Lovely Maria points to Ashland

Trainer Larry Jones has had two top 3-year-old fillies here this meet in I’m a Chatterbox and Lovely Maria, but when it came down to final preps for the May 1 Kentucky Oaks, he decided to try to divide and conquer.

Jones had I’m a Chatterbox set to start as the favorite Saturday in the Fair Grounds Oaks, while Lovely Maria will await next Saturday’s Grade 1 Ashland Stakes at Keeneland. They ran one-two in the local prep, the Rachel Alexandra.

Jones said he hopes to run both in the Kentucky Oaks. He said he will be based at Keeneland for the next five weeks before heading to his usual summer home at Delaware Park.