By Rick Bailey

LOUISVILLE — Larry “Cowboy” Jones is a plainspoken, practical horse trainer.

Flush from winning the 134th Kentucky Oaks with the filly favorite Proud Spell by a widening 5 lengths Friday, he can put himself in the company of another Jones.

Ben Jones, the famed trainer of Calumet Farm, twice pulled off the rare Oaks-Derby double. He did it in 1949 and ‘52.

Larry Jones can join him, and H.J. Thompson, if his filly Eight Belles wins the 134th Kentucky Derby Saturday at Churchill Downs.

“It’s great to still be alive in this for another 24 hours, to have a shot to pull off this rare feat,” Larry Jones said.

[[MORE: Tom Eblen: At the Kentucky Oaks, no glitz, but a little jingle | Rain dampens picture-perfect Oaks Day]]

“It was a Jones to last pull it off, but he didn’t have two fillies. The Jones boys of Calumet (Ben and son Jimmy) and the Jones boys of Airdrie Stud.”

Owner-breeder Brereton Jones and his trainer decided to enter Proud Spell in the Oaks rather than the Derby. Eight Belles entered both races for owner Rick Porter, who chose the Derby when she got a favorable post position (No. 5).

That left Proud Spell, the $3.40-to-$1 choice of 100,046 fans, many soaked to the skin, to do her part in the Oaks-Derby double.

The small bay filly, from Proud Citizen’s first crop, settled in behind front-runner Bsharpsonata after a half-mile. She took the lead entering the stretch and drew away nearing the finish as she skimmed easily over the sloppy track.

“There’s not a better wet track in the world,” Larry Jones said. “I never complain of a wet track (here). It’s always safe when it’s wet.”

And Proud Spell was ready to run.

With Panamian jockey Gabriel Saez in the irons, Proud Spell set off on a surface hit with occasionally heavy rain throughout the afternoon.

“I tried to do my best job,” said Saez, who will attempt to become the seventh jockey to ride the Oaks and Derby winners. “I put her in a perfect spot when I had to make a move.

“She’s tiny, but she has a real big heart. She tries every time she runs. She responded real good.”

About pulling off the double, Saez said, “I hope so! You never know.”

Challengers abounded in a competitive Oaks.

Little Belle, the Ashland Stakes winner (Proud Spell was third), was second after a quarter-mile. She dropped to fourth after a half, was third entering the stretch and got up for second, three-quarters of a length ahead of Pure Clan.

“She might have been a little tight,” trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said. “She might not have been great down on the rail.

“The filly that won was pretty impressive. We were second best and happy to be second.”

Little Belle’s jockey, Rajiv Maragh, said, “I saved the ground I wanted to in the first turn. At the top of the lane, my filly ran all out, and I just couldn’t catch up to the winner.”

Pure Clan, the hometown favorite because of local trainer Bob Holthus, went off at 4-1 and finished third, a head before Golden Doc A.

“Turning for home (Pure Clan) had to go real wide,” Holthus said. “The way the track condition was, she put in a good effort. Losing ground turning for home was the only thing that really happened.”

Edgar Prado, Pure Clan’s jockey, said he was trying to maintain his position going into the second turn.

“Somebody floated me out,” he said. “I didn’t really want to be where I was, but that’s part of racing.”

Country Star, the $3.70-to-$1 second choice, faded from fourth to sixth in the final furlong.

“She broke fresh and stayed out of trouble, but she didn’t feel comfortable,” said Rafael Bejarano, who rode Country Star. “She was trying to get out. She just didn’t show much.”

Proud Spell earned $342,596 from the purse of $581,650. She has five victories in eight starts.

In her only other start on a sloppy surface, she was second to Indian Blessing in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies.

Order of finish

1. Proud Spell

2. Little Belle

3. Pure Clan

4. Golden Doc A

5. Bsharpsonata

6. Country Star

7. A To The Croft

8. Rasierra

9. Awesome Chic

10. Absolutely Cindy

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