Terra Promessa tops six-horse field for Fantasy

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – The first stakes of the $3.75 million Racing Festival of the South at Oaklawn was drawn on Wednesday, with six 3-year-old fillies set to run in the Grade 3, $400,000 Fantasy. The 1 1/16-mile race will be held Saturday as the first of nine major stakes to be contested over the final week of the meet that ends April 16.

Terra Promessa, the winner of last month’s Grade 3, $200,000 Honeybee at Oaklawn, will break from post 2 as the probable favorite. Ricardo Santana Jr. has the mount for trainer Steve Asmussen.

Cosmic Evolution, who was third in the Honeybee, blew out for the Fantasy on Wednesday morning, going an easy three-eighths in 39.20 seconds soon after the track opened. Ramon Vazquez was aboard for the breeze and has the mount from post 3. Lon Wiggins said he has been pleased with how Cosmic Evolution is coming up to the Fantasy.

“She’s been really happy,” he said.

The Fantasy field from the rail out, with riders: Taxable, Corey Nakatani; Terra Promessa; Cosmic Evolution; Florida Bird, Alex Canchari; Impasse, Channing Hill; and Ready to Confess, Luis Quinonez.

The Fantasy will dole out Kentucky Oaks eligibility points on a sliding scale of 100-40-20-10. It is one of three Oaks points races Saturday. The others are the Santa Anita Oaks and the Ashland Stakes at Keeneland.

Oaklawn will open its infield Saturday, weather permitting. The forecast calls for sunny skies and a high of 69 degrees.