Coup de Grace, other Jones horses work impressively

Larry Jones has trained good horses for a long time, but it’s possible that he’s never looked down his shed row and seen quite the depth of talent that exists right now at Fair Grounds.

Jones has several horses pointed to the multi-stakes day of racing Feb. 21 at Fair Grounds, and there is more still coming down the pipeline. Coup de Grace, unraced since last fall, is working toward his 4-year-old debut. Normandy Invasion is galloping and jogging, on his way back from an injury that sidelined him early last summer.

“We felt like we’ve been sitting on some good horses, like we had some good stock in the barn,” Jones said Wednesday after morning training. “It’s kind of proven out that way.”

Jones is high on Coup de Grace, a Rick Porter-owned son of Tapit who, at his best, won the Grade 2 Amsterdam at Saratoga last summer by three lengths. Third in the King’s Bishop and then a subpar fifth in the Vosburgh on Sept. 27, Coup de Grace got a winter break out of design, not necessity, and he now has logged three works at Fair Grounds, including his first half-mile, a 48.60-second drill Monday. Jones has no comeback race picked out for Coup de Grace but is looking forward to getting his season started.

“He’s all man now, all bolted up,” Jones said. “Since his first three-eighths work, we’ve been very happy with him. He’s got his mind back on the game.”

Coup de Grace could start sometime at the Fair Grounds meet, and while he has been successful as a closing sprinter and certainly will start in one-turn races, Jones has plans for two-turn starts later this year. “We’re probably going to stretch him out,” Jones said. “I don’t see why he can’t go two turns.”

Normandy Invasion won’t be ready to race at Fair Grounds, as he is merely jogging and galloping “the wrong way” for morning exercise. Normandy Invasion hasn’t raced since he finished 10th on June 7 in the Metropolitan Handicap. Earlier in the year, he was second to Palace Malice in the New Orleans Handicap, but he is now coming back from a fractured sesamoid.

“He has healed really well, but the biggest thing is we just want to get it right with him,” Jones said.

Jones worked all his Feb. 21 stakes horses on Monday. I’m a Chatterbox, the blowout winner of the Silverbulletday Stakes, went five furlongs in 1:00.60, while a second 3-year-old filly intended for the Rachel Alexandra Stakes, Lovely Maria, went a half in 48.20. Lovely Maria beat the talented Shook Up in a Jan. 26 optional-claiming race, and Jones was especially pleased with her work, which was intended only as a maintenance drill.

“Her work was set up just to go out and stretch her legs,” Jones said. “She did it with her ears up, and that was by far the best work she’s ever had since she came into training. It looks like the light has really come on.”

Bluff, a last-out maiden winner who, Jones concedes, is light on experience, worked five furlongs Monday and is on track for the Risen Star.

Jones has another talented 3-year-old male, Exodus, whom he plans to keep around one turn for the time being. Cassatt, a winner of three straight stakes, is being pointed to the Grade 1 Santa Margarita. The stable also includes other talented maiden and allowance-class horses. Jones, who was seriously injured in a training accident last summer, must like what he sees when he looks down the barn.

Pletcher horses could see action

Trainer Todd Pletcher is considering three horses for the Feb. 21 stakes, including Angela Renee for the Rachel Alexandra, Red Rifle for the Mineshaft, and Pyrite Mountain for the Fair Grounds Handicap. Angela Renee hasn’t started since finishing third in the Demoiselle last fall at Aqueduct and was 10th as the 3-1 favorite in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. Red Rifle won the Hawthorne Gold Cup in his most recent start.

◗ Irish You Well worked six furlongs in 1:12.60 on Wednesday, did not tire after a strong gallop-out, and is on track to make his 4-year-old debut Feb. 21 in the Mineshaft, trainer Wayne Catalano said. Irish You Well won the Long Branch Stakes and finished fourth in the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational in his most recent start.

◗ Eagle, seventh as the favorite in the Lecomte Stakes, worked five furlongs in 1:01.20 on Tuesday and is on target to start Feb. 21 in the Risen Star, trainer Neil Howard said. Howard also is considering Class Leader, a good second in a recent comeback race, for the Mineshaft, but no decision has been made on his participation.