Howard’s Hope seeks stakes success in $175K Notebook
Howard’s Hope will look to make a successful return to stakes company in Sunday’s $175,000 Notebook, a one-mile Widener turf test for New York-bred juveniles, at Belmont Park.
The Notebook is slated as Race 4 on Sunday’s stacked 11-race card, which is headlined by the Grade 3, $200,000 Forty Niner in Race 9 and the Grade 3, $200,000 Bold Ruler in Race 2. The lucrative program also offers the Listed $175,000 Turnback the Alarm in Race 8 and the $175,000 Casa Creed in Race 10. First post is 11:30 a.m. Eastern.
Trained by Horacio De Paz for owner-breeder Barry Schwartz, Howard’s Hope rallied from eighth-of-11 and 8 1/4-lengths off the pace to graduate by one-length in his August 6 debut traveling 1 1/16-miles versus fellow state-breds over firm footing at Saratoga Race Course. The winning effort returned a 59 Beyer Speed Figure and the third-place finisher, returning rival Captain George, exited that event to graduate.
"I was expecting him to run well in that he was prepared enough to get started and have a good experience - a hit-the-board type of performance. He definitely did a lot more than that, and it was all within himself,” De Paz said.
The Karakontie 2-year-old gelding was entered in the Grade 3 With Anticipation on September 5 at the Spa but was a private vet scratch.
“He backed off his feed that week. We were taking a shot there going into open company and I didn't feel it was right if he was coming up with something,” De Paz said.
Howard’s Hope [post 2, Jose Lezcano] returned to action in the 1 1/16-mile Laurel Futurity on September 26 at Laurel Park. There, he went to post as the 2-1 mutuel favorite and saved ground in fourth position under returning rider Jose Lezcano through a half-mile in 51.02 seconds. Lezcano tipped his charge out in the stretch run but was bumped by fellow New York-bred Fullcup nearing the eighth-pole and fell, unseating Lezcano.
Fortunately, both Lezcano and Howard’s Hope, exited the incident in good order.
“After all was said and done, I was concerned about Lezcano. When I regrouped with him after the race, he said, 'we would have won,'” De Paz said. “That's nice to know, but the main thing was that everyone was OK. Jose said he was encouraged by him. He said he was sitting in a great spot and tipped out to make his run, he hadn't asked him much up until that point.”
Howard’s Hope has worked back three times over the Laurel dirt, including a half-mile in 50 on October 25.
“He seems to have come out of it well and no worse for wear. He's been breezing good," De Paz said.
De Paz will look to continue a strong run of form having hit the board with all five of his starters on Saturday’s Empire Showcase Day program here, including wins with Sounds Like a Plan in the Mohawk and with the Schwartz homebred Awesome Czech in the Ticonderoga.
“It was an incredible day to be at that level and to enter five horses and have all of them show up,” De Paz said. “The consistency those horses show is impressive, and it was very rewarding to see the results. It looks like we have some future horses and hopefully they'll continue to get better as some of our older horses have done.”
The Warnick Stable and Joseph A. Hinkhouse’s homebred House of War [post 1, Manny Franco] overcame a troubled start to finish a closing fifth last out in the Grade 2 Pilgrim on October 3 here. The winner of that event, Let Em Know, is entered back in Friday’s Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.
Trained by Jorge Abreu, House of War closed from sixth-of-10 to graduate on debut versus fellow state-breds traveling 1 1/16-miles on August 26 at the Spa.
The War Dancer colt, out of the winning Gemologist mare Diamond Princess, has worked back twice over the Belmont main track, including a half-mile in 49.63 October 24.
Trainer Amelia Green sends out two strong chances in High Step Racing’s Captain George [post 8, John Velazquez] and Pure Bred Funding’s Epic Prayer [post 4, Javier Castellano].
Captain George, by War of Will, has made both starts thus far in state-bred company, finishing third-of-11 in his aforementioned August 6 debut. He utilized a prominent trip last out to graduate by 1 1/2-lengths over course and distance on September 19, stopping the clock in 1:36.16 to earn a 66 Beyer.
The $35,000 acquisition from the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Preferred New York-bred Yearling Sale has worked back three times over the Belmont dirt training track, including a half-mile in 51.43 October 25.
“Captain George trained very well out of his maiden win. We’ve always been high on him. I’m excited to get him back in a race again,” Green said.
Bred by Windover Equine, Captain George is the first foal to race out of the Temple City Mare Twofortea – a half-sister to Grade 2-turn winner Meteore. Her second dam is dirt stakes-winner Meteor Miracle.
Epic Prayer, by Epicenter, debuted with a fifth-place finish in maiden optional-claiming company over yielding ground on September 2 at the Spa.
The $41,000 purchase from the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Mixed Sale in February 2025 returned in a 1 1/16-mile state-bred maiden claimer here on October 15 and showed similar tactics to his stablemate to score by 1 1/4-lengths. He stopped the clock in 1:43.31 and registered a 55 Beyer.
“It is a little ambitious coming out of a maiden $50,000, but there’s also nowhere else to run him. So I figured, why not? Might as well take a chance,” Green said.
Bred by Eaton and Thorne, Epic Prayer is out of the Awesome Again mare Awesome Prayer – a half-sister to Grade 3-placed Igniter. His Grade 1-winning second dam, Malibu Prayer, is a half-sister to multiple graded stakes-winning millionaire Valid.
Soldier’s Glory [post 3, Kendrick Carmouche] will look to improve upon a fourth-place effort last out in the Bertram F. Bongard.
Trained by Jena Antonucci for horseOlogy Racing, Fred Rosen, Copper Thoroughbreds, Willow Pond Stable and Thomas A. Boardman, Soldier’s Glory closed from ninth-of-12 and 8 1/4-lengths off-the-pace to score by a head in his September 20 debut sprinting six furlongs over the Belmont Tapeta.
The Nashville colt exited the outermost post 7 last out in the Bongard and trailed through the early going before making a mild run to finish a 5 3/4-length fourth.
“It was a small [field], and we took a swing. We’ll see how he handles more ground. He’s doing well,” Antonucci said.
Bred by Mallory and Karen Mort, the $140,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Preferred New York-bred Yearling Sale purchase is out of the multiple stakes-placed Warrior’s Reward mare Warrior’s Promise. His second dam is the Grade 3-placed More Than Ready mare Promise Me More.
A solid field includes Bertram F. Bongard runner-up Road Show [post 7, Dylan Davis] and main-track maiden winner Bully Bucchero [post 6, Edgard Zayas] for dual Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse; maiden winner Miracle Morrow [post 5, Flavien Prat] for trainer Rodolphe Brisset; and the maiden Cuylle [post 9, Ruben Silvera] for trainer Rachael Keithan.
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