Short price on Terra Promessa in Fantasy Stakes
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Terra Promessa has won a pair of Oaklawn Park races by a combined 15 1/2 lengths, and on the strength of those efforts, she figures to start as an odds-on favorite Saturday in the Grade 3, $400,000 Fantasy.
The Fantasy, for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles, opens the $3.75 million Racing Festival of the South. The annual Oaklawn series features nine stakes over the final week of the meet that closes April 16 with the Arkansas Derby. The Fantasy is one of five graded stakes during the festival, which debuted in 1974 as the brainchild of Oaklawn president Charles Cella.
Terra Promessa, who is seeking her fourth straight win, is part of a six-horse Fantasy field that includes fellow stakes winner Cosmic Evolution and the undefeated Taxable. The first four finishers Saturday will earn Kentucky Oaks eligibility points on a scale of 100-40-20-10.
Fantasy (Race 9)
KEY CONTENDERS
Terra Promessa, by Curlin
Last 3 Beyers: 81-77-71
◗ She began her streak when she moved to two turns in her second career start Nov. 15 at Churchill Downs. She was a one-length winner of a maiden special weight race at 1 1/16 miles. Terra Promessa then popped up at Oaklawn and won a first-level allowance by nine lengths Feb. 6 and the Grade 3, $200,000 Honeybee by 6 1/2 lengths in her most recent start March 12.
“The filly has done wonderful since she’s been here,” said Steve Asmussen, who trains Terra Promessa for Stonestreet Stables. “Her last two races have been very impressive, and she’s trained nice since. I think the Fantasy is a very nice opportunity for a filly that’s obviously going in the right direction.”
◗ Terra Promessa has registered both of her local wins at the distance of the Fantasy. She will break from post 2 under Ricardo Santana Jr.
“I think the filly’s got a nice cruising speed,” Asmussen said. “She goes over the ground effortlessly, and she’s looked good finishing up the last two races.”
Cosmic Evolution, by Proud Citizen
Last 3 Beyers: 64-68-62
◗ The winner of last year’s $100,000 Debutante at Churchill, she also exits the Honeybee. Cosmic Evolution finished third, 11 lengths behind Terra Promessa, after setting the pace on a muddy, laboring kind of track.
“I thought she went a little too quick early, and she just got really tired,” said Lon Wiggins, who trains Cosmic Evolution for Stephen Fidel. “It seemed like she handled the track well, but it was her first time going two turns. Hopefully, she’ll get a lot out of that.”
◗ Cosmic Evolution has thrived since, said Wiggins, who has given the mount to Ramon Vazquez following the retirement of Calvin Borel. Cosmic Evolution will break from post 3, and while she could find herself on the lead as one of the quickest members of the short field, she is not one-dimensional, said Wiggins.
“She doesn’t have to go,” he said.
Taxable, by Tapit
Beyers: 72-64
◗ She won her debut in a maiden special weight at six furlongs last June at Churchill. In her only other start, Taxable captured an optional $75,000 claiming race in her first attempt at two turns March 11 at Oaklawn.
“She ran a really good race here over the racetrack,” said Asmussen, who trains Taxable for Winchell Thoroughbreds. “We talked about possibly running her in the Ashland instead but thought with her last race being over this racetrack, especially with her only having two lifetime races, not throwing another variable in there was probably the right thing to do.”
◗ Taxable will break from the rail under Corey Nakatani.