Two Shots for Jones in Alabama

Trainer Larry Jones, who saddled 2008 GI Alabama S. winner Proud Spell (Proud Citizen), has two major chances at another win in the prestigious Saratoga affair Saturday. Lovely Maria (Majesticperfection), who carries the same green and orange Brereton Jones silks that Proud Spell did, finished second to stablemate I’m a Chatterbox (Munnings) in the GIII Rachel Alexandra S. at Fair Grounds Feb. 21. She was a clear-cut winner of the GI Ashland S. at Keeneland Apr. 4, and took the GI Kentucky Oaks May 1 with similar ease. Backed at 30 cents on the dollar when returning in the July 11 GIII Delaware Oaks, she never threatened and settled for fifth.

“We used the Delaware Oaks to prep for here,” Jones revealed. “All the horses down there went through a little sick spell. Some kind of a virus had gone through the barn and the race came back up a little more sudden for her than for I’m a Chatterbox. [Lovely Maria] hadn’t quite gotten over the virus, but she’s doing well now. She had two really good breezes for this. I think she’s back.”

I’m a Chatterbox, meanwhile, never off the board in five tries since being transferred to Jones from Ken McPeek at the beginning of the year, grabbed the GII Fair Grounds Oaks Mar. 28 before completing the trifecta in the Kentucky Oaks. She set the pace and hit the wire a nose in front of Curalina (Curlin) in the nine-panel GI Coaching Club American Oaks here July 26, but was subsequently placed second by the stewards for interference nearing the line.

“You always wonder when they run that big off a long layoff because she had had a couple of months [off heading into the CCA Oaks], but she appears well,” Jones said. “Everything seems good.”

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners’ Curalina (Curlin) finished second on debut here in the mud last July, but has been a win machine since then. She broke her maiden at Gulfstream in March, and relished the stretch out to a route when romping in a Churchill optional claimer on the Kentucky Oaks undercard. Completely left at the start of Belmont’s GI Acorn S. at a one-turn mile June 6, she rallied wide to get up over Grade I winner By the Moon (Indian Charlie). Backed down to odds-on in the nine-furlong CCA Oaks, she was relentless in the lane, and proved more distance was up her alley.

“We were very high on her last year, and everything she’s done since coming back this year has been what we would hope for,” offered trainer Todd Pletcher, winner of the last two Alabamas. “She seems to be getting better, and I believe the mile and a quarter should not be an issue for her.”

Include Betty (Include), co-owned and bred by Brereton Jones, was eighth in the Kentucky Oaks and second with an extremely wide journey in Pimlico’s GII Black-Eyed Susan S. two weeks later. She mowed them all down in the GI Mother Goose S. at Belmont June 27, and came with her patented rally from out of the clouds to be third in the CCA Oaks–one spot ahead of Danette (Curlin).