Honeybee an Add-On for Legacy?

Chanel's Legacy has certainly come into her own this winter at Oaklawn Park, sweeping to victories in the Dixie Belle and Martha Washington stakes at the Hot Springs oval. The 3-year-old daughter of Dominus   takes the next logical step March 11 as she faces 10 other fillies in the $200,000 Honeybee Stakes (G3).

The 1 1/16 miles is the longest test to date for Allen Poindexter’s homebred, but she’s handled everything thrown at her so far in Arkansas. For the Honeybee, which sets up the meet-ending Fantasy Stakes (G3) for sophomore fillies, she’ll break from the rail.

Sent off at 5-1 in the Dixie Belle, she topped My Sweet Stella by 2 1/2 lengths going six furlongs. In the one-mile Martha Washington she was a 13-1 chance when she beat My Sweet Stella again by the same margin. She was bred in Iowa out of the Value Plus mare Chanel Number Mine.

Poindexter, owner of Allen’s Mechanical in the Hawkeye State, was Iowa’s Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association’s award winner for 2015 and is also the breeder of Isotherm, a starter in the Santa Anita Handicap (G1).

There are several with the credentials to top Chanel’s Legacy in the Honeybee. Among them are Tommy Ligon’s Someday Soon; Clearview Stable’s Ever So Clever; and Zayat Stable’s My Sweet Stella takes another crack at her.

Someday Soon, bred in Ohio by Ligon, was a sharp wire-to-wire winner of a one-mile allowance optional claiming race Feb. 12 at Oaklawn. The daughter of Proud Citizen, trained by William Van Meter, was recently named state-bred champion and drilled five furlongs in 1:00 March 4.

Ever So Clever, by Medaglia d'Oro  , was fifth in the Martha Washington in her seasonal bow. Last year she ran second in the two-turn, grade 2 Pocahontas Stakes at Churchill Downs and was third behind Farrellin the Golden Rod Stakes (G2) for trainer Steve Asmussen.

A pair of inexperienced, yet well-bred fillies, with both be making their stakes debuts in the Honeybee: Claiborne Farm and Adele Dilschneider’s Elate, also by Medaglia d’Oro; and the Albaugh Family Stables’ Tap of War, a daughter of War Front   who was third behind Someday Soon last time in just her second start.

Beau Ravine’s Tapa Tapa Tapa, by Tapit  , also has a license to move forward off her score in Tampa Bay Downs' Suncoast Stakes.