From dreaming of winning the Kentucky Oaks in his hometown, trainer Brad Cox can think about finishing one-two in the race.
Sassy Sienna booked a late reservation for the May 4 filly classic at Churchill Downs with a victory Friday in the Grade 3 $400,000 Fantasy Stakes at Oaklawn Park, Midshipman's dark bay or brown daughter nosing out Wonder Gadot after a thrilling mile and sixteenth.
Perhaps Cox, a Louisville native, can arrange for an adjoining stall with Monomoy Girl, who gave the 38-year-old trainer his first Grade 1 victory in last week's Ashland Stakes at Keeneland.
Cox nominated both fillies to the Fantasy, keeping Sassy Sienna over the track that she won by 9 1/2 lengths Jan. 15 and placed second and third in two Fantasy preps.
Cox now can go for the main event on Oaks Day after winning the Eight Belles with Oaklawn-raced filly Benner Island on the first Friday in May last year.
"She's a very, very tough filly," Cox said after the Fantasy. "She gives you all she's got every time out, and hopefully she's got something left three weeks from now."
Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens called Sassy Sienna "a beautiful filly" after their fourth collaboration of the meeting.
"... I was wishing today was a mile and an eighth and that's a good thing because she will get the mile and an eighth for the Oaks," Stevens said. "She is springing forward at the right time."
The Fantasy's mile-and-sixteenth distance proved just right for Sassy Sienna -- and too long, again, for 7-5 favorite Amy's Challenge.
A tiring second March 10 in the Grade 3 Honeybee, her first career loss, Amy's Challenge picked up Mike Smith to conserve her early speed in her second two-turn effort. For a while, things went according to plan: Turf star Artie Schiller's daughter led by five lengths after six furlongs in 1:10.52 and turned for home three in front.
But even with a Hall of Fame jockey aboard, Amy's Challenge hit the proverbial wall, finishing more than two lengths back in third over a surface rated fast but moisture laden.
"I just couldn't get her to turn off," Smith said. "When the track is sealed like that, it can really make a lot of noise and she just kept running from it. I tried to slow her down and it made it worse. I was stuck between a rock and a hard place."
Wonder Gadot, one of two Fantasy shippers, and Sassy Sienna dueled to the wire after collaring the leader in the final sixteenth. Sassy Sienna, carrying 117 pounds, 4 less than stakes winners Wonder Gadot and Amy's Challenge, got home first in 1:45.63, paying $25, $8.20 and $4.20.
"She left there running and sat a good trip in second and just kept grinding it out," Stevens said.
David Cabrera, riding Wonder Gadot for trainer Mark Casse, said his filly "fought all the way. I thought for a little bit that we were the winner, but that other horse just kept on kicking."
Honeybee winner Cosmic Burst, Bo Peep, Harbor Lights, Tahoe Dream and Princess Warrior completed the order of finish in the 46th Fantasy.
Sassy Sienna earned $240,000 for Medallion Racing and Jerry McClanahan, boosting her bankroll to $394,600 from nine starts.
Sports on 04/14/2018