Three participants in this year's Breeders' Cup World Championships â€" Diamondrella, Lethal Heat, and Magical Fantasy -- were scheduled to be offered at the Nov. 10 Fasig-Tipton November select mixed sale in Lexington as of Nov. 9. Grade I winner Diamondrella finished 11th in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint; grade II winner Lethal Heat was seventh in the Breeders' Cup Ladies Classic (gr. I); and grade I winner Magical Fantasy finished fifth in the Emirates Airline Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (gr. IT).
It would be an understatement to say that Magical Fantasy heads the California contingent for the $2 million Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf (gr. IT) at Santa Anita Nov. 6. After four consecutive major stakes wins locally, three in grade I company, she's nearly all that's left.
Forever Together, winner of last year's $2-million Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (gr. IT), is the 5-2 morning-line favorite to repeat in the event Nov. 6 at Santa Anita Park.
Looking to join Ouija Board as the only two-time winner of the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf (gr. IT), Forever Together is the likely pick in the $2 million event sponsored by Emirates Airline.
Ridden patiently by Alex Solis, heavily favored Magical Fantasy captured her third consecutive grade I event when she overtook Visit mid-stretch and held off the late charge of Black Mamba to win Oak Tree's $300,000 Yellow Ribbon Stakes (gr. IT) at Santa Anita Oct. 10.
Magical Fantasy looks for her fourth consecutive graded stakes win for trainer Paddy Gallagher as the probable favorite in Oak Tree's $300,000 Yellow Ribbon Stakes (gr. IT) at Santa Anita Oct. 10.
Magical Fantasy earned her third consecutive graded stakes score by coming from off the pace to win the $350,000 John C. Mabee (gr. IT) under Alex Solis Aug. 16 at Del Mar.
Tuscan Evening has taken tremendous strides in going from a maiden to a graded stakes winner in just one season, but the 4-year-old filly will now get her stiffest test yet when she faces a solid field of fillies and mares that includes multiple grade I winner Magical Fantasy in the $350,000 John C. Mabee Stakes (gr. IT).
Magical Fantasy had much to do under Alex Solis to win the $250,000 Gamely Stakes (gr. IT), but she proved equal to the task, edging Visit and Diamond Diva in the final couple of jumps in a terrific finish at Hollywood Park May 30.
Magical Fantasy, winner of the Santa Barbara Handicap (gr. IIT) at Santa Anita last month, and Black Mamba, who came up a nose shy in a desperate stretch drive, will battle again in the $250,000 Gamely Stakes (gr. IT) on the Hollywood Park turf May 30.
In spite of being blocked on the final turn, Magical Fantasy scored an incredibly close victory in the $200,000 Santa Barbara Handicap (gr. IIT) over hard-luck Black Mamba, who lost this race by the barest of margins for the second straight year at Santa Anita April 18.
Foxysox and Black Mamba, separated by a nose when they ran first and second, respectively, in last year's Santa Barbara Handicap (gr. IIT) at Santa Anita, return in what should be an intriguing renewal of the $200,000 grass event April 18.
Even-money choice Life Is Sweet became a grade I winner when she circled the field leaving the turn for home and mowed down the leaders through the lane to win the $300,000 Santa Margarita Invitational Handicap (gr. I) at Santa Anita March 14.
Santa Teresita, surprise winner of the Santa Maria Handicap (gr. I) at odds of 13-1 one month ago, figures to be a considerably shorter price when she takes on six older fillies and mares in the $300,000 Santa Margarita Invitational Handicap (gr. I) March 14.
Favored Life Is Sweet hardly had an ideal set-up in the $200,000 La Canada Stakes (gr. II), racing at the back of the pack behind extremely slow fractions. But the full sister to champion 2-year-old filly Sweet Catomine refused to be denied, swinging to the outside under Garrett Gomez in the homestretch to overtake Magical Fantasy in the final strides at Santa Anita Feb. 15.
After her dominating win in the El Encino Stakes (gr. II) in January, Life Is Sweet stands out among nine 4-year-old fillies entered for the $200,000 La Canada Stakes (gr. II) at Santa Anita Park Feb. 15.
Kyniska, victorious in both of her American starts for trainer Bobby Frankel, makes her initial U.S. stakes try in the $100,000 Tuzla Handicap (gr. IIIT) on the Santa Anita turf Jan. 25. She is part of a 14-horse field of older fillies and mares expected to crowd the gate.
Favored Cocoa Beach staged a furious rally through the homestretch to nab pacesetter Precious Kitten in the final strides, winning Hollywood Park's $500,000 Matriarch (gr. IT) on the grass by three-quarters of a length Nov. 30.
Chilean-bred Cocoa Beach, runner-up to Zenyatta in the Breeders' Cup Ladies Classic (gr. I) last out, makes her return to the track to face a loaded field of nine fillies and mares in the $500,000 Matriarch (gr. IT) Nov. 30 on the Hollywood Park turf.
Magical Fantasy chose a big race to break into stakes company in North America. After two modest showings in graded stakes at Hollywood Park, the daughter of Diesis rolled to a two-length victory at odds of over 42-1 in the Del Mar Oaks (gr. I). No one has to look too deep in her pedigree to see her affinity for the grass.
Magical Fantasy, the longest shot in the $350,000 Del Mar Oaks (gr. IT), registered 42-1 shocker with a big finishing kick for jockey Alex Solis on the turf Aug. 16.
A determined runner-up in last month's American Oaks (gr. IT) in her American debut, Satan's Circus faces nine rivals in a wide open $350,000 Del Mar Oaks (gr. IT) Aug. 16.
Carribean Sunset, a multiple group III winner in Ireland, leads a four-horse European contingent in a field of 12 3-year-old fillies contesting the $750,000 American Oaks Invitational Stakes (gr. IT) at Hollywood Park July 5.
Sweeter Still, winner of the Senorita Stakes (gr. IIIT) by a nose in her last start, is the 121-pound high weight in the $175,000 Honeymoon Handicap (gr. IIT) on the Hollywood Park lawn June 7.
In spite of drifting out a couple of paths from mid-stretch to the wire, favored Sweeter Still won the $109,800 Senorita Stakes (gr. IIIT) on the Hollywood Park turf by a nose over Magical Fantasy. Stewards, following a lengthy inquiry, decided against making a change in the order of finish.
