Honeybee Winner Will's Secret Could Return in Fantasy
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Photo: Coady Photography
Will's Secret wins the Honeybee Stakes at Oaklawn Park
With the April 30 Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) at Chuchill Downs less than eight weeks away, trainer Dallas Stewart is figuring out the best path to the fillies' classic for a pair of Willis Horton Racing homebreds. Will's Secret made that path easier by winning the March 6 Honeybee Stakes (G3) at Oaklawn Park. The Will Take Charge daughter earned 50 points on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks for her win in the 1 1/16-mile feature and vaulted to the top of the leaderboard with 60 total points. She earned her first 10 points when taking the Jan. 30 Martha Washington Stakes, also at Oaklawn.
Oaklawn's final local prep for the Kentucky Oaks is the April 3 Fantasy Stakes (G3), which offers points on a 100-40-20-10 scale to the top four finishers.
"That would be the plan, but we've got another nice filly, too, in Take Charge Lorin," Stewart said. "I really like her, too. I think we'll probably go to the Fantasy (with Will's Secret) and maybe the Ashland (G1) for the other filly. I don't know. We'll just have to see."
Like the Fantasy, the Central Bank Ashland Stakes at Keeneland will also run April 3 and offer points on a 100-40-20-10 basis. Both preps are run at 1 1/16 miles.
Take Charge Lorin, a Tapit filly, graduated Feb. 25 at Oaklawn in a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight.