With trainer Ken McPeek opting to send Beautician to Keeneland, only four fillies have been entered for the $300,000 Fantasy Stakes (gr. II) April 2 at Oaklawn Park.
The 1 1/16-mile Fantasy kicks off Oaklawn Park’s "Racing Festival of the South." The festival features at least one $100,000 stakes race for each of the final six days of the Oaklawn Park meet.
McPeek said he preferred to run Beautician in Keeneland’s Central Bank Ashland (gr. I) because of its higher graded status.
The four entered in the Fantasy are All Due Respect and Blind Luck, who ran second and third, respectively, in the Santa Anita Oaks (gr. I) over the Pro-Ride surface March 6, as well as Tidal Pool and No Such Word.
Blind Luck, trained by Jerry Hollendorfer for a partnership that includes him, Mark Domenico, John Carver, and Peter Abruzzo, was the 1-2 favorite in the Santa Anita Oaks on the basis of victories in three grade I races -- the Oak Leaf Stakes and Hollywood Starlet Stakes in 2009, and the Las Virgenes Stakes in 2010.
The daughter of Pollard's Vision has won five of eight career starts, with a second and two thirds while earning $889,050. In addition to her grade I successes, the filly ran second in the Darley Debutante Stakes (gr. II) and was third, only three-quarters of a length behind winner and eventual champion She Be Wild, in the Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr. I). She will carry 121 pounds with Rafael Bejarano aboard.
All Due Respect, a daughter of Value Plus trained by Kathy Walsh for Al and Sandee Kirkwood, has one win, three seconds, and a third to her credit in six starts, with earnings of $136,032. All Due Respect began her career with a second in maiden company, and was then placed second in the Monmouth Park MATC Futurity and third in Churchill Downs’ Pocahontas Stakes (gr. III) before breaking her maiden in her fifth start. Garrett Gomez will ride All Due Respect, who will carry 117 pounds.
No Such Word, a Canadian Frontier homebred racing for former Kentucky Gov. Brereton C. Jones, is coming off a victory in Oaklawn Park’s Honeybee Stakes (gr. III). The filly broke her maiden in her fourth start and also has an allowance/optional claiming victory to her credit. No Such Word is trained by Cindy Jones, whose husband, Larry Jones saddled the ill-fated Eight Belles to win the 2008 Fantasy. Eight Belles finished second to Big Brown in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) before her tragic death just past the finish line. The co-highweight at 121 pounds, No Such Word will be ridden by Terry Thompson
The field is completed by Tidal Pool, a daughter of Yankee Gentleman trained by D. Wayne Lukas for the Westrock Stables of Scott T. and Joe T. Ford. Tidal Pool has three wins, including an eight-length romp in an allowance at Oaklawn previous to the Fantasy, a second and a third in nine starts.
The 2009 Fantasy was won by eventual Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra as a prep for her record romp in the Kentucky Oaks (gr. I).
$300,000 Fantasy Stakes (gr. III), Race 10, 5:47 p.m. CST, 3YO Fillies, 1 1/16 Miles (Dirt)
PP, Horse, Weight, Jockey
1. All Due Respect, 117, Garrett Gomez
2. No Such Word, 121, Terry Thompson
3. Tidal Pool, 117, Calvin Borel
4. Blind Luck, 121, Rafael Bejarano