Howard retains faith in Ahh Chocolate for Locust Grove

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Innovative Idea upset Ahh Chocolate six weeks ago at Ellis Park, but when the 4-year-old fillies reconvene Saturday in the Grade 3 Locust Grove, the horseplaying faithful at Churchill Downs surely will make Ahh Chocolate the favorite again in a field of six fillies and mares.

And perhaps rightly so: Ahh Chocolate still has superior overall form and comes well drawn with the inside post for the 1 1/16-mile Locust Grove after training smartly in recent weeks for Neil Howard.

“You’re not going to win every time – at least I don’t see that they do,” said Howard. “Nothing is perfect, you never say that. But so far, she’s trained very, very well, and she does like the track, and she’s doing great. I think she’s a very straightforward filly and has held her form; all her races have been good. Basically, she’s a very uncomplicated filly, and I feel that she has trained nicely for this race.”

From 14 career starts for Stoneway Farm, Ahh Chocolate can claim victories in the Grade 2 Falls City here last fall and the Grade 3 Allaire duPont on Preakness weekend at Pimlico. In her last race Aug. 6, she was third as the 3-2 favorite in the Grade 3 Groupie Doll at Ellis, a one-mile race won by Innovative Idea at 6-1.

There’s not much speed signed on for the Locust Grove, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see Corey Lanerie send Innovative Idea to the front from their outside post. However the race unfolds, the stretch out to two turns should allow Brian Hernandez Jr. to sit a good ground-saving trip aboard Ahh Chocolate while not too far back.

Other considerations in this 33rd running of the Locust Grove include Sweetgrass (post 4, Chris Landeros) for Ian Wilkes and Engaginglee (post 5, Luis Saez) for Dale Romans.

The Locust Grove is the first of four stakes on an 11-race card that starts at 2:30 p.m. Eastern. With its small field, it goes early as race 3 (post, 3:29), while the other stakes come later as races 8-10.

◗ The $100,000 Open Mind (race 9), also for fillies and mares, albeit at six furlongs, sports a little more depth than the Locust Grove, and hence its placement deeper in the card. Spelling Again, the 2015 Open Mind winner and a winner of the Grade 2 Princess Rooney at Gulfstream Park two starts back, figures as a lukewarm favorite in a nine-horse lineup that also includes I’m a Looker, Athena, Kathballu, and Unbridledexplosion.

I’m a Looker is a two-time stakes winner this year for trainer Pat Dupuy, including a dead heat in the Grade 3 Winning Colors at the spring meet.

Athena was a two-back winner of the Roxelana at Churchill before finishing second to I’m a Looker last month at Mountaineer.

Kathballu has kept classy company throughout a 17-race career and was a dominating allowance winner over this track in May.

Unbridledexplosion tends to fare better at longer distances, but her record over the Churchill main track (6-3-2-0) merits respect.

The Open Mind is slotted between the two stakes for 2-year-olds, the Iroquois (race 8) and Pocahontas (race 10). This is the eighth running of a race named for the D. Wayne Lukas-trained filly who was a two-time champion (1988-89) and a Hall of Fame inductee (2011).