Chilukki Preview: Finite On Top Of Her Game

LOUISVILLE, KY – Winchell Thoroughbreds homebred Finite is seemingly on top of her game as she enters her latest test in Saturday’s $100,000 Chilukki Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs.

The Chilukki is a one-turn dirt mile event restricted to fillies and mares ages 3 and up. This year’s edition is the penultimate event on a 10-race card and has a local post time of 5:06 PM.

Here’s a look at the full field for the Chilukki:

1. New Roo 20/1 – She’ll try to right the ship after losing by multiple lengths in each of her last 2 starts, including over this same course and distance against optional claiming rivals. All 3 career victories came going 1 mile on dirt, but she’ll need to improve upon her career-best effort, a 12 3/4-length romp at Ellis Park against optional claimers in July.

2. Finite 8/5 – She nearly upset the 7-furlong Raven Run Stakes (G2) at Keeneland last time out, missing by just a neck in her second start back after a lengthy layoff. She won the 2019 Rags to Riches Stakes over this same course and distance and once again receives the services of Ricardo Santana Jr., trainer Steve Asmussen’s first-call jockey.

3. Grand Cru Classe 5/2 – The lightly-raced 3-year-old Bernardini filly suffered her first career defeat last time out in the Raven Run, finishing third by less than 1 length. The Bill Mott trainee won her first 3 starts, including the 1 1/16-mile Weber City Miss Stakes at Laurel Park and against Belmont Park allowance rivals while going this same 1-turn mile configuration.

4. Whoa Nellie 4/1 – She makes her first start since mid-February, when she missed winning the Bayakoa Stakes (G3) by a neck while routing at Oaklawn Park. The Larry Jones trainee has won 3 of 4 starts at this distance and 2 of 4 local appearances, and she’s never missed the board under the Twin Spires. The Orb filly has been favored in 8 of her 10 lifetime starts.

5. Gold Standard 15/1 – She returned to the winner’s circle for the first time in over a year when she defeated optional claiming rivals over this course and distance on Halloween. She won 3 straight last summer but couldn’t parlay that into similar success against stakes rivals. Brad Cox is the nation’s hottest trainer right now, having won 4 Breeders’ Cup events 2 weeks ago.

Check our Handicapping Products page to find out how we are playing this and every race on the card!

6. Risky Mandate 5/1 – She steps back up after wiring optional claiming rivals in a 7-furlong Keeneland dash while still seeking her first stakes victory. She finished third in both the 2019 Prioress (G2) and last July’s Shine Again, and if she can repeat it, the 92 Beyer Speed Figure that she earned for her Keeneland score matches up well against this group.

7. Crazy Sexy Munny 50/1 – She’s blossomed into a new filly since transferring to the care of current trainer Billy Morey, who has saddled her to a 7-3-2-1 record (all at the starter allowance levels) this year. She earned a career-best 79 Beyer Speed Figure for winning over this same course and distance in May, but she’ll need to be better than that to compete here.

8. Unique Factor 10/1 – She makes her second start in 15 days here after finishing an improving second in the 6-furlong McConnell Springs Stakes at Keeneland on November 6. Her last victory came in a 6-furlong local sprint against optional claimers in June, but she has only 1 victory in 5 prior dirt attempts going at least this distance.

9. Sanenus 20/1 – The Chilean-bred Scat Daddy filly steps up to the stakes ranks for the first time in North America after finishing third against optional claimers here (ahead of New Roo) and at Del Mar. Before shipping north to join trainer Michael McCarthy, she won 4 of 8 starts in Chile, including the Group 1 Tanteo de Potrancas, but this is a much bigger test.

See the day’s full plays from Ricky’s Rockets!