HOT SPRINGS -- A family reunion of sorts might help the favorite.
Motion Emotion has acquired the services of jockey Mike Smith, a member of the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, for the Grade III $500,000 1-mile-and-1/16th Fantasy Stakes for three-year-old fillies at Oaklawn Park today.
Post time for the Fantasy is scheduled for 5:04 p.m.
The Fantasy is the first of six features set for Oaklawn's three-day Racing Festival of the South, including the Grade I $1 million 1 1/8 mile Arkansas Derby for three-year-old Kentucky Derby candidates on Saturday.
The Fantasy offers 170 qualifying points for the Grade I 1 1/8 mile Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs in Louisville on May 2, with 100 to first, 40 to second, 20 to third, and 10 to fourth.
Mark Dedomenico's Motion Emotion, a daughter of Take Charge Indy listed as the 5-2 morning-line favorite, is trained by Tom Van Berg, son of the late Hall of Fame trainer Jack Van Berg for whom Smith once rode.
"I'm excited about riding this horse for Tom and the connections," Smith said. "I've been fortunate enough to ride pretty well for the owners, and to get a chance to ride for Jack's son is definitely a great thrill. When I started back when I was a kid, his father helped me a whole lot, as he did hundreds of us."
"I've known Mike forever, but I was still with my dad when he rode for me the last time, back in the 90s," Tom Van Berg said.
Jack Van Berg died on Dec. 27, 2017, shortly before the 2018 Oaklawn season.
Motion Emotion, second as the even-money favorite under jockey Jon Court in Oaklawn's Grade III $200,000 1 1/16 mile Honeybee Stakes on March 9, will race 11 others in the Fantasy, a field that includes Grade I veteran Brill, a daughter of Medaglia d'Oro trained by Hall of Famer Jerry Hollendorfer. Brill, owned by Larry Best, finished fourth of five in the Grade I 7-furlong Del Mar Debutante Stakes in San Diego on Sept. 1, 2018, and third of five in the Grade I 1 1/16 mile Chandelier Stakes at Santa Anita Park near Los Angeles on Sept. 29. In Brill's first 2019 start, she finished second to optional-claimers racing 6 furlongs at Oaklawn under rider Florent Geroux on March 22. Geroux returns to ride Brill in the Fantasy.
"I sent Brill [to Oaklawn] because Larry wanted to try and see if she could run in [the Fantasy]," Hollendorfer said. "It's a very prestigious race and we would like to win or get stakes-placed in it."
Other contenders include Lady Apple, a daughter of Curlin undefeated in two Oaklawn starts and trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, and Irish Mischief, a daughter of Into Mischief trained by Brad Cox.
Immediately after the Honeybee, Van Berg said he was disappointed by Motion Emotion's fast early splits.
"You can't go a mile and a 16th going 22 and two-fifths [for the first quarter]," Van Berg said. "It's just unfortunate. In my opinion, she was the best, and she should've won the race."
Van Berg said he believes Motion Emotion's preparation for the Fantasy has been ideal.
"Knock on wood, she's doing everything like we would like to see," Van Berg said. "She's doing really, really well. The best thing about her is her mind. She's just so willing. She's very intelligent, and she takes everything in stride."
Van Berg's confidence in Motion Emotion has not wavered, and he said he believes she is prepared for several circumstances.
"If they go slow, she'll be the one on the front end," Van Berg said. "If they go fast, we've got her to rate nicely in the mornings. She's very versatile. She doesn't have to be in front. We're happy to sit right off it. We're happy to do. We'll find out what they do. If we get a good trip, she'll run her race, and I'll be very surprised if she's not extremely tough. There's nothing I can say about her that's negative. That's how special she is. She's the whole package."
Smith flew in from California on Friday to ride in five of the six Racing Festival features, but he said he particularly looks forward to his reunion with Van Berg
"It's going to be fun to see what Tom and I can do," Smith said. "I think this filly has a really good chance."
At a glance
RICK LEE’S ANALYSIS
8 The Fantasy. Grade III. Purse $500,000, 1 1/16 miles, 3-yearold fillies
**BRILL was Grade I-placed as a juvenile, and she finished a clear second behind a very talented filly in a sprint tune-up, and she is bred top and bottom to improve at route distances. ORRAMOOR followed two dominating victories with a narrow stake defeat at Aqueduct, and trainer Todd Pletcher has won with four of his six starters this season at Oaklawn. MOTION EMOTION set a fast pace and held on well when second in the Grade III Honeybee, and the speedy filly is switching to Hall of Fame rider Mike Smith.
PP HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER ODDS
9 Brill Geroux Hollendorfer 7-2
10 Orra Moor Saez Pletcher 4-1
8 Motion Emotion Smith Van Berg 5-2
12 Oxy Lady Cannon Sisterson 6-1
4 Lady Apple Santana Asmussen 6-1
1 Cosmic Code Court Cox 12-1
3 Irish Mischief Elliott Cox 10-1
2 Filly Joel Cohen Alvarado 20-1
11 K P Slickem Baze Martin 20-1
5 Destiny Over Fate WDe La Cruz Cruz 30-1
7 Kiffle Canchari Cruz 50-1
6 Super Tap Mojica Hess 50-1
Sports on 04/12/2019