Recency took a backseat to speed in the $295,000 Chilukki Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs.
Unraced since finishing fourth in the May 6 Derby City Distaff (G1) beneath the Twin Spires, JoAnn and Alex Lieblong’s Hot and Sultry quickly made the time off a non-issue. She shot to the lead from the outside post in a field of eight under Ricardo Santana Jr. and lengthened her advantage at nearly every call en route to an eight-length score over Nostalgic .
#9 Hot and Sultry dominates off the layoff in the G3 Chilukki S. at Churchill Downs for trainer @normcasse with @RSantana_jr aboard! 🔥
🎥 #TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/RDfw3ttgfh
— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) November 18, 2023
Bet down from her 7-2 morning line, she went off favored at 2-1 and returned $6.20 to win.
The 4-year-old daughter of Speightster zipped a one-turn mile in 1:35.93, following fractions of :23.03, :45.08, and 1:10.44.
“She broke pretty good, and she’s a very fast filly,” said Santana, who also won the Chilukki three years ago aboard Finite . “We went quick early but she was doing it very easily. She’s a very nice filly.”
Aside from drifting out through the stretch and slowing with a :13.03 closing fraction over the final furlong, her performance was otherwise flawless.
She was not the only one to drift out in the stretch. So, too, did Oeuvre , who had advanced into second in the stretch, only to lug out, contributing to her being caught for second at the finish by late-running Nostalgic. Oeuvre showed.
Hot and Sultry, trained by Norm Casse, recorded her second stakes win in the Chilukki and her first in graded company. In January, she won the six-furlong American Beauty at Oaklawn Park. She then continued to race in Arkansas, finishing fourth in the 1 1/16-mile Azeri Stakes (G2) and third in the Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) at the same distance. Those races preceded her fourth in the seven-furlong Derby City Distaff.
“I was a little worried today,” Casse said considering her racing break of more than six months. “This really wasn’t the first plan. We knew going the one-turn mile at Churchill is always a little more difficult off the layoff. This was a tough race, but it was a little bit of class relief from her last start in the Derby City Distaff.”
Hot and Sultry banked $180,350 for winning the Chilukki, elevating her earnings to $590,320. She is 4-2-1 in nine starts.
According to Casse, a return to Oaklawn for stakes is likely. Her owners reside in Arkansas, and Alex Libelong is the chair of the Arkansas Racing Commission.
Pedigree and Sales History
- The winner, bred in Kentucky by Cobalt Investments out of the Medaglia d’Oro mare Hot Water , is a dark bay or brown daughter of the late stallion Speightster. He was euthanized in February 2022 after kicking the wall of his stall and fracturing a hind leg.
- Hot and Sultry is related to graded stakes winner Scalding and stakes winners Tracksmith and Hot Beach . She was a $475,000 yearling purchase by Alex Lieblong from the 2020 September Yearling Sale at Keeneland from the Bluewater Sales consignment.
Video: Chilukki S. (G3)
