Defining Hope stands out in ITOBA fillies' division

The marquee races Saturday at Indiana Grand offer a chance for the state’s homegrown talent to shine.

The two divisions of the $75,000 Indiana Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association Stallion Season Stakes are one-mile races restricted to 3-year-old Indiana-bred runners by sires whose connections donated to the breeding organization’s 2013 stallion-season auction.

The six-horse field in the fillies’ division is headlined by Defining Hope, who enters off a 9 1/2-length score in the Swiftly Sired Fillies Stakes on May 2 at Indiana Grand.

The Strong Hope filly is the only horse in the field to have won a stakes race, having also taken two statebred affairs last year. All but one of her starts have come at six furlongs, but her lone foray into two turns, the Miss Indiana Stakes at a mile and 70 yards, resulted in a 4 1/2-length win.

Regular rider Malcolm Franklin will have the mount for owner Colette Vanmatre and trainer Barbara McBride.

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The primary challenger looks to be No Bluff Just Hope, who finished third to Defining Hope in the Swiftly Sired Fillies Stakes. It was the Strong Hope filly’s second start after winning on debut by five lengths April 29 going 5 1/2 furlongs.

Trainer Robert Gorham saddles No Bluff Just Hope for owner Ben Grimme. Eduardo Perez will have the mount.

The Herb Hoover Memorial colts-and-geldings division features a full field of 10 and one also-eligible led by Evader, who kicked off the Indiana Grand meet with two strong allowance performances before finishing eighth in the Sagamore Sired Stakes on May 24.

Prior to that start, the Star Cat gelding finished second in his 2017 debut, a six-furlong allowance where he took to the front early and yielded in the stretch. Evader held off the pace and bid later in his second start to win while going a mile.

Marcelino Pedroza will ride Evader for owner Penny Lauer and trainer Michael Lauer.

A probable rival for Evader, both on the lead and at the finish, will be Octavian Rush, who has won two of his last three starts in front-running fashion.

It took six starts for the Pass Rush gelding to graduate, but his performances have improved substantially during his sophomore campaign after he wintered in Florida. He won his maiden at Indiana Grand on May 3, finished fourth in an allowance, and most recently held sway by 2 1/4 lengths in a $20,000 claiming race. All three races came at a mile.

R. Gary Patrick owns and trains Octavian Rush and will give a leg up to his daughter, apprentice Cheyanna Patrick.

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