Fourteen Fillies To Run In Fantasia Handicap

The highlight race this weekend, which will go off as the fifteenth race on this Saturday’s card here in Arkansas will be the Fantasia Handicap (G2). This race is run over a mile and one sixteenth over the dirt track and is open to three year old fillies. The weather looks like it will be perfect this weekend so you can expect the track to be listed as fast at post time for this years Fantasia Handicap. This years race has drawn a full field of fourteen fillies. Let’s take a look at the fillies running this year.

Drawing the rail in the race is Maybe A Prospect (JPN) (Roses In May x Northern Prospect x Green Dancer), who is owned and trained by goonergeez, owner of Goonergeez Stables. This bay Japanese-based filly has been lightly raced so far in her young racing career with a total of just five lifetime starts to date. The filly has impressively won four of these starts, her only non-win coming in the form of a third place finish. The fillies most recent start came in a seven and a half furlong allowance caliber start overseas in France where she came out of the start gate a beat slow but began to make up ground quickly and go after other horses in the race early on. She was up into seventh in the stretch when she began to make her move. The filly was too little too late however as she’s crossed the wire in third, just two lengths off the pace of the leader. Despite this being the only start which the filly did not emerge the winner, it has been the start where she recorded her highest lifetime speed figure, a ninety. This weekend will be the fillies first graded stakes start, after already winning the listed Light River (FR) Memorial last year. This may be a filly to watch out for this Saturday if she continues her past record of finishing on the board.

In gate number two is Sevenspanishangels (Bernardini x Deputy Minister x Forty Niner) who is out of the Grade I race winning dam Taylor Made II, and is owned by texasace02 owner of Lone Star Racing. This blue-blooded chestnut filly has had a total of eight lifetime starts so far in her racing career. Her most recent start came last month during a mile long allowance caliber start in Delaware where the filly broke out of the start gate and went up into fourth setting just off the pace until the turn where she started to make her move. The filly ultimately won the race by one and three-fourth lengths with a speed figure of ninety-four, making a nice comeback from a haphazard start in the listed DPCD Juvy Fillies Restricted last year where the filly recorded a speed figure of thirty-nine after her saddle slipped in the early goings of the race. With the exception of this race and a poor finish in the Golden Red Stakes (G2) this past November, the filly has never finished off the board in any race.

With morning line odds of 9/1 is Awesome Annie (Awesome Again x Dubai Millennium (GB) x Dynaformer), who is out of the stakes-winning dam Special K II (GB), and is owned and trained by andycapper, owner of Andycapper Stables. The bay three-year-old has had a total of five lifetime starts. The filly has won two of these starts, along with three second place finishes, so far in her career. The filly has the impressive record of never finishing worse than second in any of her career starts. Her most recent start came in a nine furlong allowance caliber start in Florida where the filly broke out of the start gate in seventh and hung back until the turn where she started to make her move and ultimately finished second, back by one and three-fourth lengths, while recording a lifetime best speed figure of ninety-three. This Saturday will be the bay fillies first attempt at a stakes caliber race.

Next is Takhisis (A.P. Indy x Alydar x Kris S.), who is owned by spqr3rd, owner of SPQR Stables. This three-year-old bay filly has a total of six lifetime starts so far in her racing career. Exactly half of her six starts have ended in wins for the impressive daughter of top sire A.P. Indy. In addition to her three wins, the filly has also finished in the second position as well as coming in for the show position in two of her races, leaving the filly only one career start in which she did not finish on the board. This race came in the fillies most recent start, the eight and a half furlong Vermont Is 4 Lovers (G1) here the filly broke out of the starting gate and was held back into sixth. She never recovered any ground during the race and finished thirteen lengths back in twelfth recording a speed figure of eight-nine. This has been the fillies only start so far in her three-year-old season. Despite this less than impressive finish, the fill was on fire as a two-year-old, never finishing off the board, winning a listed stakes and placing in two graded stakes races. If the filly gets back to her two-year-old form this weekend, she could be a formidable threat to beat in this years Fantasia Handicap.

