Chanel’s Legacy runs away with Martha Washington

Feb 12, 2017 Jennifer Caldwell/Brisnet.com

Chanel’s Legacy was sent off the 13-1 third longest shot in Saturday’s $125,000 Martha Washington Stakes at Oaklawn Park but ran like a favorite to easily score by 2 1/2 lengths under jockey Alex Birzer.

The one-mile race closed out the Prep Season portion of the Road to the Kentucky Oaks series of points races and awarded Chanel’s Legacy 10 points toward a starting berth in the May 5 Kentucky Oaks (G1) at Churchill Downs.

The Lynn Chleborad trainee moved up to the 6th spot on the Kentucky Oaks Leaderboard, having previously earned one point for a fourth-place finish in the Delta Downs Jackpot (G3) last November.

Campaigned by breeder H. Allen Poindexter’s Poindexter Thoroughbreds LLC, Chanel’s Legacy stopped the clock for the Martha Washington in 1:38.51 and returned $28.20. The gray daughter of Dominus made her sophomore debut a 2 1/2-length victory in the Dixie Belle Stakes at Oaklawn on January 21 and is now headed to the track’s $200,000 Honeybee Stakes (G3) on March 11, which will be worth 50-20-10-5 points to the respective top four.

My Sweet Stella made her debut on the Kentucky Oaks Leaderboard with her second-place run in the Martha Washington as the 18-1 second longest shot, earnings four points to take over the 25th position. Torrent finished another 3 3/4 lengths back in third, good for two points, while Lovely Bernadette just missed the top three by a nose and took home one point.

MARTHA WASHINGTON QUOTES

Lynn Chleborad, trainer Chanel’s Legacy, winner

“(Jockey) Alex (Birzer) 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.

Alex Birzer, jockey Chanel’s Legacy, winner

“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.”

Carlos Marquez Jr., jockey My Sweet Stella, second

“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.”

Ken McPeek, trainer Perfect Wife, last of eight

“(Jockey) Corey (Lanerie) 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.”