Fantasy Performer Goes Last to First in Frolic’s Revenge

5YO Mare Edges Little Jamie in Overnight Handicap on Turf

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL– RAF Productions’ Fantasy Performer, a handicap winner on synthetic to open her 5-year-old season, added the turf to her stakes resume Sunday with a dramatic last-to-first triumph in the $70,000 Frolic’s Revenge overnight handicap at Gulfstream Park.

Ridden by Miguel Vasquez for Cam Gambolati, trainer of 1985 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Spend a Buck, Fantasy Performer ($19.20) ran the two-turn turf mile for fillies and mares 3 and up in 1:33.13 over a firm course to edge a game Little Jamie by a neck and earn her fourth career win, two each on grass and all-weather Tapeta.

“These fillies, they go in and out. When they’re good, they’re good,” Gambolati said. “And she’s really good right now.”

The late-running Fantasy Performer was anchored behind her six rivals in the early going as Do Gooder, breaking from the far outside, was eager for the lead and opened up in front through a quarter-mile in 23.01 seconds. Behind her, Miss Mary Nell raced along the rail with Lets Go Koko between her and Little Jamie in a battle for third.

Still trailing the field after Do Gooder’s half-mile in 45.43 seconds, Vasquez tipped Fantasy Performer to the outside going into the far turn and continued to gain ground on the extreme outside as horses began to converge on the tiring leader. Little Jamie, one of three horses from Royal Palm Meet leading trainer Saffie Joseph Jr., wrested a short lead inside the eighth pole but was unable to hold off a Fantasy Performer’s late charge.

“That’s how she runs,” Gambolati said. “You’d like to go farther than a mile but like I told the owner, I think there’s speed in there. I think they’re going to go at a good clip, and that’s the difference. Even though it’s a mile, you’ve got pace you can run at. When you’ve got no pace, I don’t care how far you’re going, it’ s hard to close.”

Little Jamie edged Miss Mary Nell by a length for second, with Hello Hello Hello another half-length back in third. Turino, the 8-5 favorite, Lets Go Koko and Do Gooder completed the order of finish.

Fantasy Performer is a bay daughter of Oscar Performance that made nine starts for Gambolati between November 2024 and May 2025 before rejoining the barn last December and winning the 1 1/8-mile Key West overnight handicap over Gulfstream’s Tapeta on New Year’s Day. In her prior start, she came up a half-length short of winner Vincey Girl when second in the 1 1/16-mile Powder Break July 11, also on Tapeta.

“She tries every time,” Gambolati said. “She’s a good filly. She got hurt this winter, but now she’s doing really good. We may try her at Kentucky Downs. We’re talking about it.”

Bred and owned by Stride Rite Racing Stable and trained throughout her career by the late Milton Wolfson, Frolic’s Revenge won eight of 29 career starts – 27 of them coming in South Florida. Five of her victories came in stakes including the 2011 Ginger Brew at Gulfstream and the Calder Oaks, Rowdy Gal and Sweettrickydancer in successive starts in 2012.