HOT SPRINGS -- Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen referred to a race run 10 months earlier and half a continent away to describe what he saw from his 3-year-old Kentucky Oaks-bound filly Lady Apple at Oaklawn Park on Friday.
Lady Apple appeared to ease past -- but with great effort and handling -- the two favorites during a stretch duel to win the Grade III, $500,000 Fantasy Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Oaklawn in 1:43.88. The 1 1/16-mile race took place in front of an estimated crowd of 17,000 on Day One of the three-day Racing Festival of the South.
The Fantasy offered 170 Kentucky Oaks qualifying points, with 100 to the winner, 40 to second, 20 to third and 10 to fourth.
Asmussen, as he stood in the chute that connects the paddock to the track, spoke to someone on his cellphone about the race just completed, and he mentioned the quality of Lady Apple's heart.
"She showed it today," Asmussen said.
With Oaklawn leading rider Ricardo Santana Jr. aboard, the 10-1 Lady Apple -- a daughter of Curlin -- took the lead from Motion Emotion in the final 1/16th of a mile to win by 1 length. Motion Emotion -- the 6-5 favorite ridden by Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith and trained by Tom Van Berg -- finished second, three-quarters of a length in front of third-place Brill, the 3-1 second choice ridden by Florent Geroux. Luis Saez rode 6-1 Orra Moor to fourth, 3¾ lengths behind the winner.
"Lady Apple ran a big race," Van Berg said. "She did, and she ran us down."
Consistent with her past performances, Motion Emotion, owned by Mark Dedomenico, led from the start and went through the opening quarter-mile in 23.16, 1½ lengths in front of Brill. Lady Apple was in fourth, 4 lengths back.
"She got a great trip," Santana said. "I put her in the position we wanted to be in."
"I couldn't be more proud of Ricardo -- the confidence he showed her and in her, and the trip he gave her -- and the filly for taking it, for being good enough," Asmussen said.
The top three remained in a similar position through the half-mile in 46.76, but Motion Emotion's lead was half a length through 6 furlongs in 1:11.08, with Brill in second, 3 lengths ahead of Phoenix Thoroughbred's and KatieRich Stables' Lady Apple in third.
"I was going comfortable," Smith said. "She was well within herself. I had a horse laying next to me, kind of pushing me a little, but in saying that, that's just kind of her."
Lady Apple, still in third, was within 2 lengths at the head of the stretch, but the finish appeared shaped to resolve the stretch-run battle between Motion Emotion and Brill, trained by Hall of Famer Jerry Hollendorfer.
"We had a great trip, honestly," Geroux said. "We broke right off the pace, and for a minute in the stretch, I thought we would win it, but there were three very good horses in that race."
"I thought the big difference was when Brill kind of pushed us around the turn," Van Berg said. "I wish they could've both taken a little longer to take a little breather. I think they would've both finished stronger, but [Smith] slowed him down between the quarter and the half. He did what he was supposed to do."
Santana had Lady Apple on the rail, subtly removed from the contest to his filly's right side, and she moved slowly enough relative to the front-runners that her gradual advance went unnoticed by most.
"She kept fighting for the rail," Santana said. "Once she got through, she just kept going. It was a big win."
"Ricardo ran a great ride to cut to the rail," Van Berg said. "If she was forced to the outside, we probably win. It was a good race. The top three ran big."
With her win, Lady Apple moved to fourth on the Oaks' points list. Motion Emotion is ranked eighth and is a near-lock to qualify for the 14-filly Oaks field. The race is scheduled for May 2 at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.
"I think we're in with those points," Van Berg said. "I don't know all the contingencies, but I think we're in."
He said he would likely ask Smith to ride Motion Emotion in her next start.
"She ran great, but the one thing in the back of my mind is that I would like to see her sit where Lady Apple sat," Van Berg said. "I want to see her sit behind all the running and see how she responds. I know she can do it."
Asmussen said he was reminded of Lady Apple's first display of heart. He spoke of his exposure to it at Belmont Park in New York when Lady Apple, under rider Irad Ortiz Jr., on June 7 held onto second by a neck in the 5½-furlong Astoria Stakes.
"She ran a very tough race in the Astoria at Belmont from the inside and never gave up," Asmussen said. "She's not big in stature but obviously is in grit."
Sports on 04/13/2019