Following will be Trial And Treasure (Mineshaft x Forty Niner x Storm Cat), who is out of the Grade I race winning dam Indy Connection, and is owned and trained by oaklawn88, owner of Hornedfrog Stables. The Kentucky-bred chestnut filly has had a total of eleven lifetime starts so far in her racing career. Four of these starts have ended in victory for the young chestnut, all of which have come over the dirt. Her most recent start came earlier this month in the California Oaks (G1) over eight and a half furlongs where the filly broke out of the gate and went straight for the lead. She began to loose some ground in the stretch however and ultimately finished back in ninth while tying a lifetime best speed figure of ninety. Despite this poor finish, the chestnut filly has managed to place in Grade 2 and Grade 3 stakes, as well as winning a listed stakes so far in her career.

Drawing the sixth post position will be Final Pairing (ENG) (Sakhee x Storm Cat x Coastal), who is out of the stakes-placed dam Ash Point, and is owned and trained by marian1, owner of Mv4ever Stables. The chestnut filly has had a total of seven lifetime starts so far in her early racing career. Of these the filly has taken home the win twice in her career, both times over the dirt. Her most recent start came in a nine furlong allowance caliber race earlier this month in Florida where the filly won her first start in allowance company by one and three-fourth lengths with an exclamation point as she recorded her win with a speed figure of ninety-five, a career best for the English-bred filly. This will also be the first stakes start for this filly this weekend, and only her second start outside of maiden specials. If speed figure is any indication however, she could get the jump on them all this Saturday.

Next will be the early betting favorite of the race, Sabbath Point (Seeking The Gold x Seattle Slew x Damascus), who is trained by malekfarms, owner of Afc Stables. The Kentucky-bred chestnut filly has had a total of six lifetime starts so far in her racing career. Of these six starts the daughter of Seeking The Gold has won two of her races, in addition to a single place finish and a single finish in the show position. The fillies most recent start came earlier this month in the nine furlong listed Stolen Love Challenge in overseas Dubai where the filly broke out of the start gate in fifth and was held back until the turn. The filly made little progress in the rest of the race, however, crossing the wire in fourth while setting a speed figure of ninety-one. However, this filly has one of the highest recorded speed figures of any of the fillies in this Saturday’s race with a record speed figure of ninety-seven which has been recorded in both the listed Linda’s Capote Challenge and the DPCD Juvy Fillies Restricted Stakes.

At odds of 6/1 is Smelly Green Stuff (ENG) (Green Desert x Charismatic x Easy Goer), who is out of the stakes-placed dam Flirtation, and is owned by inzamam, owner of Flurgen Stables. The chestnut filly has had a total of twelve lifetime starts so far in her career. She has won four times in her racing career. Three of these wins have come over the dirt, with a single win combing over the turf. A total of eight of her races have landed the filly with finishes on the board. Her most recent start came last month in the eight and a half furlong Vermont Is 4 Lovers (G1) where the filly broke out of the gate and was held just off the pace in third. She got got up in the stretch though and finished fourth, though setting a top speed figure of one hundred. Since the filly has switched from turf to dirt she has not finished out of the money, her worst finish coming in the afore mentioned Vermont Is 4 Lovers (G1).

Nex t is White Knuckles (Sky Mesa x Fusaichi Pegasus x Trempolino), who is trained by lenny7, who is owner of The Evil Empire. This spectacular bay filly has had a total of eight lifetime so far in her career. The impressive brown filly has won a total of fife times in her career, all over a dirt track. Her most recent start came in February during the Vermont Is 4 Lovers (G1) over eight and a half furlongs where the filly broke slowly out of the gate and hung around the back of the field until the stretch where she made some slight headway in the stretch, but still came up short, finishing tenth in the race while setting a speed figure of ninety. Previous to this race, the filly had finished off the board only one other time in her career, this in the Smackdown III Restricted, a listed stakes over seven furlongs where the filly finished thirteenth. However, with her long list of accomplishments including a win in a listed stakes and top speed figure of ninety-six, the filly could be a possible contender on Saturday.

