Notebook | Proud Spell wins Kentucky Oaks

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Larry Jones' fillies are making the self-proclaimed "dumb cowboy" resemble a genius.

Proud Spell drew away in the stretch to win the $581,650 Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs on Friday, giving the homespun trainer a shot at pulling off an unprecedented Oaks-Kentucky Derby double.

Proud Spell stalked pacesetter Bsharpsonata around the far turn in one of the nation's most important races for 3-year-old fillies and ran away from the rest of the field to win by 5 lengths — and set the stage for stablemate Eight Belles, who will take on the boys today in the Derby.

No trainer has won the Oaks and the Derby in the same year since 1952, and none has done it with two fillies. But Jones seems to have a deft touch with fillies, and has spent the last year turning a horse nobody wanted as a yearling into an elite performer.

"This filly can run all day long," Jones said of Proud Spell.

She certainly looked like it in the Grade I Oaks, enjoying herself on a sealed, sloppy track after a downpour.

"We're still in line for tomorrow," Jones said. "You can't get it done if you don't win the first half."

Proud Spell, ridden by Gabriel Saez, ran 1-1/8 miles in 1 minute, 50 seconds and paid $8.80 to win as the favorite in a field of 10. Little Belle was second at 5-1.

Notes

• Chelokee, a 4-year-old, fractured his right-front leg in the Grade III Alysheba and was taken to Lexington, Ky., for treatment. Chelokee is trained by Michael Matz, who trained Barbaro.

Barbaro won the 2006 Kentucky Derby but broke down early in the Preakness two weeks later and was euthanized last year.

• Frank Whiteley Jr., a Hall of Famer who trained two Horse of the Year winners — Damascus and Forego — and ill-fated filly Ruffian, died in Camden, S.C. He was 93.

Ruffian won her first 10 races but broke down during a 1975 match race against Kentucky Derby winner Foolish Pleasure at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., and later was euthanized.