GII Fantasy Stakes

HOT SPRINGS, Ark.--To quote the seemingly prim and proper Lady Mary of Downton Abbey fame, "Heavens!" When Counting Stars (Honor A. P.--Paynterbynumbers, by Paynter) was ready to take command up the backstretch, the filly was up to the task at hand and she rolled home a winner in the GII Fantasy Stakes at Oaklawn--hence the use of such strong, genteel language. The chilly and overcast weather on Friday evening did nothing to dampen the spirits of owners West Point Thoroughbreds. On the twisty and winding 'Road to the Kentucky Oaks'...

HOT SPRINGS, Ark.--Bearing witness to Thoropedo Anna (Fast Anna) putting on a show down the stretch at Oaklawn Park in the 2024 edition of the GII Fantasy Stakes before she became a champion was a special moment in her career. The track will honor the now-retired mare on Friday with a bobblehead giveaway, which in no uncertain terms equals immortality. On Friday in Hot Springs, the latest batch of 3-year-old fillies will take to the track in the Fantasy and chase a cut of the $1 million purse, plus a...

Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman's Explora (Blame), winner of Oaklawn's GIII Honeybee Stakes on Mar. 1, will miss her intended engagement in Friday's GII Fantasy Stakes at that venue after spiking a temperature, according to Horse Racing Nation. "She spiked a temperature from the trip and we had to treat her with antibiotics," Bob Baffert told HRN. "She'll go straight the [Kentucky] Oaks." Named a TDN Rising Star following a victory at Del Mar last summer, she was second in the GI Del Mar Debutante before rebounding to...

Kentucky Oaks hopeful and 'TDN Rising Star' Quietside (Malibu Moon), winner of the GII Fantasy Stakes at Oaklawn, and the Kentucky Derby-bound Grande (Curlin), runner-up in the GII Wood Memorial Stakes at the Big A, worked at Keeneland on Friday. Quietside was clocked in :48.20 for a half-mile with her Oaks jockey, Jose Ortiz, in the saddle. "Jose and I had a plan to give her just a half-mile and easy gallop out just to keep her on her toes from here on out," trainer John Ortiz said. "She worked...

The last week of preps for the GI Kentucky Oaks is upon us. The GI Ashland Stakes will be run Friday at Keeneland on opening day and Aqueduct will offer the GIII Gazelle Stakes the next day. The Gazelle came up predictably weak, but the Ashland has some intriguing contenders that could crack the top three or four come Friday. Last week, Quietside (Malibu Moon) was a convincing winner of the GII Fantasy Stakes at Oaklawn and Five G (Vekoma) never looked back to win the GII Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream Park...

HOT SPRINGS, Ark.--When 'TDN Rising Star' and GI Kentucky Oaks hopeful Quietside (Malibu Moon) jettisons like an escape pod from the Oaklawn Park gate in the GIII Fantasy Stakes on Saturday, the conflict between the light and the dark inside of John A. Ortiz will be at peace. It's the way of the trainer. In the sport of Thoroughbred racing, all conditioners develop coping mechanisms when it comes to managing raw emotion before the bell sounds, but Ortiz and his stable chooses to draw insight from 'A long time ago...

'TDN Rising Star' Quietside (Malibu Moon) put in her last major workout for the GII Fantasy Stakes, covering five furlongs in :59.60 Sunday morning at Oaklawn under Ramon Vazquez. The 'Rising Star's' time was the fastest of 26 published at the distance, with clockers catching her galloping out six furlongs in 1:12 and seven furlongs in 1:26.80. The track was rated fast. "It was a strong five-eighths," said trainer John Ortiz. "We'll come back next week and give her a maintenance [half-mile]. She did it really well today." Entries will...

Things are heating up and the prospective field for the GI Kentucky Oaks is starting to take shape. Tarifa (Bernardini) won the GII Fair Grounds Oaks last Saturday and is very much looking like the horse to beat in the Kentucky Oaks. At Turfway Park, the former claimer Everland (Arrogate) earned her way into the Oaks with a win in the Bourbonette Oaks. Two huge preps will be run this Saturday--the GII Gulfstream Park Oaks and the GIII Fantasy at Oaklawn. Here's a look at the latest installment of our...

In a field of 10, 'TDN Rising Stars' GISW Muth (Good Magic) and GISW Timberlake (Into Mischief) have drawn the seven and two gate spots, respectively, and lead the charge in Oaklawn's feature GI Kentucky Derby prep race, the GI Arkansas Derby. Muth, 8-5 on the morning line, will attempt to give Bob Baffert his fifth win in the contest, but hasn't started since finding the winner's enclosure in the GII San Vicente S. Jan. 6 at Santa Anita. The colt is ineligible for the Derby points and to run...