Eternal Hope made her North American debut a winning one as she charged down the center of the course under Jamie Spencer to capture the G3 Fasig-Tipton Jockey Club Oaks by a neck at the Belmont at Aqueduct meet on Saturday, 16 September.
The three-year-old Teofilo filly earned her first Graded Stakes victory in the mile-and-three-eighths turf marathon. Eternal Hope, who notched a victory in the Listed Oaks Trial at Lingfield Park in May, has now won three of her six career starts for trainer Charlie Appleby.
Eternal Hope was last into stride out of the starting gate and was settled at the rear of the field early, as outsider Stephanie’s Charm shot to the front and proceeded to set a fast pace, opening up by at least a dozen lengths on the rest of the field as she zipped through first three-quarters of a mile. Quarrel raced in second, with Eternal Hope relaxed at the rear of the field, racing in the clear two-wide from the rail.
As the field raced through the far turn, Stephanie’s Hope began to run out of gas from her earlier exertions and began to fade. Quarrel was the first to pass her, briefly taking the lead at the top of the lane. Making rapid gains were two fillies-Eternal Hope on the far outside and Neecie Marie along the inside rail. It came down to those two fillies with Eternal Hope overhauling Neecie Marie nearing the wire to get the victory.
Eternal Hope is the second foal and first winner bred out of the Dubawi mare Voice of Truth, who is a half-sister to Champion and multiple G1 winner Rio de la Plata and to Argentine G1 winner El Expresivo.
The Teofilo X Dubawi mare cross now has 25% Stakes winners to runners (seven from 28) including last season’s juvenile Stakes winner Naval Power.
