbs), 1 kg allowance for Fillies, 3 kg allowance for Southern Hemisphere-bred born in 2019
Course Record: 1:58.9                Race Record: 2:00.6 [Killer Ability (JPN, by Deep Impact), 2021]
Safety factor: 18 runners             Going: Good to Firm            Weather: Fine

Turnover for the Race alone: ¥ 14,949,649,100       Turnover for the Day: ¥ 23,711,953,000       Attendance: 5,264

Winner= 4 starts, 2 wins, 1 second / Added money: ¥ 71,050,000 / Career earnings: ¥ 83,688,000

* Hopeful Stakes (G1)

Established in 1984 under the name of Radio Tampa Hai Sansai Himba Stakes as a G3 race for two-year-old fillies run over 1,600 meters at Hanshin Racecourse, the race held in December has made various changes in its status over the years. The distance was extended to 2,000 meters while the runners were limited to colts and geldings in 1991, opened its doors once again to fillies and mares in 2000 and acquired international status in 2010. In 2014, the race was given the Hopeful Stakes name, upgraded to G2, excluded geldings and was shifted to a new venue, the Nakayama Racecourse where the first leg of the three-year-old Triple Crown, the Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas, G1), is held over the same distance. In 2017, the race made its final elevation in grade and has become JRA’s 24th G1 flat race.
Even before becoming a G1 race, the Hopeful Stakes was highly regarded as the championship event for two- year-old middle-distance prospects aiming for the three-year-old classics and chosen as the main target in place of the traditional two-year-old G1 championships, the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes and the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies run over 1,600 meters. As a result, the 2,000-meter race attracted many talented runners and subsequent G1 title holders such as 2010 Satsuki Sho and 2011 Dubai World Cup (AW, 2,000m) winner Victoire Pisa (JPN, by Neo Universe), 2013 Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger, 3,000m) and 2014 Japan Cup (2,400m) victor Epiphaneia (JPN, by Symboli Kris S), 2017 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby, 2,400m) champion Rey de Oro (JPN, by King Kamehameha), 2019 Satsuki Sho winner Saturnalia (JPN, by Lord Kanaloa) and last year’s Triple Crown victor Contrail (JPN, by Deep Impact).
In this year’s lineup, aiming to stay undefeated was Saudi Arabia Royal Cup (G3, 1,600m, Oct.9) winner Command Line while several runners had come off their respective wins; Lagulf (Fuyo Stakes [2,000m, Oct.2]), Onyankopon (Hyakunichiso Tokubetsu [2,000m, Nov.7]), Justin Palace (Kigiku Sho [2,000m, Nov.14]), Born This Way (Habotan Sho [2,000m, Dec.4]) and Satono Helios (Erica Sho [2,000m, Dec.11]). The field also included Ask Wild More and Killer Ability, respective runners-up of Sapporo Nisai Stakes (G3, 1,800m, Sep.4) and Hagi Stakes (Listed, 1,800m, Oct.30), along with Fidele who was third in her latest endeavor, Kyoto Nisai Stakes (G3, 2,000m, Nov.27).