Trainer Eddie Plesa knew exactly who to turn to when he decided to ship Epona’s Hope north from her Gulfstream Park base to take advantage of the various summer turf sprints in the Northeast: Nephew Tyler Servis, who is coming off a career-best year in a training career that began in 2019.

After a third-place finish in the Grade 3 Unbridled Sidney Stakes at Churchill Downs on May 2, the speedy Epona’s Hope will make her second start for Servis in Saturday’s $100,000 Goldwood Stakes at Monmouth Park.

The 5½-furlong grass sprint for fillies and mares 3 and up drew a field of eight, with Epona’s Hope looking for her fourth win in the past five starts,

“She’s a classy filly,” said Servis, the 34-year-old son of trainer John Servis. “When I got her at Churchill Downs I felt she missed the break and it probably cost her second. The winner in the race (Queen Maxima) was very impressive. I don’t think she was beating her regardless of the start.

“Right now, she could not be doing any better.”

Epona’s Hope, whose first 12 career starts were all at Gulfstream Park, has proven to be an ultra-consistent sprinter with a 6-1-4 line from 13 career starts. She has four wins and two thirds from six turf tries as well.

“The thought process (with Plesa) was getting her to the East Coast for the summer time when there are a lot of turf sprints instead of being stranded in South Florida,” said Servis. “He asked me if I wanted to take her for the summer to see how she does.”

The Churchill Downs dash marked her first in graded stakes company. Prior to that she was on a three-race winning streak, with two of the wins in stakes company.

“I decided to try the Churchill race because everything fell into place,” said Servis. “I think if it had been a little firmer ground that would have been to her advantage. I thought the turf course was barely `good.’ There was quite a bit of rain that day. But it was time to give her a shot at something bigger. I was happy with her performance. She didn’t break great and then she rushed up, but she dug in when it was time to run. The winner was just better that day.”

Plesa had Epona’s Hope sprinting on dirt or the synthetic course for her first six career starts. When he tried her on turf for the first time on April 13 of last year in an open $75,000 optional claimer, she won.

“I think being a Florida-bred and the way the races came up at Gulfstream for Florida-breds he was just taking what was given to him and just wanted to keep her in that company,” said Servis. “Once he got her to the turf he was like `wow, she’s a state-bred open filly.‘ She’s not a horse that needs to be restricted to Florida-breds.”

Servis, coming off a year that saw him win 30 races from 120 starters, said the outside post eight should also be to her advantage on Saturday.

“It all comes down to the racetrack,” he said. “If it’s a nice, firm turf it shouldn’t hinder her. I don’t think we got a clear description last race because she broke a little tardy and then she had to be used early to try to put her where she likes to be.

“There’s a lot of speed in this race. But I don’t think anyone in the field is as quick as she is. The outside post gives us some options. If someone wants to go crazy fast to the lead she can sit a stalking trip. If she makes the lead she will be tough to catch.”

Paco Lopez, Monmouth Park’s perennial riding champion, has the mount.

The field for the Goldwood Stakes from the rail out: Rosie Jeeks; Up For it; Bingo’s Birkin; Drifaros; Etrurian; Bel Pensiero; Call Me Spicy and Epona’s Hope.

Monmouth Park moves to a three-day live racing schedule with the addition of Fridays this weekend. The eight-race Friday cards will have a first race post time of 2 p.m. First race post times on Saturday and Sunday is 12:50 p.m.