Joyful Victory runs away with Fantasy

Fox Hill Farm's Joyful Victory patiently bided her time in third on

the backstretch of Sunday's $285,000 Grade 2

Fantasy at Oaklawn Park, put in a

three-wide rally rounding the turn and easily drew off from the highly regarded

Arienza to take her second straight graded contest for

trainer Larry Jones. With Mike Smith aboard, the gray dynamo cruised under the

wire seven lengths the best while finishing 1 1/16 miles in 1:44 3/5 over the fast dirt.

Explosive Disco set the pace on the inside, with Arienza,

Joyful Victory and stablemate Holy Heavens strung out behind her

through splits of :22 4/5 and :46 3/5. Arienza began drawing closer as the turn

approached, and Joyful Victory was tugging her way into contention as well.

Explosive Disco couldn't hold that pair after her earlier swift fractions and

faded as Arienza grabbed command exiting the backstretch.

The daughter of Horse of the Year Azeri held the lead long

enough to pass three-quarters in 1:11 2/5, but then Smith moved his hands on Joyful Victory.

That sophomore lass flew past her less-experienced rival and pulled off in the

stretch to return $3.20 as the 3-5 after place and show wagering was canceled.

Arienza was 1 1/4 lengths clear in second, while Holy Heavens passed Explosive Disco to

take third. Jelly Cable was withdrawn from the race, leaving only

four runners in the event.

Joyful Victory earned only her second career win when taking the Grade 3 Honeybee on

March 12, with that 8 3/4-length triumph serving as her debut for Jones. While under the

tutelage of trainer Tony Dutrow she broke her maiden at first asking in

September, then posted a third-place run in the Grade 1 Frizette one month

later. The filly took on the Breeders' Cup in only her third lifetime start and

finished a decent fifth in the Grade 1 Juvenile Fillies to close out her

two-year-old campaign.

Since that race, Joyful Victory has taken up residence in Jones' shedrow. Her

victory in the Honeybee gave her new barn a fourth consecutive win in that race

following the exploits of Eight Belles (2008), Just Jenda (2009) and No Such

Word (2010). She also handed Jones a third score in the

Fantasy following Eight Belles (2008) and Ruby's Reception (2003).

Joyful Victory now boasts lifetime earnings of $380,100 to go along with a

5-3-0-1 career mark. She's passed through the sales ring twice, bringing $60,000

as a Keeneland January yearling and $400,000 as a Fasig-Tipton February

two-year-old.

The gray sophomore is the first stakes scorer out of the winning Wild Again

mare Wild Lucy Black, who has since produced a juvenile filly named Why Lucy Why. Joyful Victory's third dam is Black Eyed Lucy,

who is best known for foaling 1982 champion two-year-old colt Roving Boy as well as the unraced Sally's Ride,

herself the dam of dual Grade 1 heroine A Wild Ride.

This is the same family as Grade 2 victress Irguns Angel and Canadian Grade 3

winner Artie Hot.