Talk Veuve to Me Romps in G3 Indiana Oaks

SHELBYVILLE, IN – The heavily-favored Talk Veuve to Me ran Saturday like a horse at 1-9 odds should, cruising with ease to score big in the Grade 3, $200,000 Indiana Oaks at Indiana Grand Race Course.

Breaking sharply from post 5 under Julien Leparoux, Talk Veuve to Me raced just outside of Molecules heading into the far turn before allowing her foe the chance to set the early pace. Stalking just behind through splits of :23.17 and :46.66, Talk Veuve to Me closed the gap heading into the far turn and poked her nose in front midway through. Continuing to run strongly as she straightened for home, Talk Veuve to Me opened up in the stretch and drew off convincingly, then was geared down in the final stages before hitting the wire with a 4 3/4-length advantage in a final time of 1:43.15 for the 1 1/16-mile main track event.

“I’ve been watching her races,” said Leparoux, who rode her for the first time. “She’s got that tactical speed. The 1 horse (Molecules) wanted to be on the lead, but she relaxed beautifully off of the 1. She’s push-button. On the second turn, I just let her go on her own. I didn’t really ask her. She went to the lead and relaxed again and went on in the straight again. She’s a very nice filly.”

Figarella’s Queen was much the best of the rest, taking second by 6 3/4 lengths over the dueling pair of Kelly’s Humor and Skeptic, with Kelly’s Humor getting the nose past at the wire. Harbor Lights, Molecules, and Diamondcoat completed the order of finish. Haynesfest was scratched.

Talk Veuve to Me’s win was her first since breaking her maiden at Fair Grounds in March, but the Rodolphe Brisset trainee has yet to finish worse than second in five career starts, including a pair of runner-up efforts in the Grade 2 Eight Belles Stakes and the Grade 1 Acorn Stakes. The 3-year-old daughter of Violence increased her lifetime bankroll to $319,400 for owners Brisset, Stephen McKay, and Team Valor International.

“She showed what I was expecting her to show,” Brisset said. “It was maybe a little quicker than what I was thinking on paper. But she took the lead pretty easy. You could see that she was looking around a lot, just went to the wire cruising.

“She’s very unlucky being born in one of the best years —how many good fillies do we have this year? — between Monomoy Girl, Midnight Bisou, and Red Ruby, and I’m sure I’ve left out some. It’s a very, very strong year for 3-year-old fillies. I don’t know where everybody wants to go. She may have to face them and turn the table on some to be in the top three. But we are what we are.”

Talk Veuve to Me returned $2.20 to win, $2.10 to place, and $2.10 to show. Figarella’s Queen brought back $4.60 to place and $3 to show, while Kelly’s Humor paid $2.40 to show.