Fantasy Stakes Preview: Shippers Invade to Take on Amie's Dini

Racing Dudes Top 4: #8 Amie’s Dini, #1 Mamma Kimbo, #2 Wait Til Dawn, #3 Kitty Kat Karly

Oaklawn Wizard Trifecta: 1,8/1,8/ALL

With the defection of On Fire Baby, Amie’s Dini (KY) takes over the roll of the favorite in this years Fantasy. With that favoritism comes great responsibility considering the history of this race. Eight Belles, Rachel Alexandera, Blind Luck, and Joyful Victory were all favorites in this race, and all won impressively. Rachel Alexandra and Blind Luck went on to win the Kentucky Oaks, while Eight Belles finished second in the Kentucky Derby. Those stats show you how strong this race has been over the years, and how big of foot steps Amie’s Dini has to follow.

Coming into the race Amie’s Dini has run extremely well at Oaklawn. She won the Martha Washington over an undefeated Now I Know, and was a close second to On Fire Baby in the Honeybee. Where she is placed in this race will be interesting. She found herself on the lead in the Honeybee, and that may have cost her late in the race as she got a little tired. Look for jockey Jon Court to try to settle her down a little this time. Getting a win in the Fantasy would mean the world to trainer Ron Moquett, who is an Arkansas guy that has had a large stable at Oaklawn for years.

The horses lining up to challenge Amie’s Dini are lacking in some area’s of their resume, but are led by Hall of Fame trainers and jockeys. Mamma Kimbo (KY) will lead the shippers for trainer Bob Baffert, and Mike Smith is in to ride. She only has one race under her belt, but it was an impressive maiden win in which she received a triple digit speed figure. Obviously the horse has an abundance of talent, but can she overcome her lack of experience? Baffert has also sent in Jemima’s Pearl (KY) who is an interesting horse. After struggling overseas, she was victorious in her only start in the United States when she won an allowance race at Santa Anita. Joe Talamo is in for the ride.

Bob Baffert won’t be the only one shipping horses in, as Todd Pletcher and Bill Mott will also have starters in the race. Pletcher’s runner, Wait Til Dawn (KY), won the Suncoast Stakes at Tampa last time out by a half-length. On paper she may not stack up to some of the others in the race, but you have to love that Javier Castellano has flown in to ride. Off Limits (KY) is the Mott trained horse that has shipped into Oaklawn. She exists an ungraded stakes at Aqueduct where she was beaten by a head. I’m not sure Off Limits is good enough to win this one, but a top three finish is not out of the question.

The field is rounded out by two local horses that just broke their maiden in Kittty Kat Karly (KY) and Illegally Blonde (KY), and another Moquett trained filly in Livi Makenzie (KY). Kitty Kat Karly and Illegally Blonde broke their maidens on the same day, with Illegally Blonde running the fastest of the two times. Livi Makenzie has finished first or second in three allowance races at Oaklawn this year. None of these three match up numbers wise with the top few in this race, but will look to use their home track advantage over some of the shippers.