Tag: jockey club oaks invitational

Godolphin’s Eternal Hope Completes Turf Triple European Invasion in JC Oaks

After then-Irish-based Aspen Grove (Ire) (Justify) took the GI Fasig-Tipton Belmont Oaks and French filly Elusive Princess won the GIII Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Oaks, it was only fitting another European, Godolphin homebred Eternal Hope (Ire) (f, 3, Teofilo {Ire}–Voice of Truth {Ire}, by Dubawi {Ire}), should capture the GIII Fasig-Tipton Jockey Club Oaks Invitational S. Saturday for her first graded/group win. Last-out Parx stakes winner Neecie Marie (Cross Traffic) was second, while Leopardstown G3 winner Speirling Beag (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {(Ire}), sixth in the Belmont Oaks behind Aspen Grove, finished third.

Sporting that distinctive Godolphin blue, Eternal Hope dismissed her usual in-touch style and surprised with a trailing trip. She bided her time at the very back of the pack while Stephanie's Charm (Distorted Humor), intent on the lead, opened up by as many as 15 lengths through early fractions of :24.12 and :47.52. After the mile marker passed in 1:38.71, the field began reeling in the frontrunner, but it was Eternal Hope who caught the eye, kicking it into gear and sprouting wings down the center of the lane to gut out a last-strides win in the Belmont at the Big A feature. The winning margin may have been only a neck, but it didn't tell the whole tale with Eternal Hope's wide and fast charge from as many as 25 lengths back.

“It wasn't the plan to be that far back, but thankfully we have a world class jockey like Jamie [Spencer] on her and we were able to go to 'Plan B' or 'C' and ride a race from there,” said Chris Connett, assistant to trainer Charlie Appleby. “Ideally, we'd be in the box seat right off the pace and start making a run a little earlier. But she was a bit tardy and Jamie lost a bit of ground going wide, but he needed to get her rolling because it's quite sharp around here. When she straightened up and leveled out, she ran to the line so that was good.

“Very happy to get the win on the board. Jamie came back and said the ground is a bit on the quick side for her, so it was nice that she was able to put forth a performance on ground that's probably not ideal for her.”

Fresh off a third-place finish Aug. 20 in the G2 Sumbe Prix Alec Head at Deauville, Eternal Hope never got going in Soul Sister (Ire) (Frankel {GB})'s win in the GI Epsom Oaks. She had won two in a row on the synthetic earlier this year in England, including the Fitzdares Oaks Trial Fillies S. Connett said she is scheduled to travel back to Appleby's yard early in the week, with no plans regarding a next start yet set.

 

Pedigree Notes:

Kildangan Stud's Teofilo (Ire) may be one of several top-class Galileo (Ire) sire sons across the pond, but he is making a name for himself in America. In addition to Eternal Hope, he has also sired his share of U.S. winners, topped by 2022 GI Caesars Saratoga Derby and GIII Caesars Jockey Club Derby winner Nations Pride (Ire). Overall, Teofilo counts 50 graded/group winners among his 93 Northern Hemisphere-foaled black-type winners.

Eternal Hope is one of seven of Teofilo's stakes winners out of a Dubawi (Ire) mare. Dubawi, one of Europe's elite stallions, has 63 black-type winners out of his daughters. Interestingly, Teofilo also has one stakes winner out a mare by Dubawi's grandsire, Seeking the Gold, but none out of any Dubai Millennium (GB) mares. The latter's daughters are incredibly scant due to his tragic and abbreviated single season at stud.

Voice of Truth (Ire), the Jockey Club Oaks 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. Gary Mullins signed the ticket. The mare delivered an Australia (GB) colt for Mullins 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, Belmont The Big A
FASIG-TIPTON JOCKEY CLUB OAKS INVITATIONAL S.-GIII, $350,000, Belmont The Big A, 9-16, 3yo, f, 1 3/8mT, 2:16.47, fm.
1–ETERNAL HOPE (IRE), 122, 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)
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. O/B-Godolphin (IRE); T-Charles
Appleby; J-Jamie P. Spencer. $192,500. Lifetime Record:
6-3-0-2, $248,183. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the
free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Neecie Marie, 122, f, 3, Cross Traffic–Lode Lady, by Posse.
1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($25,000 Ylg '21 EASOCT).
O-Michael Milam; B-Jon A Marshall (PA); T-Robert E. Reid, Jr.
$70,000.
3–Speirling Beag (Ire), 122, f, 3, Mastercraftsman
(Ire)–Starscape (Ire), by Cape Cross (Ire). (€300,000 2yo '22
ARQDEC). O-Walmac Farm, Gainesway Stable (Antony Beck)
and Haras d'Etreham; B-Ennistown Stud (IRE); T-H. Graham
Motion. $42,000.
Margins: NK, 1, 1 3/4. Odds: 1.00, 14.70, 6.80.
Also Ran: Highland Grace, Quarrel, Stephanie's Charm, Last Call.

Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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Higher Truth Looks To Get Over Hump in JC Oaks

Higher Truth (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) has had the misfortune of running into some of the best the 3-year-old filly turf division has to offer in her two most recent appearances, but looks to be the one that have to beat in Saturday's $700,000 Jockey Club Oaks Invitational S. at Belmont Park.

A 500,000gns purchase by Mike Ryan at Tattersalls October-Book 1 in 2019, Higher Truth won back-to-back races over 10 furlongs of this turf course during the spring/summer meeting, then just failed to reel in the fast-finishing Santa Barbara (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) and pacesetting Con Lima (Commissioner) in the GI Belmont Oaks July 10. The bay was getting to the latter when they last met in the GIII Saratoga Oaks Invitational, missing by 3/4 of a length. Santa Barbara also did her part to frank the form of the Belmont Oaks with her convincing defeat of older rivals in the GI Beverly D. S. at Arlington Aug. 14.

Speaking of the Chicago oval, former French claiming horse Shantisara (Ire) (Coulsty {Ire}) improved on a runner-up effort in the June 26 Boiling Springs S. to validate 9-5 favoritism in the GIII Pucker Up S., carrying Flavien Prat to a three-length victory.

Harakuju (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) is an intriguing new shooter for the Niarchos Family's Flaxman Holdings and trainer Andre Fabre. The homebred bested Incarville (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) in the G3 Prix Cleopatre over an extended 10-furlong trip in May, but may have struggled with easier ground when only seventh to that foe in the G1 Prix Saint-Alary a bit more than three weeks later. Sixth, but close, in the G1 Prix de Diane June 20, Harakuju was short of room and fractionally unlucky when fourth in the G3 Prix de Psyche at Deauville Aug. 3 and posted a similar finish in the G2 Prix de la Nonette Aug. 21. Stephane Pasquier should have her handy to the pace and quicker ground could work in her favor.

The post Higher Truth Looks To Get Over Hump in JC Oaks appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Creative Flair, Harajuku Add European Flair To Saturday’s Jockey Club Oaks Invitational

Godolphin's Creative Flair and Flaxman Stable's Group 3 winner Harajuku will invade from across the pond when taking on five American-based contenders in Saturday's second running of the $700,000 Jockey Club Oaks Invitational going 1 3/8 miles over the inner turf at Belmont Park.

The Jockey Club Oaks Invitational is the final leg of the filly division of the NYRA's Turf Triple series for 3-year-olds, which also consists of the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks Invitational and Grade 3 Saratoga Oaks Invitational. Its male counterpart race, the $1 million Jockey Club Derby Invitational, also is scheduled for Saturday's 11-race card.

Trainer Charlie Appleby enjoyed success shipping Godolphin-owned Althiqa to New York this season, capturing the Grade 1 Longines Just a Game at Belmont Park and Grade 1 Diana at Saratoga.

For the Jockey Club Oaks, Appleby sends out Creative Flair, who was a last-out third in the Grade 3 Saratoga Oaks Invitational in her North American debut. The daughter of Dubawi, who was off a step slow, saved ground under Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith down the backstretch, angled several paths wide just past the quarter pole and finished third, beaten two lengths.

“The race didn't ever really set up for her. She jumped a little slowly and got a little bit of a knock,” said Appleby assistant Chris Connett. “The team wanted her to sit a bit closer to the pace than she ended up being and it just didn't pan out. She's had a nice break and seems fresh and well and ready to run a big race for us.”

Creative Flair was a three-time winner in England at distances ranging from seven furlongs to 1 ¼ miles. She ventured outside England for the first time when a close third in the Group 3 Prix Chloe on July 18 at Chantilly in France.

