Hopeful Growth ($25.60) surprises in Monmouth Oaks

Hopeful Growth continued her development with an upset victory in Saturday's Grade 3, $200,000 Monmouth Oaks.

Hopeful Growth ($25.60), a Tapiture filly trained by Anthony Margotta Jr., for St. Elias Stable, won her only start as a juvenile, taking a maiden special weight in June 2019 at Monmouth Park. She returned to the races this season with two solid efforts in Florida, finishing second in an allowance-optional claiming race in March at Gulfstream and then posting a 3 3/4-length victory in May at Tampa. The filly then stepped up to make her graded stakes debut and first start around two turns, finishing fifth in the Grade 3 Delaware Oaks on July 4.

"We were hoping to hit the board there, but typically a horse going two turns for the first time in our program may need a race around two turns the first time," Margotta told track publicity.

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"This was our bull’s-eye target. I took the blinkers off her last two races so she would learn a little. I put them back on so she would focus more after she learned a little bit. She’s bred to go long and she has trained that way the whole time, so I knew she would go longer. She has always wanted to stretch out. The Delaware Oaks was a race we needed to get in before this one for the two-turn experience and to learn."

On Saturday, Hopeful Growth turned the tables on several of the fillies she faced in the Delaware Oaks, including the victorious Project Whiskey. The latter raced on the flank of the favored Lucrezia through the opening six furlongs, then took over as that filly began to fade. But Hopeful Growth rallied three wide at the quarter pole to poke a head in front of Project Whiskey in the stretch, powering clear for a four-length victory. She finished the 1 1/16 miles in 1:45.63.

Project Whiskey was easily second-best, 2 1/4 lengths clear of Eve of War in third.

The Monmouth Oaks was one of the final races offering qualifying points toward a spot in the Sept. 4 Kentucky Oaks. Hopeful Growth's victory was worth 50 points on the qualifying system. However, the filly is not an original nominee to the Kentucky Oaks. Late nominations, for a $500 fee, close Aug. 15. After that, fillies must be supplemented for $25,000 at entry time.