'Anything's possible': Hopeful Growth points to Kentucky Oaks

Anthony Margotta Jr., trainer of Grade 3 Monmouth Oaks winner Hopeful Growth, knows what he's up against if, as he says is likely, she runs in the 2020 Kentucky Oaks.

First, as to the likelihood of making it to Churchill Downs for the Sept. 4 race: "We’re pretty confident right now that we’re heading that way, as of this morning" Margotta said Sunday. "I spoke this morning to the rest of the team, and we’re going to see how she trains this week, we’re going to breeze her next week, and we’ll see. As long as she keeps moving forward, there’s a pretty good chance we’ll make the race."

Margotta is very impressed with Swiss Skydiver and Gamine, the two likely favorites for the race.

"Swiss Skydiver — what a filly," Margotta said. "I was in awe yesterday just watching what she did. The campaign she’s had — I was thinking maybe she might be getting a little tired, but there was no signs of that yesterday. … I’ve seen some great fillies in my day, and this filly looks like a champion filly.

"And Gamine, another unbelievable, top-class filly. The distance is a question mark with her, but Swiss Skydiver, there’s absolutely no question that she’s the horse to beat, in my opinion."

With Swiss Skydiver, Margotta was referring to the Daredevil filly's impressive win in Saturday's Alabama (G1) at Saratoga. And in Gamine's four starts, she has attempted more than a mile only once, an allowance optional claiming race at Oaklawn Park where she finished first, but was later disqualified to 11th due to a medication violation.

The daughter of Into Mischief followed that with an 18 3/4-length win in the one-mile Acorn (G1) around one turn at Belmont.

Margotta said that, "as a trainer, I always try to find a chink in the armor with the competition. Gamine's got the question mark with the distance. This filly (Swiss Skydiver), coming back in three weeks — I was looking for that little chink again yesterday in the armor. But the way she won, it was just so impressive that, quite frankly, I'd like to see her go in the Derby, but it doesn't look like she's going to do that."

Still, Margotta seems to be looking forward to the challenge.

"Anything’s possible, you never know," Margotta said. "You’ve got to always be ready, prepared. So whenever there’s just one horse or two horses to beat, you’ve really got to go. If it gets a lot deeper than that, sometimes you’ll maybe try to duck.

"But so far, I see that, again, Gamine’s got the question mark with the distance, and this filly here (Swiss Skydiver), obviously she’s the real deal. So we’ll see how she comes out of this, Swiss Skydiver, how she trains. (Trainer Kenny McPeek) is a tremendous horseman, and it’s going to be on their home court. We know it’s not going to be easy, but listen, you’ve got to be in it to win it."

Hopeful Growth, owned by St. Elias Stable, broke her maiden in June 2019 at Monmouth Park. The daughter of Tapiture didn't race again until March, when she came in second in an allowance optional claiming race at Gulfstream. Then came a win in May in another allowance optional claiming race, this time at Tampa Bay Downs.

She moved to graded-stakes territory with her next start, a fifth-place showing in the Delaware Oaks (G3). Then she came back to win the Monmouth Derby on Aug. 1.

Margotta said the filly is "a real sweetheart."

"When she first came in, she was a little high-strung, we had to work on her to get her settled down, a lot of standing, a lot of walking," Margotta said. "But she’s maturing, she’s matured tremendously the last four months."