BY BROCK SHERIDAN

A strong contingent of female turf sprinters bred in the Sunshine State head to Monmouth Park Saturday for the $100,000 Goldwood at five-and-a-half furlongs on the turf. Leon Ellman, Glassman Racing LLC and Laurie Plesa’s Epona’s Hope is the 8-5 morning line favorite among the eight fillies and mares as she tries to win for the fourth time in her last five efforts.

Making her first start for trainer J. Tyler Servis last time, Epona’s Hope ended a three-race win streak on May 2 at Churchill Downs when third behind Florida-bred Queen Maxima and her track-record performance in the Grade 3 Unbridled Sidney presented by Cygames. Epona’s Hope set the pace in the five-and-a-half-furlong Unbridled Sidney before Queen Maxima took over in the stretch to finish in 1:01.29 on the good turf.

Epona’s Hope started the year winning three straight going five furlongs on the Gulfstream Park turf beginning with a two-and-a-quarter-length score in a second condition, $62,500 optional claiming on Jan. 12. She then rattled off two stakes victories in the $135,000 Ladies Turf Sprint on Feb. 8 and in the $108,000 Captival Island on March 15.

A 4-year-old daughter of Ocala Stud’s Adios Charlie, Epona’s Hope has a career ledger of six wins with a second and four thirds in 13 races. After being purchased by her current owners for $295,000 at the 2023 Ocala Breeders’ Sales March Sale of 2-year-olds in training out of the Ocala Stud consignment, Epona’s Hope has racked up $392,918 on the track.

She is out of the Florida-bred mare Alotofappeal, by Trippi, and was bred in Florida by Ocala Stud, Edward Wiest and William J. Terrill.

Paco Lopez will ride Epona’s Hope from post eight.

The lightly-raced Florida-bred Rosie Jeeks is 9-2 in the program, making her second start off a 15-month layoff.

She was sharp in her return for trainer Chad Brown on May 25 at Monmouth, winning a first condition allowance race going five-and-a-half furlongs on the turf.

This will be her first race against black-type company since an off the board finish in the second career outing in the $120,000 Stewart Manor at Aqueduct in November 2023.

The 4-year-old Rosie Jeeks has won two of her four career starts while earning $80,820 for Team Hanley and Thirty Year Farm. She is by the Florida-bred sire World of Trouble out of Remington Rose, by Take Charge Indy and was bred in Florida by A. Francis and Barbara Vanlangendonck. The Vanlangendoncks consigned her through their Summerfield banner at the 2022 Ocala Breeders’ Sales October Yearling Sale where RiceHorse as agent purchased her for $62,000. RiceHorse as agent then sold her for $240,000 to her current ownership team at the 2023 OBS Spring Sale.

Samy Camacho will ride Rosie Jeeks from post one.

Trainer Joe Orseno has Florida-bred Etrurian making her first start Saturday since finishing sixth in an upper level, $62,500 optional claiming going five-and-a-half furlongs on Gulfstream’s synthetic course on April 4. In one other start this year she was third in a second condition, $62,500 optional claiming going five furlongs on synthetic at Gulfstream on Feb. 8.

Her last win came in an upper level, $75,000 optional claiming going five furlongs on the turf at Gulfstream in September.

Owned by Robert Cotran and Orseno, Etrurain is by Bucchero out of Imperial Strike, by Imperialism and was bred in Florida by Wendy Lee Christ. She has won three of eight starts with two thirds with earnings of $125,977.

Another graduate of OBS, Etrurian was purchased by Bill and Corinne Heiligbrodt for $100,000 at the 2023 June Sale of 2-year-olds in training and horses of racing age.

Samuel Marin will guide Etrurian from post five.

Orseno will also saddle Florida-bred Call Me Spicy for Cotran.

Call Me Spicy makes her second start of the year after finishing fifth, three-and-a-half lengths behind winner Tiffany Gold in the $70,000 Lady’s Gold overnight handicap over five furlongs on the Gulfstream turf on May 25.

Winless in nine starts since claimed by Orseno and Cotran for $50,000 in September of 2023 at Gulfstream, Call Me Spicy has since earned $79,020 from a win, two seconds and two thirds.

Her career record reflects earnings of $149,080 from four wins, four seconds and two thirds from 15 starts.

Call Me Spicy is by Speightster out of Danessa Again, by Blame and was bred in Florida by Sr. Steven Laymon.

She is 12-1 in the program and has post seven. No rider had been named at press time.

Rounding out the field are Up for It with Axel Concepcion, Bingo’s Birkin and jockey Jorge Vagars Jr., Drifaros will be ridden by Samy Leon and Ramon Moya has the mount on Bel Pensiero.

Return to the June 20 issue of Wire to Wire