Honey Bunny crushes three foes in Prairie Rose

The 4-year-old Tapizar filly Honey Bunny has resided in four different stables already this year. Twice in 2018 connections seemed very interested in losing Honey Bunny, dropping her precipitously in claiming price and losing her at the claim box. Surely there were reasons, but from the outside looking in, the whole thing is a little difficult to understand since Honey Bunny appears to be getting better, not worse.

Trainer John Ortiz and a partnership of owners were the latest folks to try their luck, claiming her for $16,000 on April 8 at Oaklawn, and after winning for a $40,000 claiming price last out at Indiana Grand, Honey Bunny became a stakes winner by crushing three foes Thursday night in the $50,000 Prairie Rose Stakes at Prairie Meadows.

Honey Bunny, the 9-10 second choice, waited in third under Santo Sanjur as 4-5 favorite Mythical Tale dueled with Jersey Heist through a testing 44.84-second half-mile. Jersey Heist won the pace battle but both front-runners were sitting ducks for Honey Bunny, who swooped to the front and went on to a six-length victory, stopping the timer in 1:09.02 for six furlongs on a fast track. Not bad for a horse people have been more interested in losing than keeping this year.

Honey Bunny paid $3.80 to win. Jersey Heist was a neck better than Mythical Tale with Soliloquy bringing up the rear after Miss Kentucky and Julerette were scratched. Honey Bunny, who was produced by the Storm Cat mare, Sennockian Storm, now sports an excellent record of 8-4-2 from 19 starts. And maybe this time she has found a longer-term home.