Fantasy Stakes

'TDN Rising Star' Thorpedo Anna (f, 3, Fast Anna--Sataves, by Uncle Mo), off since a second Nov. 25 in the GII Golden Rod S., shook off any cobwebs with aplomb to notch a four-length score in the GII Fantasy S. at Oaklawn under a hand ride Saturday. West Omaha (West Coast) and Tapit Jenallie (Tapit), who filled out the trifecta in the reverse order behind Lemon Muffin (Collected)--seventh here--in the Feb. 24 GIII Honeybee S., finished second and third, respectively. The Fantasy is a Kentucky Oaks points race on a...

Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino will induct two horsemen into its Racing Hall of Fame on Saturday, July 9 including Quarter Horse jockey Stormy Smith and prominent Thoroughbred owner and breeder, H. Allen Poindexter. His maroon and grey silks have been carried by multiple stakes-winning horses at Prairie Meadows and other tracks across America, such as GIII Fantasy S. runner-up Chanel's Legacy (Dominus) and GIII Iowa Oaks victress Flat Out Speed (Flat Out). Both will be inducted in a ceremony on the second day of the 2022 Iowa Festival of...

Regally bred Pauline's Pearl (Tapit) is among seven fillies hoping to stamp their tickets to the GI Kentucky Oaks in Saturday's GIII Honeybee S. at Oaklawn. A daughter of Grade I winner Hot Dixie Chick (Dixie Union), the gray earned her diploma at third asking in a sloppy two-turn test at Fair Grounds Feb. 12 and rallied to be a close second next out in this venue's GIII Honeybee S. Mar. 6. Honeybee third-place finisher Sun Path (Munnings) looks to break through at the black-type level here. A second-out graduation...

As we all know, especially right now, life will sometimes present challenges so terrible that the racetrack can be made to seem a pretty frivolous place. Yet there are also times when only a horse can kindle consolation from the embers of disaster. Clay Murdock was 58 when he died in his sleep last September. The general manager of Rancho San Miguel in California had just sealed a deal for the Northern Hemisphere breeding rights to Sir Prancealot (Ire) (Tamayuz {GB}), and was buzzing for the future. His loss, out...

After several weeks of inactivity, the 3-year-old filly division roared back to life last weekend as the GIII Fantasy S. at Oaklawn brought together a large and deep field that included five members of the TDN's GI Kentucky Oaks Top Ten. The race was dominated by two horses, Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) and Venetian Harbor (Munnings). As for the rest of the field, each one will need to regroup before they can be considered top candidates for the Oaks. On Saturday at Oaklawn, the highly regarded 'TDN Rising Star' Gamine (Into...

With so few options immediately available for 3-year-old fillies, trainer Ken McPeek may get adventurous with Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil), the winner of Friday's GIII Fantasy S. at Oaklawn. McPeek told the TDN that he is considering running his filly next in the G1 1,000 Guineas in Newmarket, England. "We're going to nominate her to the 1,000 Guineas and do our due diligence," McPeek said. "She might be at a competitive advantage because she has been running.  It would be a historic trip. I don't think anybody has ever done it....

Let go at an overlaid 16-1 exiting a front-running victory in the GII Gulfstream Park Oaks Mar. 28, Peter Callahan's Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) locked up with heavily favored Venetian Harbor (Munnings) in upper stretch and proved the superior stayer on the afternoon, reporting home a 2 1/2-length winner of Friday's GIII Fantasy S. at Oaklawn Park. Shedaresthedevil, victorious in the GIII Honeybee S. earlier in the meet, completed a 1-3 finish for her expatriated sire while never a menace to the top two. Venetian Harbor was exiting a towering 9...

For racing fans missing the familiarity of the GI Kentucky Oaks this Friday, a loaded 14-horse field of talented sophomore fillies are ready to step in and take their star turn in the $400,000 GIII Fantasy S., which kicks off a sorely-needed blockbuster stakes weekend at Oaklawn. Favored at 2-1 on the morning line is Venetian Harbor (Munnings), making her first start in nearly three months. A debut second at even-money sprinting over the Del Mar turf Nov. 15, the $110,000 Keeneland September graduate moved to the main track Dec....

Bellafina (Quality Road), tuning up for the Apr. 25 Carousel S. at Oaklawn Park, worked four furlongs in :47.80 (20/105) under Joe Talamo at the Hot Springs oval Saturday morning. Clockers caught the 4-year-old filly with a final quarter-mile of :23.60 and galloping out five furlongs in 1:00.20. "Unbelievable," Talamo said after getting on Bellafina for the first time. "Absolutely skipped over the track this morning." Bellafina, who shipped in from trainer Simon Callaghan's Southern California base Tuesday, was having her first work over the Oaklawn track Saturday. The three-time...