The Fantasy – GII
$1.000.000 For Fillies Three Years Old
1 1/16 Miles – Dirt
Oaklawn Park – March 27, 2026
The Fantasy. Tick tock. Tick tock. That is the sound of time running out on the fantasy that is the Kentucky Oaks. Every owner with a talented three-year-old filly is hearing the sound of that clock right now with only five qualifying races and five weeks left until the big race. If they tell you they’re not, I contend they are lying. I don’t have a talented three-year-old in sight of my barn and I hear it! Of course, a $1,000.000 purse and the fact that three past winners of this race have gone on to win the Oaks doesn’t hurt and makes this race a prestigious event in its own right.
For history buffs, the three fillies who accomplished the Fantasy/KY Oaks double were Ashtons Pride (Waldo) in 2006, Misty Firefox (Crocker Ggs) in 2018 and Naples (Arindel) in 2021. The 2026 Fantasy had nine names hit the entry box. With one scratch as we go to print, we are looking at eight going to the gate and a partly cloudy forecast with a 24% chance of rain.
1. Zifi (Mb Stables/J.R. Velasquez) Multiple NY-Bred stakes winner who led a good portion of the G2 Davona Dale in her last start before giving way to late running Neds Diva and Exciting (in post five today). She interestingly also drew post one for the Martha Washington here at Oaklawn Park in January where she stalked and faded. Will she send from the rail? She has three wins and all of those wins have been won wire-to-wire. Currently thirty-two for Oaks qualifying with 16 points.
2. Dreambits (Mb Stables) Early scratch. Currently sits twelfth for Oaks qualifying with 49 points. Possibly removed to help out her two barn mates in the field who need the points more… and give the barn more options come Oaks entry time should those two come through. To quote Mel Brooks “It’s good to be the King”.
3. Wants It All (Mo Mentum Farm/E. Maldonado) Winner of last year’s G1 BC Juvenile Fillies and crowned 2025 champion 2 yo Female. She has made one start as a three-year-old and showed she has remained sharp with a furious stretch charge through a crowded field to finish third in the G2 Alexandra Stakes. She reunites with jockey E. Maldonado who guided her to her BD win. Currently thirteenth in Oaks qualifying with 47 points.
4. Cross Stitch (Mb Stables/L. Dettori) Has one win and three starts. Was scratched this past weekend from the Bourbonette where she had drawn the outside post ten. Made her stakes debut in the Cincinnati Trophy Stakes following her maiden win. She never threatened in that one, finishing a well beaten sixth. On paper she seems overmatched and has a lot to prove but on paper she also has Mb Stables listed as her trainer so you have to think there is something there.
5. Exciting (Maxmillion Farm/D.E. Centeno) Was offered for sale earlier in the year for $3.000 as a package with stablemate Reciprocal Rubber who is currently twelfth in KY Derby qualifying standings and won the Rushaway Stakes this past weekend. Apparently, there were no takers. I don’t know if trainer Maxmillion is happy no one bit with two top three-year-olds now on his hands. A good journalist would have reached out. My failure. Exciting made her graded stakes debut in the G2 Davona Dale in late February and finished a fast closing second missing by a neck. That run would indicate the extra ground might be to her liking. Currently twenty-second in Oaks qualifying with 25 points.
6. Space Haggis (TwinTowersRacing/S.X. Bridgmohan) She scored in her debut and then did not hit the board in her next seven races including two forays into G1 company where she didn’t make an impact. She won her last start which was going long in an overnight at Tampa Bay Downs. She came from off the pace in a nice effort but meets a different class today. Will need to continue to show improvement to challenge.
7. Three Sixes (Pan Farms/R. Bejarano) We know one thing for certain – she liked Oaklawn Park. She took the Martha Washington in January with a furious stretch run. She then came back and nearly duplicated that, missing by a half length when finishing a close third in the G3 Honeybee. Since winning the G2 Golden Rod last fall she has been sharp and is a threat against the top fillies. Currently fourteenth in Oaks qualifying with 46 points.
8. Boardwalk Beauty (Riggins Racing/P. Lopez) Has one win in five starts and has only been off the board on time. That one time was when she ventured to a high-level track and finished fifth in a MSW at Del Mar. Finished a good closing second in an overnight at Sam Houston in her last start but will need to step up here in her stakes debut.
9. Hot Bobbygum (Williams9/R.M. Hernandez) Started off the year with a promising third in the Santa Ynez at Santa Anita. Since then, she has disappointed, showing early speed in the Silverbulletday Stakes fading to sixth. She then put in a flat effort while finishing tenth in the SUN Oaks. Her trainer maintains faith and gives her another shot. Currently sixty-fourth in Oaks qualifying with 3 points.
Wants It All has to be given the edge here as the two-year-old champ with a smaller field and less horses to pass than she had to in the Alexandra. Making her second start of the year I assume she will be even sharper and the likely winner here, but she doesn’t lack challengers. Three Sixes loves this track and meets Wants It All for the first time. She has “home” track advantage so I will put her second to the champ. I respect Exciting and if she takes to this track, she could make her presence felt so I will place her in third. Zifi on the rail in a race that is not packed with early speed makes her a runaway threat. I am placing her third but could be dangerous.
Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES