Talented statebred Chanel's Legacy targets Iowa Oaks

The Iowa-bred 3-year-old filly Chanel’s Legacy is settled into trainer Lynn Chleborad’s summer base at Prairie Meadows, but Chanel’s Legacy is no typical Iowa-bred, and Chleborad is training her for the Grade 3, $200,000 Iowa Oaks on July 6.

Chanel’s Legacy is a three-time stakes winner who has earned almost $350,000. She had a busy and productive Oaklawn Park meet, winning the Dixie Belle and Martha Washington stakes and, in her final start of the meet, finishing a good second in Oaklawn’s most important race for 3-year-old fillies, the Grade 3 Fantasy. Vexatious, who was third in the Fantasy, returned to action with a fine fourth in the Kentucky Oaks.

Chanel’s Legacy also was considered for the Kentucky Oaks, but the filly had been racing steadily since last August, and her connections decided to back off rather than push forward.

“She ran hard five times at Oaklawn,” Chleborad said. “It was just a little too quick back for her, so we gave her a little break.”

Chanel’s Legacy had her first work since the Fantasy on May 11, zipping five furlongs in 59.80 seconds at Prairie Meadows. Judging by that work, Chanel’s Legacy lost little fitness during her freshening, and it’s possible that she could race before the Iowa Oaks. Chleborad said she wasn’t sure whether Chanel’s Legacy will train into the race, but there are two spots in which she could start before then: the Bob Bryant for Iowa-bred 3-year-old fillies June 2 and the Panthers, an open race for 3-year-old fillies on June 8.

Vazquez, Broberg top standings

Ramon Vazquez is off to a hot start at the Prairie meet. Through last week’s racing, Vazquez was the leading rider with 23 wins, five more than David Cabrera, and boasted a strong 32 percent strike rate.

Karl Broberg topped the trainer standings with 16 wins, three more than Federico Villafranco and five more than Chleborad. Those three trainers have combined to win 40 of the 102 races run at the meet.

But chalk players are the biggest winners this season: Favorites have gone 48 for 102, a 47 percent win rate.