BloodHorse: Talk Veuve to Me Shows Class in Indiana Oaks

Reprinted from the BloodHorse

The first two times Talk Veuve to Me faced graded stakes company, she proved she could hold her own against some of the most accomplished members of her division. In the July 14 edition of the $200,000 Indiana Oaks (G3) at Indiana Grand, the daughter of Violence stopped hinting at her ability and made a clear-cut statement with regard to her upside.

Talk Veuve to Me showed Saturday night why her trainer and co-owner Rodolphe Brisset has been anxious to stretch her out around two turns. In her first start beyond a mile, the dark bay filly stalked pacesetter Molecules before leaving all her rivals in her wake during a 4 3/4-length victory in the 1 1/16-mile test.

Brisset purchased the filly privately last year after she failed to sell at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales March 2-year-olds in Training Sale, calling her “one of the smartest horses” he has ever been around. That mental character has been backed by raw talent, something she flaunted when she broke her maiden by 11 1/4 lengths going six furlongs at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots March 25.

Following a runner-up effort in the Eight Belles Stakes presented by Kentucky Trailer (G2) May 4, Talk Veuve to Me finished second to divisional leader Monomoy Girl in the June 9 Acorn Stakes (G1). The class edge she looked to have on paper heading into the Indiana Oaks materialized as expected against her six challengers as jockey Julien Leparoux let her take over with about 2 1/2 furlongs to run and enjoyed the ride from there.

“I’ve been watching her races. She’s got that tactical speed,” said Leparoux, who was aboard the filly for the first time. “(Molecules) wanted to be on the lead, but (Talk Veuve to Me) relaxed beautifully off of her. 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.”

Talk Veuve to Me finished second in her debut at Ellis Park last summer for Brisset and his friend and co-owner Stephen McKay, but she developed a stress fracture that required time off. Since then, her only serious bit of misfortune has been the fact she has to compete within a 3-year-old filly division that is one of the best pound-for-pound groups in the sport this year.

“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,” said Brisset, a former assistant to Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott who has been operating his own public stable since April 2017. “It’s a very, very strong year for 3-year-old fillies.

“She showed (in the Indiana Oaks) what I was expecting her to show. It was maybe a little quicker than what I was thinking on paper, but she took the lead pretty easy.”

Sent off as the 1-9 favorite, Talk Veuve to Me tussled for the early lead with Molecules before settling to the outside in second as the pacesetter cut fractions of :23.17 and :46.66 over a fast track. When she came into the stretch with a clear advantage, Talk Veuve to Me got to looking around a bit but was otherwise in control as she finished in 1:43.15.

“She had two real hard races: the Acorn, the Eight Belles. We wanted to find a spot we were confident she would win,” said Barry Irwin, president of majority owner Team Valor, which bought into Talk Veuve to Me after her maiden win. “Rodolphe picked out this one, and it worked out great.

“One thing that’s encouraging about her, when she breezes in the morning, she completes the work. When she goes into the next turn galloping out, she takes off again.”

Figarella’s Queen rallied from sixth early to get place money, with Kelly’s Humor completing the trifecta. Skeptic was fourth, with Harbor Lights—the filly who defeated Talk Veuve to Me in her debut—fifth.

Bred in Kentucky by JSM Equine out of the Point Given mare Biblical Point, Talk Veuve to Me has two wins from five starts, with earnings of $319,400.

“We’ll enjoy the weather and then we’ll see what’s next,” said Brisset, who said Talk Veuve to Me would ship to Saratoga Race Course July 16.