Connett said Creative Flair is arriving at Saturday's test in good order following her Saratoga effort.

“She traveled back to Newmarket with the rest of the team and had an easy week to 10 days before coming back to full training,” Connett said. “She clearly showed the right signs for Charlie to aim her back here. She's travelled well and I'm really happy with her. All systems go for Saturday.”

Connett said the wide, sweeping turns at Belmont should suit Creative Flair.

“I think this course will help any of the European horses in the race that are used to a slightly more galloping type track,” Connett said. “Hopefully, with a longer straight and ideally sitting a little closer, it should really help.”

An Irish homebred, Creative Flair is out of the Shamardal mare Hidden Gold, whose dam Melikah is a half-sister to the late internationally acclaimed stallion Galileo and 2009 Cartier Horse of the Year Sea the Stars.

Jockey Jamie Spencer ships stateside to pilot Creative Flair from post 1.

Flaxman Holdings' Harajuku will look to give France a second Jockey Club Oaks triumph, after Edisa shipped to capture the inaugural edition in 2019.

Trained by Andre Fabre, the bay daughter of Deep Impact captured the Group 3 Prix Cleopatre on May 1 at Saint-Cloud going 1 5/16 miles over next out Group 1 winner Incarville. She arrives off a narrow fourth in the Group Prix de la Nonette on August 23 at Deauville.

An Irish homebred, Harajuku is out of the Galileo mare Phaenomena, who is a full-sister to Group 1-winner Nightime – the dam of 2020 Cartier Horse of the Year Ghaiyyath and Grade 1-winner Zhukova.

Jockey Stephane Pasquier, who guided Wonderment to a runner-up effort in the inaugural Jockey Club Oaks in 2019, ships from France to engineer the trip from post 7.

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The Chad Brown-trained pair of Higher Truth and Shantisara are two of five other American-based contenders looking to defend their home turf.

Owned by Mike Ryan, Jeff Drown and Team Hanley, Higher Truth is the only filly to compete in all three legs of this year's filly division of the Turf Triple series. The daughter of Galileo was beaten by margins of less than a length in both the Belmont Oaks and Saratoga Oaks. After running third beaten a half-length to Santa Barbara in the Belmont Oaks, she missed by three-quarters of a length to Con Lima in the Saratoga Oaks, finishing second.

Higher Truth will be ridden by Jose Ortiz from post 2.

Shantisara, owned by Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables and Robert V. LaPenta, will see an increase in ground after making the grade in the Grade 3 Pucker Up at nine furlongs on August 14 at Arlington Park. The daughter of Coulsty made her second start in North America in the Pucker Up, which was her first victory on grass. Previously campaigned in France by trainer Frederic Rossi, Shantisara won twice over the all-weather surface at Chantilly and Marseille in her final two starts of last year.

Jockey Flavien Prat will ride from post 6.

Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey will give third-out maiden winner Baby Blythe a considerable jump in class following a seven-length romp on August 14 in a 1 3/16-mile maiden special weight at Saratoga.

Owned by Donald and Donna Adam's Courtlandt Farms, the daughter of American Pharoah displayed a devastating turn of foot around the far turn of her maiden score, going from a close fourth to in front by 5 ½ lengths at the next point of call. Third on debut in December at Aqueduct, Baby Blythe did not race until July 24 when sixth to subsequent stakes-winner Rastafara.

“Distance won't be an issue with her. She has a great turn-of-foot and had a half-sister [Family Way] who won going 10 ½ furlongs at Kentucky Downs,” McGaughey said. “She probably needed her second race since she hadn't run in so long. We got it in her and next time she won.”

Jockey Luis Saez, fresh off a riding title at Saratoga, will ride Baby Blythe from post 3.

Completing the field are Augustin Stables' Be Up [post 4, Irad Ortiz, Jr.], a two-time winner for trainer Jonathan Thomas, and Kaleem Shah's Madone [post 5, John Velazquez], a dual graded stakes winning West Coast invader for trainer Simon Callaghan.

The Jockey Club Oaks Invitational is slated as Race 9 on Saturday's 11-race card, which also features the $1 million Jockey Club Derby Invitational at 12 furlongs on turf in Race 10; as well as the $300,000 Grand Prix American Jockey Club Invitational at 13 furlongs on the main track in Race 4. First post is 1 p.m. Eastern.

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