$250,000 Snow Chief Stakes - ROMANCEISHOPE
(Benoit and Associates photo)

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (April 28, 2001) -Lightly raced Romanceishope, a son of In Excess making his first start at more than a mile, roared past his more seasoned rivals in the stretch to capture the $250,000 Snow Chief Stakes in the featured attraction of Gold Rush II at Hollywood Park Saturday.

Romanceishope shared the spotlight with:

• His sire, In Excess, who also sired Jaklin Klugman Maiden Stakes winner Ex Federali.
• His jockey, Chris McCarron, who rode three winners and became the seventh jockey in history to win 7,000 races.
• His trainer, Jenine Sahadi, who teamed with McCarron in the wins by Romanceishope and Spinelessjellyfish.
• Breeder Robert H. Walter Family Trust and the sire Slewvescent, who combined to win a pair of stakes with Lazy Slusan (B. Thoughtful Stakes) and Ringaskiddy (Quicken Tree Stakes).
• Spinelessjellyfish, who gave McCarron No. 7,000 while successfully defending his Khaled Stakes title.
• Bob Baffert, who trained both maiden stakes winners (Lighten Up Tiny and Ex Federali)
• Laffit Pincay, the all-time winningest jockey, who added two wins to his record total, as did Victor Espinoza.

In the Snow Chief, Romanceishope was running in his first stakes race and only his fifth career race, while he was facing multiple graded-stakes winner and 2-1 favorite Hoovergetthekeys.

But the gelding chased leaders Stocks Are Rising and Upsanddowns, pounced between them at the head of the stretch and pulled away to a 1 ½-length win. Longshot Mr. Joe C closed from last to take second, nosing out Hoovergetthekeys. California Derby winner Takin It Deep finished sixth.

The late-developing Romanceishope debuted Jan. 7, finishing third in his first two maiden special weight races, winning the next, then capturing a first-condition allowance race three weeks ago.

The winner, bred by Shigehiro Hatake out of the Prized mare Romantic Fibs, nearly tripled his career earnings with the $150,000 first-place check.

"Bernie Hatake sent him to me last year and I couldn't even get him to walk, he was so sore," said Sahadi. "We worked through that. He doesn't have a ton of speed, which is a little unusual for an In Excess. He's just a plodder. He'll run all day."