Sassy Sienna, Wonder Gadot to get rematch in Kentucky Oaks

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Sassy Sienna and Wonder Gadot finished a nose apart Friday in the Grade 3, $400,000 Fantasy at Oaklawn and a rematch is brewing for next month’s Kentucky Oaks.

Trainer Brad Cox said Sassy Sienna, who earned a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 82 for her win in the Fantasy, is scheduled to ship Saturday night to his Churchill Downs division to begin preparations for the Kentucky Oaks. Trainer Mark Casse said Wonder Gadot, who earned the same number, is set to ship Monday to Churchill for the Oaks.

Sassy Sienna was always prominent Friday, racing behind the quick fractions put up by Amy’s Challenge. Sassy Sienna then fought on to the wire to win her first stakes in the Fantasy.

“It was a huge effort to kind of chase Amy around there, and Wonder Gadot got by her, and then she was in between two good fillies and battled back to get her head down at the right time,” said Cox.

Gary Stevens was aboard and will have the mount in the Oaks, said Cox.

Sassy Sienna was to ship to Churchill with other Oaklawn-based horses trained by Cox. Oaklawn closed out its meet Saturday.

“I was kind of thinking last night we’ll probably just work her one time,” Cox said. “That was an extremely tough, hard race yesterday and three weeks, we don’t have a lot of time of time. I would say we’ll probably have one work, six, seven days out from the Oaks.”

Wonder Gadot, as a stakes winner, toted 121 pounds under the conditions of the Fantasy – four more Sassy Sienna. Trainer Mark Casse said Wonder Gadot, who is a Grade 2 winner, was in good order Saturday.

“She ran too good to lose,” he said.

Casse said one reason the Kentucky-based Wonder Gadot was shipped in for the Fantasy was to secure points for the Oaks.

“We were on the borderline of getting in and needed points, so we accomplished that,” said Casse.

Amy’s Challenge finished third in the Fantasy and could cut back to one turn for her next start, according to her trainer, Mac Robertson. He said Saturday that she would be nominated to the Eight Belles at Churchill and the Miss Preakness at Pimlico.

– additional reporting by Jim Dunleavy