Olivia Rose returned to the stakes winners’ circle with a commanding front-running performance in the $150,000 Eternal Search Stakes at Woodbine on Saturday, October 24, 2026. Ridden by Rafael Hernandez and trained by Mark Casse, the five-year-old mare led from the start to defeat Regal Moment by one length over seven and a half furlongs on the inner turf course.
The Ontario-sired contest brought together six fillies and mares aged three and older on firm turf. Breaking from post position three, Olivia Rose moved slightly to her right as the gates opened but quickly established the lead and controlled the pace through the opening turn.
Regal Moment settled into second, with fellow Casse-trained runner Ella It Is in third. Speedy Freeze followed in fourth, while Nikita’s Gem and Just Magnificent completed the field.
Olivia Rose covered the opening two furlongs in 23.24 seconds and maintained a comfortable advantage through the early stages. She reached the half-mile mark in 46.49 seconds, extending her lead to five and a half lengths down the backstretch.
Regal Moment began reducing the deficit approaching the final turn and moved within two and a half lengths at the top of the stretch. The challenger continued to close in the final furlong, but Olivia Rose maintained her advantage to secure victory in a final time of 1:28.63.
Olivia Rose Eternal Search Stakes Victory Ends Winless Run
The victory marked Olivia Rose’s first stakes success since the 2025 Ballade Stakes, which she had won by seven and a half lengths on Woodbine’s Tapeta surface. She had gone winless in six starts since that triumph, including three appearances during the 2026 season before Saturday’s race.
Her previous performances in the Eternal Search Stakes had produced mixed results. She finished seventh in the 2024 edition before taking second place in 2025. The latest performance brought her first victory in the race and added another stakes success to her record.
Hernandez, who partnered Olivia Rose for the fourth consecutive start, credited her natural speed and the importance of allowing her to settle comfortably in front.
The jockey explained that the mare responded best when allowed to establish her own rhythm rather than being restrained or hurried during the early stages. His approach enabled Olivia Rose to use her early speed while conserving enough energy to withstand the late challenge.
Hernandez had also ridden Olivia Rose to victories in the Ballade, Fury and Thunder Bay Stakes. He was aboard for four of her five career stakes wins, while Kazushi Kimura partnered her for her first stakes triumph in the 2023 South Ocean Stakes, which she won by six and a half lengths.
Mark Casse’s Preparation Pays Off at Woodbine
Bred in Ontario by her owner, Gabe Grossberg, Olivia Rose was a dark bay or brown mare by Silent Name, out of Malibu Sunrise, a daughter of Malibu Moon. The Eternal Search Stakes victory improved her career record to six wins, six seconds and one third from 21 starts.
Although she had not won in her first three appearances of 2026, Olivia Rose had shown early speed in her two most recent outings before finishing fourth in both the Ballade Stakes and the Zadracarta Stakes.
Casse subsequently gave the mare two workouts following the Zadracarta Stakes. One of those preparations came on October 2, when she completed four furlongs in 47.00 seconds on Woodbine’s main track, recording the fastest time among 48 workers that morning.
The preparation preceded a return to winning form on the turf, where Olivia Rose demonstrated that her early speed remained a significant strength. Her ability to establish a clear advantage and withstand Regal Moment’s late challenge proved decisive in the closing stages.
Regal Moment finished second, with Ella It Is taking third and Speedy Freeze completing the first four. Olivia Rose’s performance delivered another stakes success for Casse and Hernandez while adding the Eternal Search Stakes to the mare’s career record.
Olivia Rose won the 2026 Eternal Search Stakes at Woodbine by one length under Rafael Hernandez. Trained by Mark Casse, the five-year-old mare led throughout the seven-and-a-half-furlong turf contest and finished in 1:28.63 to secure her fifth career stakes victory.
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