A Jones ‘Box’ In Rachel Alexandra?

Conditioner Larry Jones has three chances to win a somewhat surprising first GIII Rachel Alexandra S. trophy Saturday. The locally based trainer’s troika is led by Fletcher and Carolyn Gray’s I’m a Chatterbox (Munnings), who aired by eight lengths over Forever Unbridled (Unbridled’s Song) and GII Golden Rod S. heroine West Coast Belle (Tapit) in this venue’s Jan. 17 Silverbulletday S. That was the homebred’s first start for Jones, having been previously sent out to a fourth in Churchill’s Nov. 29 Golden Rod by Ken McPeek. 

Jones owns two wins in the GII Fair Grounds Oaks with eventual GI Kentucky Oaks heroines Proud Spell (Proud Citizen) and Believe You Can (Harlan’s Holiday), both for Brereton Jones. Lovely Maria (Majesticperfection) will carry the same orange and kelly green silks here. The bay was last seen running away from highly regarded Shook Up (Tapit) in a local optional claimer Jan. 26 over an extended mile. 

Larry Jones’s third representative is Calumet Farm’s longshot White Clover (Exchange Rate), a 5 1/4-length graduate in a 5 1/2-furlong off-the-turfer here Dec. 28. Second to Harbour Island (My Pal Charlie) in a six-panel optional claimer Jan. 12, the Brad Kelley homebred was most recently fourth trying the grass 13 days ago. 

Regis Racing’s aforementioned Shook Up (Tapit), a daughter of GISW Sugar Shake (Awesome Again), made good on a promising, but troubled runner-up finish first up at Churchill Nov. 24 to air by 13 1/2 lengths in the mud here stretching out Jan. 13 and garner the “TDN Rising Star” distinction. The Steve Asmussen trainee had never been on a dry track in the afternoon before that Jan. 26 allowance, but was more likely undone by some serious immaturity in the stretch that saw her unable to maintain a straight path and go get Lovely Maria. 

Siena Farm’s homebred Angela Renee (Bernardini) figures to take some play off a win last September in the GI Chandelier S. at Santa Anita. She could only manage 10th after some trouble in the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Nov. 1, and was a distant third in Aqueduct’s GII Demoiselle S. Nov. 29. Trainer Todd Pletcher, who removes Angela Renee’s blinkers, won this race two years ago with “TDN Rising Star” Unlimited Budget (Street Sense). 

New York-bred Freudie Anne (Freud) is two-for-two going long. She ran away with a restricted Aqueduct optional claimer Nov. 19, and added that venue’s Dec. 14 East View S. by 9 3/4 lengths over a next-out winner.