Finley'sluckycharm scored her first graded victory in style, running the field off their feet for a decisive score. Taking up her preferred position at the head of affairs, the heavy favorite was well within herself as she ticked off opening splits of :22.13 and :45.17. All alone turning for home, the dark bay rolled clear under a hand ride from Brian Hernandez, Jr., to win for fun. Stablemate Mayla was best of the rest for a Bret Calhoun exacta.
“That's exactly how you're supposed to do it, right?,” Calhoun said. “I'm very proud of both of my horse's efforts today. This was a great spot for Finley'sluckycharm to stay home and hopefully finish off the meet with the [GIII] Chicago H. [at Churchill Downs June 24]. This gives us the opportunity to save her best for some of the Grade Is down the road.”
“She does everything so well and has such good natural speed that I just have to stay out of her way,” Hernandez said. “On the backstretch one of the other riders smooched at their horse to go and my horse heard it and started opening up.”
Opening her account with a pair of victories last winter, Finley'sluckycharm suffered her first loss when asked to route for the first time in last term's GIII Rachel Alexandra S. Feb. 20. A dominant winner when cut back to five furlongs here Sept. 29, she romped by five lengths over the reopposing Pleasant Tales (Tale of Ekati) in a local optional claimer Nov. 5. Flying home to an 8 1/2-length success in this venue's Dream Supreme S. Nov. 25, the bay was a respectable second to “TDN Rising Star” Constellation (Bellamy Road) when making the trip west for Santa Anita's GI La Brea S. Dec. 26. Finley'sluckycharm entered this test off a track-and-trip victory in the Roxelana S. Apr. 29.
Pedigree Notes:
Finley'sluckycharm hails from the family of MGISW Pure Clan (Pure Prize) and MGSW Greater Good (Intidab). The winner's juvenile half-sister by Orb sold for $320,000 at Barretts March Sale. Her dam Day of Victory was bred back to Gio Ponti, but failed to get in foal, and produced a Violence filly Mar. 5 of this year.
Saturday, Churchill Downs
WINNING COLORS S.-GIII, $100,000, CD, 5-27, 3yo/up, f/m, 6f, 1:09.07, ft.
1–@FINLEY'SLUCKYCHARM, 120, f, 4, by Twirling Candy&log=">Twirling Candy
1st Dam: Day of Victory (MSP, $159,912}, by Victory Gallop
2nd Dam: Gather the Day, by Dayjur
3rd Dam: Gather The Clan (Ire), by General Assembly
($77,000 Ylg '14 KEESEP). O-Carl R. Moore Management LLC;
B-Lakland Farm (KY); T-W. Bret Calhoun; J-Brian Joseph
Hernandez, Jr. $60,760. Lifetime Record: GISP, 9-7-1-0,
$344,468.[bullet ad=”burleson-farms-consigned-by”][bullet ad=”kbif-g2g3″]Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Werk Nick Rating: F.
2–Mayla, 120, m, 5, Sharp Humor–Fifteen Moons, by Malibu
Moon. ($7,500 Wlg '12 EASDEC; $90,000 2yo '14 EASMAY).
O-Carl R. Moore Management LLC & Brad Grady; B-Country
Life Farm & Fifteen Moons LLC (MD); T-W. Bret Calhoun.
$19,600.[bullet ad=”maryland-shell”][bullet ad=”brocklebank-2yo-purchase”]3–Sweetgrass, 120, m, 5, Street Sense–Mondenschein, by
Brahms. O-Six Column Stables, LLC, Randall Bloch, John Seiler
& Fred Merritt; B-Randy Bloch, et al (KY); T-Ian R. Wilkes.
$9,800.
Margins: 5HF, 3/4, NK. Odds: 0.20, 18.10, 10.90.
Also Ran: Covey Trace, Athena, Game Time Decision, Ramona's Wildcat. Scratched: Pleasant Tales. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
