Barrett revels in stakes win with Alittlelesstalk

Trainer Roddina Barrett said Alittlelesstalk came out of her upset win over the heavily favored Mucho Amor in the $50,000 Kent Stakes on Sunday in excellent shape and will be pointed to the $50,000 Irish Day for 3-year-old fillies on July 14.

It was the first stakes win with a Thoroughbred at Emerald for Barrett and the first at the Auburn, Wash., track for jockey Lorenzo Lopez since he won the $35,000 Captain Condo in 2001.

Barrett has had plenty of success with Quarter Horses. One of her biggest wins came in the 2016 Bank of America Challenge at Emerald with Sorelli. She also trained Stella Corona, who finished second in the 400-yard dash worth $59,760.

It is hard to imagine her being as excited then as she was following the Kent though. She was still bubbling over with enthusiasm Wednesday morning.

“I keep asking myself if it really happened,” Barrett said. “I gallop my own horses, and I knew she was flipping happy and training like a monster. My grandfather watches the races from his home in Kentucky, and after the race, he called me and asked why didn’t I tell him she was going to win? I knew she was going to run her race, but that was a strong field. I am so proud of her.”

Barrett is thrilled with how Alittlelesstalk is feeling about herself now.

“She is just awesome. She is eating a hole in the bucket, and when I walked her this morning, she was telling me she was ready to do it again.”

A Washington-bred daughter of Demon Warlock, Alittlelesstalk will be going a middle distance for the first time in the 1 1/16-mile Irish Day.

“I am pretty sure the way she galloped out in the Kent that she will be fine going around two turns,” Barrett said. “I have had a lot of foals by Demon Warlock, and they are all gritty runners.”

Alittlesstalk was very gritty in the Kent. After dueling with and disposing of Forty Six Carats, it appeared Mucho Amor was going to blow by her at the top of the stretch. Instead, Alittlelesstalk battled back bravely and held on to win the 6 1/2-furlong dash by a neck.

Barrett said she had the $100,000 British Columbia Oaks on Sept. 7 at Hastings marked on her calendar.

“If all goes well, we are certainly considering coming up to Hastings,” she said. “We’ll stable her with Craig MacPherson there. He usually stays with us when he runs at Emerald.”

Lopez also was very excited about winning the Kent.

“I’m back,” he shouted in the post-race interview in the winner’s enclosure.

The 49-year-old journeyman is within nine wins of 1,000 and is seventh in the Emerald standings with 12 wins.

◗ Friday’s seven-race card, which begins at 6:30 p.m. Pacific, is embellished by a $6,803 carryover in the Jackpot Pick 7.