Cosmic Burst Could Light Up Fantasy

Cosmic Burst, a clear winner of the March 10 Honeybee Stakes (G3) at Oaklawn Park, is poised to move forward April 13 in the $400,000 Fantasy Stakes (G3) in Hot Springs, Ark. Three of the seven fillies in the 1 1/16-mile Honeybee finished behind the daughter of Violence  last time out.

Cosmic Burst, a winner of three of four at 2, made her 3-year-old bow Feb. 10 at Oaklawn in the one-mile Martha Washington Stakes with a third-place finish over a sloppy/sealed surface. That set her up for the Honeybee, where she settled off the early pace set by Amy's Challenge before advancing to the lead under Richard Eramia to win by 1 3/4 lengths. Amy's Challenge held for second, with Sassy Sienna finishing third. Those three, along with fifth-place finisher Bo Peep, come back in the Fantasy.

"We're happy with the way she came out of the Honeybee and we're ready for the Fantasy," trainer Donnie Von Hemel said. "The weather last weekend wasn't great, so we want to shake things up a little bit."

Cosmic Burst has worked twice since the Honeybee, with her last drill coming March 31 with a 1:01 2/5 breeze at five furlongs.

Norma Lee Stockseth and Todd Dunn own Cosmic Burst, a Pennsylvania-bred filly out of Pegging Ring, by Ghostzapper . She was a $25,000 purchase from Select Sales' consignment to the 2016 Keeneland September sale.

"We saw a lot of the Violence yearlings at the sale and thought we needed to buy one. We swung and missed on a couple of them, but wound up with her," Von Hemel said. "We like what's she done so far."

Cosmic Burst has a 4-1-1 record in six starts and has earned $267,080.

Von Hemel won the 2002 Fantasy with Josephine Abercrombie's See How She Runs.

The highest earner in the Fantasy cast is Gary Barber's Wonder Gadot. The dark bay Medaglia d'Oro  filly is winless in three outings this season at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, but has faced top company for trainer Mark Casse each time. She was second, beaten a neck, in the Silverbulletday Stakes, and then third in both the Rachel Alexandra Stakes (G2) and Twinspires.com Fair Grounds Oaks (G2).

Her last-out Equibase Speed Figure, 96, tops the field. An Ontario-bred out of the Vindication mare Loving Vindication, she's the winner of last year's Demoiselle Stakes (G2) and has earned $402,973 off a 3-1-3 mark in eight starts. 

Also shipping in for the Fantasy is the Ken McPeek-trained Princess Warrior. The Midshipman  filly was second last fall in Keeneland's Darley Alcibiades Stakes (G1) and has made a pair of starts at Gulfstream Park this year, finishing third March 31 in the Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2). She's owned by Evan Trommer, Matthew Trommer, and Andrew Trommer.

Amy's Challenge, trained by McLean Robertson, won the six-furlong Dixie Belle Stakes Jan. 20 at Oaklawn prior to setting the pace in the Honeybee in her two-turn debut. She gets a key rider switch from the local Jareth Loveberry to Hall of Famer Mike Smith. Loveberry sustained an injury to his left arm during training hours Sunday. Smith's main assignment will be aboard champion Unique Bella in Friday's Apple Blossom Handicap (G1).

Entries: Fantasy S. (G3)

Oaklawn Park, Friday, April 13, 2018, Race 7

• Grade III
• 1 1/16m
• Dirt
• $400,000
• 3 yo Fillies
• 4:34 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Sassy Sienna (KY)	Gary L. Stevens	117	Brad H. Cox	8/1
2	2Harbor Lights (KY)	Ricardo Santana, Jr.	117	Steven M. Asmussen	6/1
3	3Tahoe Dream (KY)	Alex L. Canchari	117	McLean Robertson	20/1
4	4Cosmic Burst (PA)	Richard E. Eramia	121	Donnie K. Von Hemel	7/2
5	5Bo Peep (KY)	Jon Kenton Court	117	William H. Fires	30/1
6	6Amy's Challenge (KY)	Mike E. Smith	121	McLean Robertson	5/2
7	7Princess Warrior (KY)	Ramon A. Vazquez	117	Kenneth G. McPeek	8/1
8	8Wonder Gadot (ON)	David Cabrera	121	Mark E. Casse	2/1