Hope Road acted like Daddy’s little girl during loading into the gate for the Resorts World Casino Ballerina Stakes (USA-G1) at Saratoga on Saturday, but when the gates flew open, it was a case of “like mother, like daughter.” Emulating her dam, 2018 Ballerina winner Marley’s Freedom, Hope Road came strongly through the stretch and got the job done by two lengths over multiple graded stakes winner Scylla. It was the first Grade 1 win for the Cicero Farms homebred, who improved her record to five wins from 12 starts and increased her lifetime bankroll to $886,620.
Hope Road is by Quality Road, who won three Grade 1 races and set three track records during his career but gained notoriety for his pre-race display at the 2009 Breeders’ Cup Classic (USA-G1). On that occasion, he became so keyed up and upset that he all but sat down in the gate, forcing a scratch. He recovered to turn in brilliant performances in the 2010 Donn Handicap (USA-G1) and Metropolitan Handicap (USA-G1) as a 4-year-old. Retired to Lane’s End Farm in Kentucky, he has been a good sire whose 15 Grade/Group 1 winners include American champions Abel Tasman, Corniche, and National Treasure.
Hope Road is the first foal of Marley’s Freedom, a half sister to listed stakes winner Noble Charlotte (by Include) and to Indian Carlie (by Indian Charlie), dam of multiple stakes winner Noble Commander (by Forestry). A daughter of 2010 American champion older male Blame, Marley’s Freedom won three other graded stakes races at distances up to a mile in addition to her Ballerina win. Following Hope Road, she has produced the unraced 3-year-old filly Freedom Song (by Medaglia d’Oro), a yearling colt by Uncle Mo, and a 2025 colt by Violence. She most recently visited Not This Time.
As a daughter of Blame, who stayed 10 furlongs quite well, Marley’s Freedom might have been expected to want more distance, but Blame may have transmitted the sprinting proclivity of his dam Liable (the 2010 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year) in this case. Although she was sired by Seeking the Gold out of a Nijinsky II mare—ordinarily a formula for classic stamina—Liable scored all six of her career victories over sprint distances. A half sister to the Group 1-winning miler Archipenko (by Kingmambo) and stakes winner Limit, she was produced from Bound, who showed some foot over sprint distances as well as around two turns. This is a branch of the family of Rough Shod II, which was a longtime pillar of Claiborne Farm’s breeding program and proved a versatile source of fine horses with varying distance capacities.
Liable is actually a better guess than the distaff side of Marley’s Freedom’s pedigree as the source of the Ballerina winner’s speed. The dam of Marley’s Freedom, Relaxing Green, was a two-turn runner of modest talent but was about as good as most sired by Formal Gold. The best racing son of 1991 American Horse of the Year Black Tie Affair, Formal Gold boasted a high cruising speed, a weapon he used to win four graded stakes as a 4-year-old including the 1997 Woodward Stakes (USA-G1) and Donn Handicap (USA-G1). Unfortunately, he failed to transmit his own fine qualities consistently, getting a lot of small winners but not much above the ordinary.
Relaxing Green is a half sister to 1999 Lexington Stakes (USA-G3) winner Mythical Gem (by Jade Hunter) and to Grade 3-placed listed stakes winner Apple Charlotte (by Smart Strike). Produced from stakes-placed Charlotte Augusta (by 1984 American champion 2-year-old male Chief’s Crown out of 1982 New York Handicap, USA-G3, winner Noble Damsel), Relaxing Green is also a half sister to Anyhow (by Tiznow), dam of 2015 Stephen Foster Handicap (USA-G1) winner Noble Bird (by Birdstone) and Puerto Rican stakes winner Brother Pat (Any Given Saturday).
As the Ballerina was a “Win and You’re In” race for the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (USA-G1), the latter race seems to be the likely year-end target for Hope Road. A win on American racing’s biggest day would likely be enough to secure an Eclipse Award as American champion female sprinter for a filly who certainly took after both parents when it comes to ability.
Hope Road is by Quality Road, who won three Grade 1 races and set three track records during his career but gained notoriety for his pre-race display at the 2009 Breeders’ Cup Classic (USA-G1). On that occasion, he became so keyed up and upset that he all but sat down in the gate, forcing a scratch. He recovered to turn in brilliant performances in the 2010 Donn Handicap (USA-G1) and Metropolitan Handicap (USA-G1) as a 4-year-old. Retired to Lane’s End Farm in Kentucky, he has been a good sire whose 15 Grade/Group 1 winners include American champions Abel Tasman, Corniche, and National Treasure.
Hope Road is the first foal of Marley’s Freedom, a half sister to listed stakes winner Noble Charlotte (by Include) and to Indian Carlie (by Indian Charlie), dam of multiple stakes winner Noble Commander (by Forestry). A daughter of 2010 American champion older male Blame, Marley’s Freedom won three other graded stakes races at distances up to a mile in addition to her Ballerina win. Following Hope Road, she has produced the unraced 3-year-old filly Freedom Song (by Medaglia d’Oro), a yearling colt by Uncle Mo, and a 2025 colt by Violence. She most recently visited Not This Time.
As a daughter of Blame, who stayed 10 furlongs quite well, Marley’s Freedom might have been expected to want more distance, but Blame may have transmitted the sprinting proclivity of his dam Liable (the 2010 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year) in this case. Although she was sired by Seeking the Gold out of a Nijinsky II mare—ordinarily a formula for classic stamina—Liable scored all six of her career victories over sprint distances. A half sister to the Group 1-winning miler Archipenko (by Kingmambo) and stakes winner Limit, she was produced from Bound, who showed some foot over sprint distances as well as around two turns. This is a branch of the family of Rough Shod II, which was a longtime pillar of Claiborne Farm’s breeding program and proved a versatile source of fine horses with varying distance capacities.
Liable is actually a better guess than the distaff side of Marley’s Freedom’s pedigree as the source of the Ballerina winner’s speed. The dam of Marley’s Freedom, Relaxing Green, was a two-turn runner of modest talent but was about as good as most sired by Formal Gold. The best racing son of 1991 American Horse of the Year Black Tie Affair, Formal Gold boasted a high cruising speed, a weapon he used to win four graded stakes as a 4-year-old including the 1997 Woodward Stakes (USA-G1) and Donn Handicap (USA-G1). Unfortunately, he failed to transmit his own fine qualities consistently, getting a lot of small winners but not much above the ordinary.
Relaxing Green is a half sister to 1999 Lexington Stakes (USA-G3) winner Mythical Gem (by Jade Hunter) and to Grade 3-placed listed stakes winner Apple Charlotte (by Smart Strike). Produced from stakes-placed Charlotte Augusta (by 1984 American champion 2-year-old male Chief’s Crown out of 1982 New York Handicap, USA-G3, winner Noble Damsel), Relaxing Green is also a half sister to Anyhow (by Tiznow), dam of 2015 Stephen Foster Handicap (USA-G1) winner Noble Bird (by Birdstone) and Puerto Rican stakes winner Brother Pat (Any Given Saturday).
As the Ballerina was a “Win and You’re In” race for the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (USA-G1), the latter race seems to be the likely year-end target for Hope Road. A win on American racing’s biggest day would likely be enough to secure an Eclipse Award as American champion female sprinter for a filly who certainly took after both parents when it comes to ability.
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