Grand Love should improve in Fantasy following season debut
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HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Grand Love’s newfound ability to rate could work in her favor Saturday when she tries to turn the tables on local leader Wet Paint in the Grade 3, $600,000 Fantasy at Oaklawn Park.
Wet Paint is the one to beat in the 1 1/16-mile race by virtue of the fact she’s never lost on dirt and never lost at Oaklawn. In her local wins, she has accounted for the Martha Washington in January and the Grade 3 Honeybee in March.
Both races carried points for the Kentucky Oaks, as does the Fantasy on a scale of 100-40-30-20-10.
A field of 10 is set to start in the Fantasy, which is one of four stakes on a 13-race card led by the Arkansas Derby. The infield will be open, and the forecast calls for sunshine and temps in the 70s.
Grand Love finished third while starting her season in the Feb. 25 Honeybee. In her final race of 2022, she set the pace and finished sixth to eventual champion Wonder Wheel in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies on Nov. 4. Grand Love sat just off the pace in the Honeybee.
“It was something she needed to do,” said Steve Asmussen, who trains Grand Love for her breeder, Three Chimneys Farm. “She followed a little bit, settled, pulled for a tad. But I thought she learned a lot in it, and I think that she will benefit from that race and being here.”
Grand Love, who shipped in from Fair Grounds for the Honeybee, has since trained at Oaklawn.
Tyler Gaffalione has the mount from post 2.
“She’s an extremely talented filly,” Asmussen said. “I think she’ll definitely move forward.”
Grand Love is a daughter of Gun Runner. Her dam, the stakes winner Grand Prayer, has produced a Grade 1 winner in Malibu Prayer and a Grade 2 winner in millionaire Valid.
Wet Paint is 3 for 3 on dirt, with two of those wins coming at Oaklawn. She has turned in explosive closing runs in each of her local starts, shuttling home by three lengths in the Honeybee and by two lengths in the Martha Washington.
The daughter of Blame races for her breeder, Godolphin. She will start from post 6. Trainer Brad Cox has given the mount to Flavien Prat.
Taxed, Pate, Royal Spa, Olivia Twist, and Condensation could all contribute to pace in the Fantasy.
Royal Spa is moving back to two turns after winning an entry-level allowance over six furlongs March 2 at Oaklawn. She was fourth in the Grade 2 Demoiselle in December at Aqueduct and earlier this year trainer Rodolphe Brisset said the Fantasy was a goal for the filly. Last year, the trainer won the race with Yuugiri.
Olivia Twist is one of two stakes winners in the field. Olivia Twist captured the Trapeze at a mile in December at Oaklawn.
She’s Lookin Lucky will get good support off a runner-up finish to Punchbowl in a first-level allowance at Oaklawn. Punchbowl is being considered for the Grade 1 Ashland at Keeneland, according to her trainer, Cox.
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