Joyful Victory in the Fantasy S. (G2) |
In a repeat of her performance in the Honeybee S. (G3) last month, Tapit's Joyful Victory cruised to an easy victory in the Fantasy S. (G2) at Oaklawn Park on April 10, winning by the 1 1/16 mile event by a commanding seven lengths. The 3-year-old filly opened her season with an easy win in the Honeybee on March 12.
Tapit has a trio of contenders for this year's Kentucky Oaks (G1), scheduled for May 6 at Churchill Downs. Besides Joyful Victory, both Zazu and Dancinginherdreams are potential starters in the $500,000 race.
Joyful Victory settled into third in the early stages. Explosive Disco took the lead into the first turn, with Arienza racing about two lengths back in second, behind fractions of 22.89 seconds for the opening quarter and 46.60 for the half-mile. Arienza got the first jump on the leader after six furlongs in 1:11.42. Joyful Victory took up the chase soon afterward, overtook Arienza near the quarter pole, and then pulled clear under jockey Mike Smith, who rode the winner for trainer Larry Jones. She covered the 1 1/16 miles on a track rated fast in 1:44.74.
“She ran great,” Smith said. “He (Jones) wanted her to get something out of it, and she got something out of it.”
"There's not much difference in distance to her next race, but this filly can run all day," Jones said in reference to the Kentucky Oaks. "I don't think we've gotten to the bottom of her yet, and really the way she's going, I hope we don't start getting there 'til Breeders' Cup time."
Bred in Ontario by William D. Graham, Joyful Victory is out of the Wild Again mare Wild Lucy Black. Tom McGreevy, agent for Fox Hill, purchased the Fantasy winner for $140,000 at the 2010 Fasig-Tipton Florida select sale of 2-year-olds in training.
Joyful Victory, who races for Rick Porter’s Fox Hill Farm, earned $180,000 for her win in the Fantasy. She is now 3-0-1 in five starts, earning $380,100. Porter has now won three runnings of the Fantasy, with Eight Belles in 2008 and Ruby’s Reception in 2003.