I’m a Chatterbox, Shook Up tune up for Oaks; Peace and War hopes to
get in
As the first horse to work after the morning renovation break over a track
“Florent was smiling when he came back and that was good,” trainer Larry
I’m a Chatterbox and Geroux are riding a three-race win streak in the
“She worked just like she has prior to her last three races,” said Geroux,
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Geroux, who never has ridden in the Kentucky Oaks, sees a different filly
today than the one in January.
“She is more mature and stronger,” Geroux said. “She is doing things the
right way and she is very versatile (in her running style), which is a good
thing.”
Jones also trains Lovely Maria (Majesticperfection), winner of the Ashland (G1) here on April 4.
Owned by Brereton Jones, Lovely Maria will be ridden in the Oaks by Kerwin
Clark, who also has not competed in the race.
A two-time winner of the Oaks, Larry Jones said I’m a Chatterbox and Lovely
Maria will ship to Churchill Downs on Friday and work there Sunday.
“Proud Spell (2008) and Believe You Can (2012) both were doing very well
going into the Oaks and these two are very similar,” he said.
Also working Sunday was Qatar Racing’s Peace and War (War Front), who needs
eight defections from the prospective Oaks field in order to make it into the
gate.
With the thought in mind that a slim chance still exists, trainer Olly Stevens
elected to work Peace and War early Sunday morning on the dirt at Keeneland.
“Why worry about rain and work on the turf when the Oaks is what we came for?”
Stevens said. “I am praying that we get in. If we get a shot, that is where we
want to go.”
With exercise rider Tegan Clark aboard, Peace and War worked a half-mile in
:47 3/5 with fractions of :12, :24 and :36 over a fast track.
Winner of the Alcibiades (G1) here last fall to earn 10 points toward the
Oaks, Peace and War finished last in the Ashland in
her first race in six months.
“She has done well since the Ashland,” Stevens said. “She had a little skin
infection and missed one day of training but had a nice work (last Monday). She
did well this morning and I had her in :47 and a shade.
“It is frustrating. She was the fourth-ranked filly in the world last year and
under the old system (of graded stakes earnings to get in the Oaks) she would be
in the top 10. I know she is a good filly. Maybe I underestimated how taxing the
dirt track could be.”
Stevens said Julien Leparoux would retain the mount on Peace and War, who would
go to Churchill Downs “as late as possible.”
Peace and War also is nominated to the $200,000 Eight Belles (G3) at seven
furlongs on the main track and the $150,000 Edgewood (G3) at 1 1/16 miles on the
grass. Both races are May 1, the same day as the Oaks. In Kentucky, horses may
be entered in only one race on a given day.
“If the Eight Belles were at a mile, we would look at that,” Stevens said. “I
will get with (Racing Secretary) Ben (Huffman) and see how it looks. I may enter
(the Oaks can have 18 entries with four also-eligibles) and if we can’t get in
look at the ($250,000,) Black-Eyed Susan ([G2] at 1 1/8 miles on May 15 at Pimlico).”
Over at Churchill Downs, Regis Racing’s Shook Up (Tapit) posted a sparkling
five-furlong work on Sunday.
The Steve Asmussen-trained runner-up
in the Fair Grounds Oaks breezed around 6:30 a.m. (EDT) and
turned in a bullet move when she covered five furlongs in :59. Shook Up’s move
over a fast track under exercise rider Mike Callaham ranked as the fastest of 51
works at the distance.
Shook Up
worked in company with stablemate Indian Rocket (Indian Charlie) and Churchill Downs clockers
recorded internal fractions of :12 and :34 4/5 for Shook Up and she galloped out
six furlongs in 1:12 3/5. Shook Up started her breeze one length behind her
workmate and finished two lengths in front. Indian Rocket covered the distance
in :59 3/5, which ranked as Sunday’s second-fastest work at the distance.
The six-furlong gallop-out by Shook
Up was faster than a six-furlong work by 2014 Kentucky Derby (G1)
runner-up Commanding Curve (Master Command), who covered the distance in
1:13.
“She’s a tremendously talented
filly,” Asmussen said. “I feel very good about all the time she’s had here at
Churchill and how comfortable she is with the surroundings.”
Shook Up will have one more work at
Churchill Downs prior to her run in the Oaks.
“We’ll worry about what we have
control over and get her there in as good a condition as possible,” Asmussen
said. “We hope to draw well and you hope you get a better trip.”
In other Oaks news:
Assistant trainer Kenny McCarthy reported that Donegal Racing’s homebred Puca
(Big Brown) “looked fine” on the morning after her first work at Churchill
Downs. The Bill Mott trainee, runner-up in Aqueduct’s Gazelle (G2), breezed four
furlongs in :48 1/5.
Two-time Kentucky Oaks-winning trainer Bob Baffert said he was
leaning toward a run in the Kentucky Oaks by Kaleem Shah’s Luminance (Tale of
the Cat) following
her sizzling work at Churchill Downs on Saturday. The
runner-up to Stellar Wind (Curlin) in the Santa Anita Oaks (G1) breezed four furlongs in
a bullet :46.
Baffert said that Maybellene (Lookin at Lucky), a filly owned by his wife Jill and
under consideration for an Oaks bid, would work at Churchill Downs on Tuesday.
She won the Sunland Oaks via the disqualification of stablemate Callback (Street
Sense) in her most recent start.
Stall manager Steve Hargrave reports Michael
Dubb, Bethlehem Stables and The Elkstone Group’s Spinaway (G1), Demoiselle (G2),
Busher and Gazelle winner Condo Commando (Tiz Wonderful), trained by Rudy Rodriguez, is
expected to arrive at Churchill Monday after a van ride from New York.
Santa Anita Oaks winner Stellar Wind, who worked five furlongs Friday in 1:01
at Santa Anita, will ship next Saturday, April 26, for the Oaks, trainer John
Sadler said.
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