Gulfstream Today: Epona’s Hope Leads All the Way in Ladies’ Turf Sprint

By David Joseph —-

Multiverse; Lauren King Photo

GULFSTREAM TODAY

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Leon Ellman, Glassman Racing and Laurie Plesa’s 4-year-old filly Epona’s Hope, back in stakes company for the first time since her juvenile season, led every step of the way to hold off late-running favorite Just a Care to win Saturday’s $140,000 Ladies’ Turf Sprint by a head at Gulfstream Park.

Epona’s Hope ($11.60), trained by Eddie Plesa Jr. and ridden by Joel Rosario, earned her fifth career win, third in four tries on the grass at Gulfstream and first in a stakes, completing the distance in 55.02 seconds over a firm turf course.

“She ran a big race, didn’t she?” Plesa said. “I think Joel rode an outstanding race on her. She was the controlling speed in the race. I liked the way he got her to relax. He rode her so confidently. Coming into this race she was just doing fantastic. The guys at the barn did a great job. It’s not a big surprise to me the way she ran. I thought she’d be right there.”

Epona’s Hope broke alertly from outside all but one of her eight rivals and immediately settled in on the lead, speeding through an opening quarter mile in 21.10 seconds chased by 45-1 longshot Shoshanah with Just a Care traveling three wide in third and multiple stakes winner Beauty of the Sea between horses in fourth.

The half mile went in 45.50 seconds with Epona’s Hope still confidently in front. She began to edge away from her pursuers once straightened for home but had to withstand a furious late bid from Just a Care, winner of the Dec. 28 Abundantia at Gulfstream. Karaya was a length back in third, with Weekend Rags getting up for fourth.

Epona’s Hope began her career on dirt and ran third in the 2023 Sharp Susan and FSS Desert Vixen, her second and third starts. She has raced on turf and synthetics since last year and exited a front-running 2 ¼-length optional claiming allowance triumph Jan. 12 at the course and distance.

“She just won her two-other-than allowance, and after that there are no other races for her,” Plesa said. “[The Ladies’ Turf Sprint] was on our radar even before she won her last race. Coming into her last race she was training excellent and we felt confident in her, and she just boosted our confidence in this race.”

3YO Gelding Multiverse Impresses in Maiden Victory Saturday

Pin Oak Stud’s Multiverse, a $525,000 son of multiple Grade 1-winning millionaire Practical Joke, swept to the lead on the far turn and powered through the stretch to a 4 ½-length maiden special weight victory Saturday at Gulfstream Park.

Ridden by Drayden Van Dyke for trainer Riley Mott, Multiverse ($14.40) covered six furlongs in 1:10.32 over a fast main track to graduate in his fourth start and first as a 3-year-old. Sent off at 6-1, he beat a group of fellow sophomores that included well-regarded debut runners Crudo, the 4-5 favorite trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, X Y Prime, Summer Vibes and Harbe.

“There was a couple of first timers in there that looked promising. They loved Mr. Pletcher’s horse, and rightfully so,” Mott said. “He always passed the eye test. It took a few starts, but he’s well-seasoned at this point.”

Van Dyke settled Multiverse off the pace as 20-1 longshot Rager Battalion jumped out to the lead after a quarter-mile in 22.10 seconds. Crudo ranged up to challenge for the lead after a half in 45.41 and Multiverse followed suit, tipped to the far outside by Van Dyke and set down for a drive to the wire.

“Drayden rode the horse really well, just broke cleanly and let the frontrunners go at it and came with a really big run,” Mott said. “You really like to see when they can have a really big, sustained run like he had. A little concerned about having to go as wide as he was, but I think it was a case of just not letting the horse get stopped and giving him a clear run in the stretch.”

Multiverse was off the board in maiden special weights going seven furlongs and a mile and a sixteenth last fall in Kentucky before finishing third in another seven-furlong spot Dec. 28 at Gulfstream, also with Van Dyke up. Mott hinted he would keep the chestnut gelding around one turn for the time being.

“We kind of tinkered with a couple different distances. He ran pretty darn good today at three-quarters so I wouldn’t want to reinvent the wheel too much after a win,” he said. “I always kind of thought he’d be two-turn type. Physically he’s kind of a scopy, larger type of horse. He certainly looked good going six furlongs.”

In Saturday’s earlier maiden special weight for 3-year-olds, 30-1 longshot Bakers Street ($63.20), wearing blinkers for the first time, emerged from a three-way photo a head in front of Battle Drum after completing one mile over a firm turf course in 1:35.20.

Sunday’s Rainbow 6 Jackpot Pool Estimated at $500,000

The 20-cent Rainbow 6 will have an estimated pool of $500,000 when racing resumes on Super Bowl Sunday at Gulfstream Park.

First race post time is 12:20 p.m.

Sunday’s sequence covers Races 5-10, opening with a claiming event for older fillies and mares which have never won two races going 1 1/16 miles on the all-weather Tapeta course. Southern Palace, a debut winner over the course last summer, drew outermost Post 7 and will be racing first off the claim for trainer Victor Barboza Jr., who connects at 34 percent with the move.

Race 6 in a maiden special weight scheduled for one mile on the grass that attracted an overflow field of 16 3-year-old fillies. Leading the way is 9-5 program favorite Celtic Motif, an Irish-bred making her first start since running third in the Staffordstown Stud (G3) last October at The Curragh. Also expected to draw attention is Love You Anyway, a $450,000 daughter of Tapit making her career debut.

Older fillies and mares will sprint five furlongs on the Tapeta in Race 7, a starter allowance where Amor Y Control chases an eighth career victory having crossed the wire first in five consecutive races. Boot’s On the Moon graduated in front-running fashion going 5 ½ furlongs last time out for trainer Ron Spatz.

Another maiden special weight for 3-year-old fillies comes in Race 8, this one sprinting six furlongs on the main track. Eleven horses are entered, 10 of them first-time starters including Shred the Gnar, a $610,000 daughter of Into Mischief trained by Brian Lynch. She’s a Gamer is the only filly with race experience having run twice, most recently second in a similar spot Jan. 12 at Gulfstream.

The feature comes in Race 9, an optional claiming allowance for 3-year-old fillies scheduled for one mile on the grass. Eight of the 10 horses entered are coming off wins with 20-1 long shot Altamira Sur having won two straight, one each on turf and Tapeta. Sol d’Oro is the 9-5 morning-line favorite off a come-from-behind 1 ¼-length maiden special weight triumph Jan. 5 at Gulfstream.

In the Rainbow 6, the jackpot pool is only paid out when there is a single unique ticket sold with all six winners. On days when there is no unique ticket, 70 percent of that day’s pool goes back to those bettors holding tickets with the most winners, while 30 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool.

Who’s Hot: Jockey David Egan visited the winner’s circle twice Saturday, with First Shot Fired ($12.80) in Race 2 and Bakers Street ($63.20) in Race 4 … Drayden Van Dyke also doubled, with Gayles Evening ($3.60) in Race 3 and Multiverse ($14.40) in Race 8, as did Emisael Jaramillo on Sterling Harmony ($12) in Race 6 and Bandonarun ($27.20) in Race 11 and Miguel Vasquez aboard Chaina ($9.20) in Race 5 and Win with Faith ($) in Race 12 … Bandonarun and Hurricane Nelson ($2.80) in Race 9 are both trained by Christophe Clement.

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