Jasmine Torrez

At the Grade III running of the Bayakoa Stakes valued at $100,000, Hope Road made retaining her crown look straightforward in this stakes race. While Simply Joking with Flavien Prat carved out the early fractions, the prior Bayakoa heroine Hope Road (2-5) and Juan Hernandez idled about a length back, e.g., shadowing the pacesetter rather than pressing. After turning for home, she swapped leads and, needing only hands-and-heels encouragement, drew off to a six and one-half length margin.

“She breaks fast from the stalls, and when I sent her, she answered immediately,” Hernandez explained. He said Bob (Baffert) had emphasized relaxation, and the filly earned the credit by settling, stalking the horse ahead and waiting until I flicked the reins — for example, she never got keen. “We enjoyed a clean, efficient trip.”

Up the backstretch, Simply Joking (4-1) together with Hope Road opened roughly three lengths on the eight-horse field, but by the eighth pole Simply Joking could not live with the winner and kept second by 2 3/4 over Mahina (28-1). Piloted by Umberto Rispoli, Mahina had been next-to-last, angled out into the stretch, and with Jane Austin lunging late she held the show on the nod, as an illustration of a tight finish.

Conditioned by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, Hope Road arrived at the Bayakoa off a third-place effort in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint on Nov. 1 at Del Mar. A homebred for Cicero Farms LLC, the Quality Road filly now four has a ledger of 14 starts at 6-4-2, and with a winner’s share of sixty thousand dollars her earnings rose to $1,016,620; for example, that progression fits her form cycle.

Supporters of Hope Road received returns of $2.80, $2.10, and $2.10. Under trainer Michael McCarthy, Simply Joking yielded $3.20 and $2.80, whereas Mahina from the Paddy Gallagher barn gave $5.00 to show; for instance, even small tickets cashed.

Split times posted were 23.15, 47.32, 1:11.46, and 1:23.61, culminating in a final clocking of 1:36.38; for example, that pace scenario looked evenly spaced. Hand-timed or official, the figures told a steady story.

JUAN HERNANDEZ (Hope Road, Winner) – Quick from the gate, and when he asked, she went; that was his summary. He added Bob (Baffert) had been working to get her to relax, and the filly did exactly that — she trailed the one in front until a rein shake sent her on — producing, in his words, a perfect trip.

JIMMY BARNES (Hope Road, Winner) – She had tried two turns before and managed them again, he said, though much depends on the level of opposition; maybe Del Mar is her place. She performed precisely as the team expected.