Sharp Lisa One to Beat in Fantasy Stakes

Grade I winner Sharp Lisa, a star in Southern California this spring, heads a talented field of 3-year-old fillies in Friday's $250,000 Fantasy Stakes (gr. II) at 1 1/16 miles.

Sharp Lisa drew the extreme outside post in the field of nine. The filly was scratched from the April 9 Ashland (gr. I) at Keeneland. Trainer Doug O'Neill said the filly apparently bruised her left hind foot when she kicked the wall of her stall.

"Knock on wood, she's doing better," O'Neill said.

The daughter of Dixieland Band won both the Santa Ynez (gr. II) and Las Virgenes Stakes (gr. I) at Santa Anita this year and will try to continue that streak in a race full of potential stars. Garret Gomez, a former Oaklawn regular, has been assigned the mount.

Leading the competition will be the local sensation Round Pond, trained by John Servis and ridden by Stewart Elliott. The Awesome Again   filly took the Honeybee by nearly six lengths and worked five furlongs in :58.3 in preparation for the Fantasy on Sunday morning.

From Florida, trainer George Weaver is sending his undefeated filly Yankee Penny. The Quiet American filly will be making her first stakes start after winning by 10 1/2 and 6 1/2 lengths over the Gulfstream Park strip in her two previous starts. Jose Santos picks up the mount.

Also entered for the Fantasy are Cape Hope, a winner of four in a row, including two turf stakes at Gulfstream Park; Jill Robin L, winner of Gulfstream's Bonnie Miss (gr. II); and R Lady Joy, nine-lengths winner of the Florida Oaks at Tampa Bay Downs.

$250,000 Fantasy Stakes (gr. II, 5:38 p.m. CDT), 3-year-old fillies, 1 1/6 miles
PP. Horse, Weight, Jockey
1. The Beter Man Can (LA), 117, Elvis Perrodin
2. Cape Hope (KY), 121, Calvin Borel
3. Rugula (KY), 117, Greta Kuntzweiler
4. Round Pond (KY), 121, Stewart Elliott
5. Yankee Penny (KY), 117, Jose Santos
6. Jill Robin L (FL), 121, John McKee
7. She Sings (KY), 121, Jamie Theriot
8. R Lady Joy (KY), 121, Jose Lezcano
9. Sharp Lisa (KY), 121, Garrett Gomez