Believe You Can back at Churchill Downs for Grade 2 La Troienne

Believe You Can, the winner of last year’s Kentucky Oaks, will make an appearance on Friday’s Kentucky Oaks undercard in the Grade 2, $300,000 La Troienne Stakes.

On Sunday, she completed preparations for the La Troienne with a five-furlong workout in 1:00.80.

“She did well,” trainer Larry Jones said. “It wasn’t a fast work. She looks like she’s finally starting to settle down and relax.”

Following a third-place finish in the Mother Goose at Belmont last June, Believe You Can was given the rest of the year off and was eventually diagnosed with a foot injury that Jones likened to a hangnail. Her foot needed time to grow out.

She returned in excellent fashion this winter at Fair Grounds, winning the Tiffany Lass Stakes by 10 1/4 lengths and the New Orleans Ladies by 5 3/4 lengths.

“I couldn’t be happier the way she started her year off,” Jones said, “because a horse of that caliber, you’re usually not lucky enough to get a light race into them.”

Jones also brought Joyful Victory to Churchill Downs, but she will not run here. The winner of the Grade 1 Santa Margarita at Santa Anita in her last start, Joyful Victory is being pointed to the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps at Belmont on May 27.

“This is the worst track she’s ever performed on,” Jones said. “She trains well over the track; she just doesn’t race well for some reason. Horses beat her here that can’t beat her anywhere else.”