by Jeff Apel
Multiple graded stakes winner Proud Spell seized command approaching the stretch and gave trainer Larry Jones a chance to record a rare sweep by earning a five-length win in the $581,650 Kentucky Oaks (G1) on Friday at Churchill Downs.
Larry Jones will try to become the third trainer in the history of the Louisville track to win the Kentucky Oaks and the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) in the same year and the first to accomplish the feat with two fillies when he saddles multiple graded stakes winner Eight Belles in Saturday's opening leg of the Triple Crown. Jones also entered Eight Belles in the Kentucky Oaks, but scratched the Unbridled's Song filly in favor of facing males in the Kentucky Derby.
H.J. Thompson and Ben Jones are the only two trainers to win the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby in the same year. Thompson accomplished the feat in 1932. Jones recorded the classic sweep in 1949, ’50, ’51, and '52.
"I'm looking forward to the challenge," Larry Jones said. "The Derby-Oaks has been done a couple of times. The last fella to pull it off was a Jones. He didn't do it with two fillies but we're going to give it a try. Hopefully, it works."
Larry Jones said a chance to make history was not the major reason why he elected to run Proud Spell in the Kentucky Oaks and Eight Belle in the Derby.
"The big reason we did that was we felt like we had a really good shot of winning the Oaks without her," Larry Jones said. "If we really felt like it took two sometimes you use the shotgun approach—or I have to. When one won't do, you better run two.
"But this time we felt like one would do."
Jockey Gabriel Saez has ridden Proud Spell in each of her eight starts and also has the call on Eight Belles in the Kentucky Derby. He hopes Eight Belles shows as much heart as Proud Spell did while drawing off in the closing strides of the 1 1/8-mile Kentucky Oaks to earn her third graded stakes win before an announced Churchill crowd of 100,046.
A homebred of Brereton and Libby Jones, Proud Spell earned her first graded stakes win in the 2007 Matron Stakes (G2) at Belmont Park. The Proud Citizen filly then avenged two previous runner-up finishes to '07 champion two-year-old filly Indian Blessing by defeating that foe to win the Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) on March 8.
“She has a real big heart," Saez said. "She loves to run. When she wants to run, she responds real good."
Larry Jones gave Saez credit for the victory after watching the Panama native rally Proud Spell from third in field of then three-year-old fillies.
"He is fearless," Jones said. "Nothing bothers him. He's always got a smile on his face.
"I predict that one day he will be in the Hall of Fame."
Proud Spell tracked pacesetter Bsharpsonata in third through an opening quarter in :23.73. She moved up to second through six furlongs in 1:12.95, one length off the pace. Proud Spell opened a half-length lead in early stretch and won in 1:50.01 on a sealed sloppy main track.
"She ran very well," Larry Jones said. "She looked like she was very well within herself as she was going down the backside. She already moved into second and Gabriel [Saez] had her placed perfectly.
"We were fortunate with this filly because she has never been passed in her career. We felt like if we can run the speed down, she would be in good shape. This filly can run all day long. She is just a quality filly."
Proud Spell entered off a third-place finish to Kentucky Oaks foes Little Belle and Bsharpsonata in the Ashland Stakes (G1) on April 5 at Keeneland Race Course. Little Belle finished willingly to secure second in the Oaks, three-quarters of a length in front of multiple graded stakes winner Pure Clan.
"We were second-best," said Kiaran McLaughlin, Little Belle's trainer. "She was game and dug back in to be second. We were happy she was second."
Proud Spell concluded her two-year-old season with a runner-up finish to Indian Blessing in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1). She also finished second to Indian Blessing in the Silverbulletday Stakes (G3) on February 9 at Fair Grounds.
Proud Spell improved to five wins in eight starts and increased her earnings to $1,281,366. Bred in Kentucky, Proud Spell is out of Pacific Spell, by Langfuhr.
The Kentucky Oaks field was reduced to ten after Eight Belles and Elusive Lady were scratched. Trainer John Kimmel said he scratched Grade 3 winner Elusive Lady because of the sloppy track.
For an Equibase chart, click here.
Jeff Apel is assistant daily news editor for Thoroughbred Times