Following will be Grandstand Delight (Rock Hard Ten x Storm Cat x Seattle Slew), who is out of the race-winning dam Cat Phyllis, and is owned by al, owner of Stretch Stables. The bay Kentucky-bred filly has had a total of six career starts and has won half of them, along with coming in for the show position in another two of her races, leaving the bay filly only one race in which she did not finish on the board. Her most recent start came last month in the listed Rotten Ant (NZ) Challenge where the filly broke out of the gate and went into sixth. She stayed mid-pack for the majority of the race until they reached the stretch where she made a late move and finished third with a speed figure of ninety three, a lifetime best of the brown filly. This Saturday will mark the fillies first attempt at a graded stakes caliber race. Perviously she has had two listed stakes starts, in both of which the filly finished third.

In the eleventh post will be Crushing Ignorance (Pulpit x Storm Bird x Nashua), who is trained by zwango, owner of Black Label Stables. The bay filly has had a total of six lifetime starts so far in her racing career, of which the filly has won half of them. In addition to her three lifetime wins the filly has also finished in the show position twice so far in her career. This leaves the filly with only a single start in which she did not finish on the board. Her most recent start came in a nine furlong allowance caliber start in North California where the filly wont he race by two and three-fourth lengths in effortless wire to wire fashion. Prior to this she had won another two straight races, an allowance race and a restricted maiden special weight. She has been impressive so far but this will be the fillies first experience with a stakes caliber race, we’ll have to see what she does on Saturday.

Next up is Boscos Emily Lep (SAF) (Toreador (IRE) x Mountain Cat x Two Punch), who is out of the race-winning dam Upper Cut Cat, and is owned and trained by boscoyawp, owner of the Boscoman Stables. The chestnut filly has had a total of eight career starts so far in her lifetime and exactly half of these have ended in wins for the chestnut filly. In addition, the filly has come in and placed second in two of her other starts. Three of her wins have been recorded over the dirt, though she also has a single win on the turf. Her most recent start came last month during an eight and a half furlong allowance caliber start in Nebraska where the filly broke out of the gate and went into second just off the pace of the front runner. She took command of the race in the turn and sprinted to a win by two and one-fourth lengths while setting a lifetime best speed figure of ninety-three. Previously, the filly also won an allowance caliber start, again in Nebraska, this time over six furlongs. Should the filly win again this weekend it will be her third straight victory. She has previously had one graded stakes start over the dirt, this in the Golden Red Stakes (G2) where she finished eleventh.

At 11/1 will be Eternal Search (A.P. Indy x Giant’s Causeway x Seeking The Gold), who is trained and owned by snappa8, owner of Snappa Racing Syndicate. The chestnut filly has had a total of seven starts so far in her racing career. Four of these starts have ended in wins along with one place and a single show, leaving the filly only one race in which she did not finish on the board. Her most recent start came overseas in Italy last month during the listed Queen’s Papers Challenge where the filly broke out of the gate and moved up into third where she was held back until the turn where she started to make her move on the pace setting front runners. By the time the field reached the wire the filly was in the lead and won the race by two and one-fourth lengths while setting a lifetime best speed figure of ninety-three. Prior to this race she had also won two straight allowance caliber races. Her only race that came as an off-the-board finish was in her maiden debut last year where she finished fourth. Despite never starting in a graded stakes race, it goes without saying that should the filly adjust well to the step up in class this Saturday, she very well could be a threat to the win.

Drawing the far outside post is longshot Meadowbank Samurai (First Samurai x Red Bullet x Theatrical (IRE)), who is out of the race-winning dam Jeter Arod Nomar, and is trained by pigeon3, owner of Wests Tigers. This bay filly has had a total of seven career starts so far in her lifetime. Of these the bay filly has won twice in her racing career. Her most recent win came this past January in the listed Dynathe Turk Handicap where the filly broke out of the start gate in second and was held just off the pace until the turn where she did take the lead by three-fourths of a length. However, the filly was caught in the stretch by a late closer to finish second by a head, through recording a lifetime best speed figure of eighty-nine. Of the fillies seven career starts she has never finished off the board in any race, and though she is inexperienced with only one stakes start, her speed figures have been steadily improving throughout her racing career.