Cindy Jones loves her horses.  She can tell you what’s special about each one of them.  For example, our Tears of Jupiter (Cindy is part owner) gets a little back rub every night at feeding time.  Cindy says she loves the attention more than food.  Recently, Cindy tried to leave the stall and Tears of Jupiter blocked the door.  She wanted more attention ...and she got it.  If you watch Cindy in the paddock before a race, she talks to the horses and gives them hugs to keep them calm and steady,  while husband and trainer, Larry Jones, saddles and gives last minute jockey instructions.  It’s teamwork.  And, it works very well for the Jones family.  In 2007 they campaigned Hard Spun to second place honors in the Kentucky Derby, third in the Preakness, and fourth in the Belmont.  Last year they won the Oaks with Proud Spell and took runner-up honors in the Kentucky Derby with Eight Belles.

Recently, we spoke about the upcoming Kentucky Derby prep race kickoff and their 2009 contender, Old Fashioned.  Cindy said, “we are blessed to be in contention again this year...and the thing that’s so amazing about this horse is he’s done everything so far on his own.  No one has asked him for anything.”  Well, my handicapping friends, put a star by this one.  Despite the fact that some analysts said he wasn’t challenged by the weak Remsen field and the slow fractions, apparently Old Fashioned has a lot more left in the tumbler!!! 

This striking gray is the son of Unbridled’s Song,  who also sired Eight Belles.  He is undefeated in three starts at three completely different distances.  He and my favorite jockey, Terry Thompson, won at six furlongs and then stretched out to a mile at Delaware Park.  Ramon Dominguez was up for the mile and an eighth hand ride victory in the Grade II Remsen at Aqueduct.  Besides the fact that Unbridled’s Song progeny don’t typically win sprint debuts, there are several other reasons to like this one on the Derby trail. 

Starting from the six hole in his debut at Delaware, Old Fashioned threw his head at the start and missed the break.  Spotting this sprint field a couple of lengths should have been the kiss of death for a horse bred to run from Delaware to Kentucky.  What did Old Fashioned do?  He passed them all...in his own time.  He won by a head bob.  But, a win is a win;  and, he did exactly what he had to do to get the job done. 

In his second career start, breaking  from the six hole again, he came out like a rocket, went to the front,  and never looked back.  Terry Thompson had a choke-hold on him for about four furlongs.  He finally surrendered at the top of the stretch and let him cruise to an effortless double digit length victory.  Okay!  So this horse can sprint after missing the break and he can break on top and wire a field stretching out.  He can move from the maiden special ranks to compete against other winners and win on his own. The tumbler is half-full.

In his third and only other career start, once again breaking from the six hole, Old Fashioned repeated his performance at Delaware Park, wiring the field of Grade II stakes competitors while stretching out to 1 1/8 miles.  Ramon Dominguez did exactly what Terry Thompson did at Delaware.  He held him back until it was obvious the horse was not going to rate, and let him rock down the lane to a seven or eight length victory.  I saw Dominguez look back a couple of times at the competition, perhaps in utter disbelief.  There were no challengers that day. 

Much like his Jones predecessors on the Derby/Oaks trail,  Old Fashioned will likely get at least one start in New Orleans before coming to Kentucky.  The Grade III Risen Star at a mile and a sixteeth is a possible first start of the year as is the $250,000 Southwest Stakes going a mile at Oaklawn.  Jockey Terry Thompson has relocated to Oaklawn and that would put the dynamic duo in place for a repeat of the Delaware performance. Old Fashioned is nominated to the Grade II Louisiana Derby going a mile and a sixteeth in March.  Obviously, he can handle either distance...and more.  Old Fashioned had a bullet work on January 7 ^th, 2009 going four furlongs in :48.2, so we know he’s sharp after the brief holiday vacation. If he wins the next prep race and/or the Louisiana Derby impressively, I’d say the tumbler is full.

Could the third time be the charm for the Jones family?  If so, Old Fashioned will be the first offspring of Unbridled’s Song to take the Kentucky Derby title.  And what does the future hold for the Jones family?

Larry Jones still says he’ll retire at the end of 2009.   He and Cindy are magnificent to work with and it’s been a pleasure and an honor to have a successful partnership with them.  Selfishly, I’d like to see my fellow southern-Kentucky contemporaries stay in the game.  Unselfishly, I’d like to see them do what’s best for them as a family.  Either way, horseracing has been enriched by their presence.

Here’s the deal.  If Old Fashioned draws the six hole AGAIN in his prep race in Louisiana, run to the windows and bet him until the people behind you threaten your life.  More importantly, if the horse on the cover of the 2009 Kentucky Derby program is wearing saddlecloth number six, Cindy and Larry Jones should have a long, long time to sit in their family room and reflect on that coveted win picture.