OAKLAWN: CHANEL’S LEGACY GOES TWO FOR TWO IN MARTHA WASHINGTON

By Jennifer Hoyt —-

Chanel’s Legacy; Coady Photography

HOT SPRINGS, AR (Friday, Feb. 11, 2017) – Poindexter Thoroughbred LLC.’s Chanel’s Legacy improved her 2017 record to a perfect two for two with her impressive 2 ½ length victory over My Sweet Stella in Saturday’s $125,000 Martha Washington Stakes at Oaklawn. Despite her victory in the Jan. 21 Dixie Belle Stakes, the winner was dismissed at odds of 13-1 and returned $28.20, $11.60 and $6.00.

Chanel’s Legacy broke well and secured a spot right behind the heavy 8-5 favorite Perfect Wife through early fractions of :23 2/5 and :46 4/5. Confidently handled by jockey Alex Birzer, the winner made her move around the turn and drew off to win the one-mile race easily in 1:38 2/5 over a fast track. My Sweet Stella, following a troubled trip, finished 3 ¾ lengths in front of third-place finisher Torrent.

“She ran huge,” said Birzer, who won two races on the card to move within five wins of the 3,000-win milestone. She put me in a great spot. She just sat there as the leader weakened. She just picked it up an extra notch and just kept at her business.”

Lovely Bernadette, Ever So Clever, Benner Island, Queen Bernardina and Perfect Wife completed the order of finish.

“It’s very good because she is ratable,” trainer Lynn Chleborad said. “And they did go pretty quick fractions when they go :23 and 2/5 and :46 and 4/5. That’s not exactly walking the dog, you know. I think that’s kind of fast. I’m like, ‘Ooh, I hope she has enough to finish.’ She just kept going. But, she trains like that. She trains like that in the morning. She was ready for this race, and I feel we had her as good as we could get her. She showed that she can do that.”

Chanel’s Legacy, a homebred daughter of Dominus, improved her record to four wins from seven starts and has now earned $234,394. With her victory in the Martha Washington, the filly also earned 10 points towards eligibility in the Kentucky Oaks, which is limited to 14 starters. The second – fourth-place finishers earned four points, two points and one point, respectively.

Both Chleborad and owner Allen Poindexter said that Chanel’s Legacy would make her next start in the $200,000 Honeybee Stakes (G3) March 11. That race is the final prep before the $400,000 Fantasy Stakes (G3) April 14.

Live racing resumes Sunday at Oaklawn with a 1:30 p.m. first post.

Martha Washington Stakes Quotes:

Winning trainer Lynn Chleborad, Chanel’s Legacy – “Alex and I talked in our tack room this morning for half an hour, and we tried to figure out how we were going … this filly can go to the front or she has tactical speed. It’s very good because she is ratable. And they did go pretty quick fractions when they go :23 and 2/5 and :46 and 4/5. That’s not exactly walking the dog, you know. I think that’s kind of fast. I’m like, ‘Ooh, I hope she has enough to finish.’ She just kept going. But she trains like that. She trains like that in the morning. She was ready for this race, and I feel we had her as good as we could get her. She showed that she can do that.”

Winning jockey Alex Birzer, Chanel’s Legacy – “She ran huge. She put me in a great spot. She just sat there as the leader weakened. She just picked it up an extra notch and just kept at her business.”

Did you expect her to be that close to the pace?

“We figured she would, as that’s just her nature In the first sixteenth she was very keen to run, but going into the turn I got her to throttle down and she relaxed so nice. Coming out of the first turn and on the backside I was very pleased because I didn’t think she would relax so well for me. But she did, she rated so nice. Lynn’s group did a wonderful job prepping her for this route.”

Jockey Carlos Marquez, Jr., second-place finisher My Sweet Stella – “The best horse didn’t win the race. I was on the best horse. If I don’t get stopped cold like that, I win.”

Trainer Ken McPeek, beaten favorite Perfect Wife – “Corey said she hit the gate really hard, and she busted her mouth pretty good. So maybe in hindsight we probably should have scratched her. She’s got a pretty good cut in her mouth. But she’ll be fine. We’ll regroup.”