Stop me if you've heard this one before. A rain-soaked Saturday at a New York racetrack with a scratched-down field tackling a less-than-firm turf course. In this edition of NYRA's Groundhog Day, Eternal Hope (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) repeated her performance in last month's GIII Jockey Club Oaks with another win over Neecie Marie (Cross Traffic) in the GII Sands Point S.
Saturday's victory, her second in the United States after a quintet of starts in Europe, also marked her 1 1/8-mile debut in a career of thus-far longer distances. Favored once more at 3-2 over the nine furlongs, the Godolphin runner broke from an outer draw and was quickly outrun by Alpha Bella (Justify) to her outside and Leave No Trace (Outwork) against the fence. Comfortably midpack as the field passed the wire with a lap remaining, Eternal Hope was two wide with GI Del Mar Oaks runner up Be Your Best (Ire) (Muhaarar {GB}) to her inside. The pair raced together behind a pair of leading longshots as the fractions ticked by in :24.42 and :49.59. Neecie Marie, denied by a just a neck in that Jockey Club Oaks, made an early move to the favorite's outside, forcing a response into the far turn. Leave No Trace still held the lead with a quarter mile to run but Eternal Hope found a gap and again bested her rival through a stretch-long duel to come out on top for the second race in a row. It was a second stateside graded win in two days for Spencer, who put an outstanding ride on the Appleby-trained 3-year-old colt Bold Act (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}} in Friday's GIII Sycamore S. at Keeneland.
“She's very genuine,” said winning jockey Jamie Spencer. “She had a better break today and obviously a shorter trip, so I had to maximize her stamina. She was very brave from the half-mile pole because I was just lacking a little bit of speed and I was getting pressure from the outside. She fought her corner on the turn and in the straight, I always knew I was going to win because [she's an] English turf horse and horses [were] starting to get tired. She was always going to keep going, and that's what she did in the end.”
Pedigree Note:
In addition to Eternal Hope, Teofilo also sired 2022 GI Caesars Saratoga Derby and GIII Caesars Jockey Club Derby winner Nations Pride (Ire). Voice of Truth (Ire), the winner's dam, was a €35,000 purchase at the 2021 Goffs November sale while carrying a full-sister to Eternal Hope, who was a yearling at the time. Godolphin purchased that full-sister for €190,000 at this year's Goffs Orby Sale out of Book One. The mare delivered an Australia (GB) colt Feb. 24. Her 2-year-old filly, Word's Out (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}), has not been sold publicly by Godolphin. Voice of Truth is a half to French G1SW Rio de la Plata (Rahy) and Argentinean G1SW El Expresivo (Arg) (Candy Stripes).
Saturday, Aqueduct
SANDS POINT S.-GII, $200,000, Belmont The Big A, 10-14, 3yo, f, 1 1/8mT, 1:53.56, yl.
1–ETERNAL HOPE (IRE), 120, f, 3, by Teofilo (Ire)
1st Dam: Voice of Truth (Ire), by Dubawi (Ire)
2nd Dam: Express Way (Arg), by Ahmad (Arg)
3rd Dam: Escaline, by Hawk II (Brz)
O/B-Godolphin (IRE); T-Charles Appleby; J-Jamie P. Spencer.
$110,000. Lifetime Record: SW-Eng & GSP-Fr, 7-4-0-2,
$358,183.Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus* Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Neecie Marie, 118, f, 3, Cross Traffic–Lode Lady, by Posse.
($25,000 Ylg '21 EASOCT). O-Michael Milam; B-Jon A Marshall
(PA); T-Robert E. Reid, Jr. $40,000.
3–Highland Grace, 118, f, 3, American Pharoah–Caroline
Thomas, by Giant's Causeway. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED
BLACK TYPE. O-Joyce B. Young; B-Bonner Young (KY); T-Barclay
Tagg. $24,000.
Margins: HF, 1 3/4, 3 3/4. Odds: 1.50, 9.90, 11.70.
Also Ran: Alpha Bella, Root Cause, Quarrel, Be Your Best (Ire), Leave No Trace. Scratched: Amanda's Folly, Essaouira, Ichiban, Soviet Excess, Stephanie's Charm.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
ETERNAL HOPE holds on to the win in the Sands Point Stakes (G2) under @JPSPENCER1980! #BelmontAtTheBigA pic.twitter.com/72ODgYrTXB
— NYRA (🌳) (@TheNYRA) October 14, 2023
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