The Tom Amoss trainees Oscar’s Hope and Actis both positioned themselves for opportunities on the 3-year-old trail next season after winning separate two-turn stakes last month at Delta Downs. In the $100,000 Jean Lafitte for 2-year-olds, Oscar’s Hope was always prominent while nailing down the third win of his young career. He entered the race off a first-level allowance sprint win at Churchill Downs. For his 2 3/4-length win in the Jean Lafitte, Oscar’s Hope equaled his best Beyer Speed Figure, an 82. “It was a chance to see if he can transition from one to two turns and he handled that well and that makes him an exciting 2-year-old/3-year-old of 2026 for the future,” Amoss said. Oscar’s Hope has since returned to Amoss’s winter base of Fair Grounds. “Our plan is undecided, but having already won three races, we’re certainly going to try him in one of these early stakes races going two turns, either at Fair Grounds or at Oaklawn,” said Amoss. Amoss will have a 25-horse division at Oaklawn Park, which opens Dec. 12. :: Access the most trusted data and information in horse racing! DRF Past Performances and Picks are available now. Last year’s Jean Lafitte winner, Coal Battle, went on to capture the Smarty Jones and Rebel at Oaklawn. Oscar’s Hope is a son of Twirling Candy who races for Michael McLoughlin. Actis is a daughter of Hard Spun who races for Joel Politi. She became the fourth stakes winner produced by her dam, Miss Relentless, when she captured the $100,000 My Trusty Cat at Delta. Actis accelerated sharply on the final turn and went on to a 4 3/4-length victory. “It was exciting to see Actis make that move around horses and kick home really nicely,” Amoss said. “Her program is going to be the same. She’s won a couple of races already, so we’re going to look and see how she can do in one of those early preps.” Amoss said Actis is now back at Fair Grounds. Her name reflects the work of Politi. “Actis is a brand of a product they use in hip replacement, and Dr. Politi is a hip replacement doctor and he’s involved in the patent on that specific product that Johnson and Johnson has,” said Amoss. Actis and Oscar’s Hope both were $150,000 yearling purchases at last year’s Keeneland September sale, each selected by Amoss. They also both started their careers at Saratoga, with Oscar’s Hope winning a maiden special weight and Actis finishing fourth in another. “From the time that they were purchased, their time at Highlander Farm, where they were broken, and then back on to the racetrack, they both showed a great deal of talent,” Amoss said. “It just seemed logical to take them to Saragota. And you know, they’ve shown their worth.” :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.