Jones, in limbo with I'm a Chatterbox, unveils new talent

I’m a Chatterbox is in the same boat as Gun Runner: a Fair Grounds-based star with an out-of-town target that might be out of range because of the EHV-1 quarantine.

I’m a Chatterbox’s only winter goal has been the $400,000 Houston Ladies Classic on Jan. 28 at Sam Houston, but that track is not presently accepting any horses from Louisiana, and the mare’s participation will hinge on how quickly the Fair Grounds quarantine ends, and how soon thereafter other states lift bans on horses coming from Louisiana.

“We’re still pointing that way,” trainer Larry Jones said. “We just don’t know if we’ll be able to get there.”

Over the weekend at Fair Grounds, Jones unveiled some young talent that gives his stable plenty to look forward to this winter regardless of what happens with I’m a Chatterbox. On Saturday, first-time starter Jenda’s Agenda, a 3-year-old filly, scored an eye-catching debut win in the ninth race. On Sunday, first-timer Midway Gold, a 3-year-old colt, overcame a difficult trip and a track bias to win race 8.

Jenda’s Agenda led from start to finish, ran six furlongs in 1:10.75, and got an 82 Beyer Speed Figure. While she showed early speed, Jenda’s Agenda rated kindly for jockey Gabriel Saez and ran the best part of her race when let loose at the top of the stretch, opening up on her rivals with a strong, fluid stride. She was geared down late to win by 6 1/4 lengths.

Jenda’s Agenda is by Proud Citizen and is the first foal produced by Just Jenda, a graded-stakes-winning mare who was campaigned and is owned by Jones and his wife, Cindy.

“Her mother was the best horse Cindy and I ever raced,” Larry Jones said. “She’s always shown some talent, but she’s been kind of slow coming around. She needed to mature a little bit. She’s not a very big filly, but I think the farther she goes, the better she’s going to be. We think two turns is what she wants to do.”

The same holds true of the Sunday debut winner, Midway Gold, who is by Haynesfield and out of a Mineshaft mare. Racing over a track that appeared to be biased toward inside speed, Midway Gold rallied outside and between horses to get up by a neck. He ran six furlongs in 1:10.85 on a fast-playing surface and got a 71 Beyer, and his connections strongly believe route racing will bring out even better in Midway Gold.

“He showed a lot of courage. We think he’s a nice horse, and he definitely wants to go long,” said Jones, who has made no specific plan for either 3-year-old.

Sunbean retired

Sunbean, the millionaire Louisiana-bred gelding, has been retired following a recurrence of a tendon injury, trainer Ron Faucheux said.

Sunbean didn’t race between February 2015 and February 2016 after tearing a tendon. He won three of his first five post-layoff races but didn’t look quite like the same horse and apparently reinjured the tendon while finishing sixth Dec. 10 in the Louisiana Champions Day Classic.

“We wouldn’t take any chance with the horse,” said Faucheux, who trains Sunbean for his breeder, Evelyn and Maurice Benoit’s Brittlyn Stable. “He’s still in the barn with us. Once this quarantine is lifted, we’ll probably send him to Clear Creek [farm] and find a good home for him.”

Sunbean, trained for his first five starts by Al Stall, won 16 of 27 starts and earned $1,172,250.