Chanel’s Legacy in peak form

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – There are four Hall of Fame trainers with horses in the Grade 3, $200,000 Honeybee on Saturday at Oaklawn, but the team to beat in the Kentucky Oaks points race is Chanel’s Legacy and Lynn Chleborad.

Chleborad, a 30-year training veteran who got her start in Nebraska, has the meet’s top 3-year-old filly in Chanel’s Legacy. The pair has racked up wins in the $125,000 Dixie Belle and the $125,000 Martha Washington, and Chanel’s Legacy has indicated in her subsequent training that she’s on top of her game coming into Saturday.

“I think she’s about as good as she can get,” Chleborad said. “Of course, it’s another race. We’re going to have a little different competition.”

The 1 1/16-mile Honeybee will dole out 85 points for the Kentucky Oaks, to be split among the first four finishers 50-20-10-5. The field of 11 has Hall of Famer trainers from across the U.S. represented, with Jerry Hollendorfer sending out It Tiz Well, Bill Mott (Elate), D. Wayne Lukas (My Sweet Stella), and Steve Asmussen (Ever So Clever).

HONEYBEE, RACE 8 KEY CONTENDERS

Chanel’s Legacy, by Dominus Last 3 Beyers: 79-70-61

◗ She won at two turns for the first time in the Martha Washington on Feb. 11, tracking the pace and darting home by 2 1/2 lengths. Since the race, Chanel’s Legacy has breezed three-eighths in 37 seconds March 2.

“I gave her a two-minute mile nine days out, let her work the last three-eighths in 37,” Chleborad said. “She came out of that great. The second day, we had to walk her with a lip chain. She was just on top of herself.”

◗ Chanel’s Legacy has continued to show good energy in her gallops and looks like a superhero on the track as the attractive gray filly trains and races in a black, liquid titanium hood that has been standard equipment for her since she was 2.

“They make the titanium hood for horses that have a little too much energy, or horses that are nervous,” Chleborad said. “It has no drugs. It was brought to our attention last year. It’s equipment, like a nasal strip, a tongue tie.”

The liquid titanium is encased in the fabric of the hood and produces negative ions that can have a calming effect on horses, according to a manufacturer’s description of the product.

◗ Chanel’s Legacy will break from the rail under Alex Birzer and could get an ideal trip off It Tiz Well.

“The good news about her is she’s not one-dimensional,” Chleborad said. “She can either lay off the pace or be on the pace. Typically, I see her as being a little better off the pace. The post is good, lets her just break and set her own position.”

It Tiz Well, by Arch Last 3 Beyers: 84-76-81

◗ It Tiz Well, who was second to division heavyweight Unique Bella in the Grade 2 Santa Ynez at Santa Anita in January, will be making her two-turn debut in the Honeybee.

“I think that’s going to be right up her alley,” Hollendorfer said. “I know there’s a couple of really tough fillies. We think we have a developing horse.”

◗ It Tiz Well cleared her entry-level allowance condition Feb. 3, when a front-running, 3 3/4-length winner at seveneighths at Santa Anita.

“It was very nice,” Hollendorfer said. “She kept to her task and ended up running well.”

◗ It Tiz Well will break from post 6 under Corey Nakatani.