Cash Refund, Backtalk Doing Well

The much-anticipated matchup between Richard, Bertram and Elaine Klein’s Cash Refund and Gold Mark Farm’s Backtalk in a $53,000 allowance optional claiming Saturday at Fair Grounds lived up to its billing, giving guests at the local oval and simulcast fans across the continent one of the most exciting stretch duels seen during the 2010-2011 Thoroughbred Racing Season in New Orleans.

When it was over, with Cash Refund losing his pacesetting lead briefly to Backtalk at the furlong grounds but coming back gamely to best that rival by a neck, those who witnessed the six-furlong sprint either in person or on a television screen could not deny they had seen Thoroughbred racing as it was meant to be.

Naturally, Steve Margolis and Tom Amoss, Cash Refund and Backtalk’s trainers listed in the respective order of their horses’ Saturday finish, had different sentiments concerning the outcome but both conditioners reported that their horses came out of the race without noticeable problems and were doing well Sunday morning.

“Cash Refund came back great,” said Margolis Sunday morning of his charge who won both the $75,000 Gaudin Memorial and $105,000 Duncan F. Kenner Stakes last season here. “We have Early Return (this season’s $60,000 Bonapaw runner-up also owned by the Kleins) being pointed for the Gaudin (Jan. 22) and Due Date (this season’s Bonapaw winner owned by the Kleins) getting ready for the ($60,000) Colonel Power (to be run Feb. 19) so we’ll probably wait with Cash Refund and bring him back in the Kenner (March 26) at the end of the season.”

“(Backtalk) is fine,” said Amoss Sunday morning of his Smarty Jones colt who won Churchill’s Grade III Bashford Manor and Saratoga’s Grade II Sanford as a juvenile and was third in this season’s Bonapaw, “but his race yesterday was very disappointing. Steve’s horse got an easy lead yesterday and I think that hurt our chances. Right now, I don’t know what will be next for Backtalk. I’ll have to think about it.”