Sassy Sienna nips Wonder Gadot in Fantasy Stakes thriller

The bridesmaid became the bride Friday when Medallion Racing and Jerry McClanahan’s Sassy Sienna got up late to win the $400,000 Fantasy Stakes (G3) after a second and third in the earlier prep races this season at Oaklawn.

“She’s a tough filly,” trainer Brad Cox said. “She’s shown us a lot from the get go. On to the (Kentucky) Oaks.”

Sassy Sienna, a Midshipman filly, improved her record to 3-2-2 from nine career starts and has now earned $394,600. Her 100 points earned from the Fantasy victory now ranks her third on the Kentucky Oaks leader board and assures her a spot in the 14-horse field May 2. Runner-up Wonder Gadot now has 84 points and sits eighth on the list, while third-place finisher Amy’s Challenge is 13th with 40 points.

The Fantasy winner was forwardly placed from the break and tracked Amy’s Challenge in second through early fractions of :22.87 and :45.88 for the first half mile. She dropped back to third at the top of the stretch, but rallied late between horses to edge Wonder Gadot by a nose. She completed the 1 1/16 mile race in 1:45.63 over a fast, but wet track.

Sassy Sienna returned $25, $8.20 and $4.20 at odds of 11-1. She had been dismissed after finishing second in the Martha Washington Stakes and Honeybee Stakes (G3).