By Brian DiDonato
Trainer Steve Asmussen has never won the GIII Fantasy S. before, but that may very well change come Saturday. The Hall of Fame-nominated conditioner saddles expected heavy favorite Terra Promessa (Curlin), as well as two-for-two Taxable (Tapit) in Oaklawn's final GI Kentucky Oaks prep. The former broke her maiden on the stretch-out at Churchill last November, and reemerged to best first-level allowance foes by a nine-length margin over track and trip Feb. 5. She had little trouble handling the step up in class for the GIII Honeybee S. Mar. 12, splashing away from stablemate Nickname (Scat Daddy) en route to a 6 1/2-length score. Cosmic Evolution (Proud Citizen) was third that day. Winchell homebred Taxable, meanwhile, earned her diploma with a seven-length romp sprinting under the Twin Spires last June. Despite a lengthy lay-off, she picked up right where she left off in a one-mile optional claimer over a wet track one day before her stablemate's Honeybee victory. Ready to Confess (More Than Ready) took an optional claimer on seasonal debut here Jan. 15, but has been off since finishing a wide-trip fifth in the Martha Washington S. Feb. 6.
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