CHANTELINE COMES THROUGH IN SPRING FEVER; J.E.’s Handmedown Wins Nodouble

By Jennifer Hoyt —-

Chanteline; Oaklawn/Coady Photos

CHANTELINE COMES THROUGH IN SPRING FEVER; J.E. HANDMEDOWN WINS NODOUBLE

HOT SPRINGS, AR (Saturday, March 3, 2018) – Ten Broeck Farm, Inc.’s Chanteline rebounded from a fourth-place finish as the favorite in the Jan. 27 American Beauty to win Saturday’s $125,000 Spring Fever Stakes before a sun-drenched crowd of 20,000. She was the third of four wins on the card for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen and leading rider Ricardo Santana Jr.

Chanteline, breaking from post 8 of 10, tracked the early pace from third place as Defy and Okie Diva went head and head through early fractions of :22.03 and :45.56 for the first half mile. The winner came three wide into the stretch, gained the lead at the eighth pole and finished 1 ¼ lengths in front of the late closing Marquee Miss in a final time of 1:04.29 for 5 ½ furlongs over a fast track. American Beauty winner Swing and Sway was third, while 5-2 favorite Golden Mischief faded to ninth.

“The filly, she was feeling great today,” Santana Jr. said. “We got a perfect trip today. We sat off the pace, and turning for home she picked it up. She was much the best today. My filly, when she started feeling the other horses from behind, she never gave up. She found the wire first.”

Chanteline, a 6-year-old Majesticperfection mare, improved her record to 6-6-2 in 21 starts while collecting her first career stakes win and has now earned $393,972. She returned $10.40, $6.40 and $4 at odds of 4-1.

J.E.’s Handmedown; Oaklawn/Coady Photos

One race earlier, J.E.’s Handmedown, owned by retired jockey and trainer David Whited, pulled the upset in the $100,000 Nodouble Breeders’ Stakes at odds of 17-1.

Ridden by Ramon Vazquez, the winner put his head in front after a quick half-mile in :45.85, widened his margin through the stretch and had plenty left to hold off the fast-closing Glacken’s Ghost by three-quarters of a length in 1:10.47 for six furlongs on a fast track. Heavy 2-5 favorite Five O One finished third.

J.E.’s Handmedown, a Storm and a Half gelding, improved his record to 2-3-0 from five starts and has now earned $116,000. He returned $37.20, $12.40 and $4.

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

Quotes:

Winning rider Ricardo Santana Jr., Chanteline: “The filly, she was feeling great today. We got a perfect trip today. We sat off the pace, and turning for home she picked it up. She was much the best today. My filly, when she started feeling the other horses from behind, she never gave up. She found the wire first.”

Jockey C.J. McMahon, second on Marquee Miss – “She left there good. I knew we had a few horses with speed. You know the favorite on the outside. She left there running well within hand. When I asked her to run the 9 horse tried to box me in there. I mean she’s a big mare and she was able to muscle her way out and finish up really great.”

Jockey Fernando De La Cruz, – “Well he broke good, he was in the right position inside. He didn’t give me that big kick I was waiting for. It was a short trip too you know”

Nodouble Breeders’ Stakes:

Winning Jockey Ramon Vazquez, J.E.’s Handmedown – “I had a good trip. I put my horse in the best position I could. I just wanted to take my horse back a little bit. You know I had a lot of horse and he finished. He’s a great horse you know.”

Jockey Alex Canchari, second on Glacken’s Ghost – “He made a good trip, just got on the inside. Got through on the inside and he beat me. Held on a little bit. I wasn’t expecting that horse to hold on the way he did. My finished good, he tried hard.”