|
Cowboy filly casts a Spell on Oaks rivals
 | |
Proud Spell was squeaky clean for her winner's photo in the Ky Oaks
(Jim Tyrrell/Horsephotos.com) |
Brereton C. Jones' homebred PROUD SPELL (Proud Citizen) started trainer Larry
"Cowboy" Jones' weekend in style with an easy score in Friday's
$581,650 Kentucky Oaks
(G1) over the sloppy, sealed track at Churchill Downs. Settled into a perfect stalking
position behind the pacesetting Bsharpsonata (Pulpit), the bay lass circled her
rival entering the stretch and pulled off to give Jones a chance at an
unprecedented Oaks/Derby double with fillies. Her stablemate, Eight Belles
(Unbridled's Song), was an early scratch out of the Oaks in favor of running in
Saturday's Kentucky Derby (G1).
"This filly can run all day long," Jones said. "She is just a quality
filly."
Jockey Gabriel Saez strategically positioned Proud Spell just to the rear and
outside of Bsharpsonata, who loped through fractions of :23 3/5 and :48 4/5 down
the backstretch. Entering the second turn, the leader began her final run but
was unable to match strides with Proud Spell, who quickened down the lane to
post a mile in 1:37 1/5. From there, she merely added to her advantage,
eventually crossing under the wire five lengths better than her closest rival
while finishing 1 1/8 miles in 1:50.
"I was just doing my best job, you know, tried to put her in a good
position," Saez explained his ride. "She broke sharp and I put her in
the race, staying second, third...a good position. The other filly on
the lead, I tried to stay behind her. Just doing my job...to put her in
a perfect spot to win the race."
Sent off the favorite at nearly 7-2, Proud Spell was worth $8.80, $4.80 and
$3.20 while keying the $52.60 exacta. Little Belle (A.P. Indy), who defeated
both Proud Spell and Bsharpsonata in the Ashland S. (G1) prior to the Oaks, took second
by three parts of a length as the 5-1 fourth choice, returning $6.40 and $4.
Pure Clan (Pure Prize) circled her rivals four wide entering the turn after
running near the back early, taking third by a head over Golden Doc A (Unusual
Heat) and paying $3.80. The trifecta gave back $239.20 and the 8-7-11-1
superfecta paid $1,395.80.
|
Bsharpsonata just got beat by a head for fourth, but was a neck up on
Country Star (Empire Maker) on the wire. Following the top six under the
line were A to the Croft (Menifee), Rasierra (Kafwain), Awesome Chic
(Awesome Again) and Absolutely Cindy (Arch). Elusive Lady (Van
Nistelrooy) was withdrawn, with trainer John Kimmel explaining that the
off conditions forced the decision.
"The filly has never shown an affinity for running on an off track;
she's never really trained on an off track," he said. "She's a
low-heeled, flat-footed filly, and I just didn't want to take a rise. So
I chose to be conservative. It was a difficult decision because
everyone's here." The Kentucky-bred Proud Spell broke her maiden at Delaware Park in her first
try last year, then immediately stepped up against stakes company to take the
White Clay Creek S. She headed north to Belmont Park for her next start, scoring
an easy 4 1/4-length victory in the Matron S. (G2) and stamping her ticket to
the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1), where she ran second to champion Indian
Blessing (Indian Charlie).
Proud Spell began her sophomore season with a close runner-up effort in the
Silverbulletday S. (G3) at Fair Grounds, then captured the Fair Grounds Oaks
(G2) by 2 1/4 lengths. She entered the Kentucky Oaks off a third in the Ashland
at Keeneland, and now boasts an 8-5-2-1 career mark to go along with $1,281,366
in lifetime earnings.
Proud Spell is out of the mare Pacific Spell (Langfuhr), a winner in two of
16 starts. Pacific Spell has produced one other winner, Lucky Roulette, a gelded
son of Mazel Trick. Pacific Spell also has an unnamed two-year-old colt by
Canadian Frontier and an unnamed yearling colt by Friends Lake.
Send this article to a friend
| 
