Oaklawn Park: Sugar Shock wires Fantasy Stakes

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Sugar Shock, who had her number taken down in last month’s Honeybee Stakes at Oaklawn Park, exacted a measure of revenge Saturday, when she wired the field in the track’s Grade 3, $400,000 Fantasy Stakes.

Sugar Shock won by a half-length over Kiss Moon, and it was another 3 1/2 lengths back to Euphrosyne in third and an additional 2 1/2 lengths back to Stopchargingmaria in fourth. All four earned qualifying points for the Kentucky Oaks on a sliding scale of 100-40-20-10.

Sugar Shock, who was placed second in the Grade 3, $150,000 Honeybee after drifting in during the stretch run and impeding a rival, now has 120 points for the Kentucky Oaks, and the May 2 race is a “good possibility” for the filly, said trainer Doug Anderson. She ranks second to Untapble on the latest points leaderboard issued by Churchill Downs.

The Fantasy opened the $3.3 million Racing Festival of the South, a collection of nine major stakes over the final week of the meet that closes April 12. Attendance on an overcast, chilly afternoon Saturday was 19,878. Handle on the 10-race card from all sources was $3,919,688.

Sugar Shock ($8.20) broke well from her rail post and proceeded to take the field through fractions of 23.25 seconds for the opening quarter, 46.99 for the half-mile, and 1:11.65 for six furlongs, tracked by Kiss Moon. In the stretch, Kiss Moon made a run at the leader, but Sugar Shock dug in while covering the 1 1/16 miles on a track rated “fast” in 1:43.87.

“She broke so well today and settled nicely into the turn,” said winning rider Channing Hill. “I wish she would have turned off a little bit for me going down the backside. She got into her left lead around the turn and actually took a couple of deep breaths. I knew she would be tough from there.”

The win was the first in a stakes for Sugar Shock, who earlier in the meet won a maiden special weight sprint and a first-level allowance sprint. Sugar Shock races for On Cloud Nine LLC.

“We’re just ecstatic,” said Anderson. “This has been a joy for all of us. I’m kind of all choked up.”

Sugar Shock is a daughter of Candy Ride bred in Kentucky by Pam and Martin Wygod. She earned $240,000 in her sixth career start Saturday.

Please Explain, the favorite in the Fantasy, is a closer who finished seventh.