By Alan Carasso
By any metric, it's been a spectacular run at Saratoga for the Tom Amoss barn this summer, and Oscar's Hope (c, 2, Twirling Candy–Hopeful Princess, by Not This Time) put the cherry on top with a second-out romp, becoming the outfit's third 'TDN Rising Star' of the meet in the process.
With penny breakage coming to New York for the first time in the Labor Day opener, the $150,000 Keeneland September yearling was away alertly enough, but was outfooted by the $1-million OBS March breezer, but chilly-on-the-board Epic Quest (Nyquist), who showed the better early speed and came across his inside rivals, causing Jose Ortiz to have to slightly alter course on the 3-5 chalk.
Cruising along through an opening quarter in :22.74, with Oscar's Hope hounding his every move at his hind-quarters from second, Epic Horse led narrowly passing the quarter pole, but the favorite was poised to pounce at the top of the lane. Putting the pacesetter to the sword with three-sixteenths of a mile to travel, Oscar's Hope, a distant debut second to 'TDN Rising Star' Golden Tornado (McKinzie) back on Aug. 9, quickly opened up and was taken in hand in the final 70 yards, scoring by 5 3/4 lengths. With the new breakage rules in place, Oscar's Hope returned $3.36 for the victory.
The Feb. 12 foal is the first runner from his dam, a $27,000 buyback at the 2019 Keeneland September sale who won on her career debut for this breeder the following spring and was third in the 2020 GIII Schuylerville Stakes in her lone other appearance. She recorded a pair of breezes on the farm in 2021, but was retired and put in foal to Twirling Candy in early 2022.
From the family of the late Larry Johnson's Street Magician (Street Cry {Ire}) and the current top turf sprinter Future Is Now (Great Notion), Oscar's Hope has a yearling half-brother by Nyquist that was purchased by B-4 Farms for $725,000 at last month's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale and a Curlin filly foaled Apr. 2. Hopeful Princess was returned to Twirling Candy this season. Oscar's Hope is bred on a similar cross to Twirling Candy's Grade I winners Pinehurst, Fionn and Rombauer.
Amoss sent out It's Our Time (Not This Time) and Big Dom (McKinzie) to eye-catching and big-figure 'Rising Star' scores on Aug. 16 and Aug. 23, respectively.
1st-Saratoga, $100,000, Msw, 9-1, 2yo, 6f, 1:10.76, ft, 5 3/4 lengths.
OSCAR'S HOPE, c, 2, by Twirling Candy
1st Dam: Hopeful Princess (GSP), by Not This Time
2nd Dam: More Than Magic, by More Than Ready
3rd Dam: Magical Meadow, by Meadowlake
Sales history: $150,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 2-1-1-0, $75,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
O-Michael McLoughlin; B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC (KY); T-Thomas M Amoss.
MAKE IT THREE!
Exciting lineup at the Tom Amoss barn eagerly awaiting breakfast this morning. Two @theTDN Rising Stars bookend a runner-up to a Rising Star and a MGIP stakes winner.
-It's Our Time (Not This Time)
-Quickick (McKinzie)
-Oscar's Hope (Twirling Candy)
-Big Dom (McKinzie) pic.twitter.com/ghMpq7MkpD— Katie Petrunyak (@katiep_tdn) August 25, 2025
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