Hope Mission takes Ellis Park’s closing-day EP Turf
Ellis Park press release (Coady Media/Shelly Radosevich photo of Hope Mission winning the Ellis Park Turf under meet-leading jockey Tyler Gaffalione)
HENDERSON, Ky. (Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025) – Godolphin’s Hope Mission rewarded her backers as the 3-5 favorite by rallying late to win Sunday’s 21st running of the $150,000 Ellis Park Turf Stakes, the featured event on the final day of the 25-day summer season.
Trained by Brendan Walsh and ridden by meet-leading jockey Tyler Gaffalione, Hope Mission completed the 1 1/16-mile journey in 1:43.34.
Hope Mission was well positioned in third during the early stages of the race, tracking longshot Rose Palace who set modest fractions of :24.94 and :50.22. Around the far turn, Next Up turned up the pressure to the outside of Rose Palace while Gaffalione tipped Hope Mission three wide.
As the field entered the stretch, Hope Mission surged alongside of new leader Next Up and was able to draw clear late for a one-length victory.
Rose Palace, sent off as 31-1, finished third. She was followed by Faith Understood,Poppy the Princess, Cozee Rags, Everland and Maxisuperfly.
Hope Mission banked her owner $90,140 to improve her overall mark to $151,840. Her record now stands at 8-2-2-0.
A daughter of Medaglia d’Oro, Hope Mission is out of the Distorted Humor mare Arabian Hope. She was bred in Kentucky by her owner. Godolphin also was the leading owner at the meet.
Live racing in the Bluegrass Stake will ship to Kentucky Downs beginning Thursday with the Churchill Downs September Meet to follow on Thursday, Sept. 11.
