By Alan Carasso
Unbeaten in two starts in this country as a 3-year-old last season, Godolphin's Eternal Hope (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) makes a belated seasonal debut in Thursday's $250,000 GII Glens Falls Stakes at Saratoga.
A stakes winner going 12 furlongs over the Lingfield all-weather last May and third in the G2 Prix Alec Head, the homebred was the even-money pick for the GIII Jockey Club Oaks Invitational Stakes at Aqueduct last September and was a long way out of her ground before a late flourish saw her score by a neck. She backed up that performance with a half-length success in the GII Sands Point Stakes downstate the following month, but the hurdles here are not insignificant given the layoff and the presence of some talented turf distaffers.
“She hasn't been seen since her American starts last year, but her preparation has gone well,” said trainer Charlie Appleby, fresh off a bounce-back victory in Wednesday's G1 Sussex Stakes at Goodwood with Notable Speech (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). “We feel that, at that trip, she's a filly we saw who can get to a good level in America. We're looking forward to getting her back out. There will be a bit of improvement for the run, but she goes there in great shape.”
McKulick (GB) (Frankel {GB}) upset heavily favored War Like Goddess (English Channel) in this event 12 months ago and added this year's GIII Orchid Stakes over the winter at Gulfstream Park. Fourth as the 3-4 favorite behind her front-running stablemate Royalty Interest (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) in the GIII Sheepshead Bay Stakes at the Big A May 3, the Klaravich runner exits an even fifth to Didia (Arg) (Orpen) in the GI New York Stakes over an insufficient 9 1/2 furlongs June 7.
Chop Chop (City of Light) hasn't missed the exacta in six outings this term and defeated Atomic Blonde (Ger) (The Grey Gatsby {Ire}) in the Apr. 26 GIII Bewitch Stakes at Keeneland before the latter turned the tables in the Keertana Stakes at Churchill May 25. The 4-year-old was a latest runner-up to the aforementioned War Like Goddess in the GIII Robert G. Dick Memorial Stakes at Delaware July 7.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
