Already a grade 2 winner as a juvenile, Explora will try to secure a win at that level at 3 while taking a big step toward the Kentucky Oaks (G1) when she faces an expected five other 3-year-old fillies in the $1 million Fantasy Stakes March 27 at Oaklawn Park.
Consistent at the highest levels from the start, Explora enters Friday's 1 1/16-mile tilt off a three-quarter-length victory in the Honeybee Stakes (G3) March 1 at Oaklawn. The Fantasy start would be the daughter of Blame 's second start this month at the Hot Springs, Ark., track as she aims to enter the Kentucky Oaks on a roll.
The Fantasy offers 200 qualifying points toward the Kentucky Oaks on a 100-50-25-15-10 schedule should the race be oversubscribed.
Campaigned by Mike Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman and trained by Bob Baffert, Explora has finished first or second in all seven of her races. That includes a victory in last year's Oak Leaf Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita Park as well as runner-up finishes to stablemate Bottle of Rouge in the Del Mar Debutante Stakes (G1) and to Super Corredora in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1).
Baffert has captured two previous editions of the Fantasy, winning with Mamma Kimbo in 2012 and with Excellent Meeting in 1999. Excellent Meeting went on to finish fifth in the Kentucky Derby (G1) in her next start.
In Mark Casse stablemates Counting Stars and Search Party, Explora will face a pair of familiar fillies who each own at least one stakes win at Oaklawn. West Point Thoroughbreds' Counting Stars rallied from seventh to finish second in the Honeybee while Tracy Farmer homebred Search Party finished fourth in that test.
Search Party, a daughter of Gun Runner , opened her 3-year-old campaign with a victory in the Martha Washington Stakes in February at Oaklawn while Counting Stars, a daughter of Honor A. P. , closed her juvenile campaign in Hot Springs with wins in the Astral Spa Overnight and Year's End stakes.
Gary and Mary West homebred Sticker Shock will try stakes company off a clear victory in an allowance-optional claiming race last month at Oaklawn.
Haulin Ice Connections Hope for Matron Stakes Repeat
A year ago Haulin Ice defeated other Arkansas-bred fillies and mares in the Downthedustyroad Breeders' Stakes by 6 lengths before delivering a front-end, 5-length score in the Matron Stakes, open to older fillies and mares.
This year Haulin Ice repeated in the Downthedustryroad by a margin more than double last year's and will now target a second straight win in the Matron. The 5-year-old Coal Front mare is trained by Saffie Joseph Jr. for owners C2 Racing Stable, WSS Racing, and Agave Racing Stable.
Oaklawn Park, Friday, March 27, 2026, Race 9 Oaklawn Park, Friday, March 27, 2026, Race 11Entries: Matron S.
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Lovin' On the Run (KY) Jaime A. Torres 117 John Alexander Ortiz 20/1 2 2Wondrous (KY) Ramon A. Vazquez 117 Brendan P. Walsh 10/1 3 3Zeitlos (KY) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 117 Steven M. Asmussen 8/1 4 4Asternia (KY) Luis Saez 119 Randy L. Morse 9/2 5 5Me and Molly McGee (KY) Juan J. Hernandez 117 Peter Eurton 3/1 6 6Haulin Ice (AR) Francisco Arrieta 124 Saffie A. Joseph, Jr. 5/2 7 7Jersey Pearl (KY) Cristian A. Torres 124 Darrin Miller 10/1 8 8Evanescence (KY) Rafael Bejarano 117 Eddie Kenneally 12/1 9 9Foie Gras (KY) Flavien Prat 124 Michael J. Maker 4/1
Entries: Fantasy S. (G2)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Search Party (KY) Cristian A. Torres 122 Mark E. Casse 6/1 2 2Empath (KY) Ramon A. Vazquez 118 Mark E. Casse 20/1 3 3Counting Stars (KY) Francisco Arrieta 122 Mark E. Casse 5/2 4 4Taken by the Wind (FL) Emmanuel Esquivel 122 Kenneth G. McPeek 15/1 5 5Sticker Shock (KY) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 118 Brad H. Cox 3/1 6 6Explora (KY) Flavien Prat 122 Bob Baffert 1/1
