Last year’s Chilukki Stakes (G3) was marked by Juddmonte’s year-end winning performance Obligatory who had a higher score this year scoring in the tier 1 company below Twin Spires.
This year’s Chilukki, competing for the 37th on November 19, doesn’t appear to have the same star power, drawing only one classified winner out of seven. But it does look competitive, which bettors should appreciate, with nearly all in the $300,000 race seemingly having a chance of winning.
The only classified winner is OXO Equine’s central aisle 5 to 11, the top record is a six-feather-long Sugar Swirl Stakes (G3) victory at Gulfstream Park in December 2021.
This year into naughty The 5-year-old mare started three times for trainer Paulo Lobo, running ninth in Madison Stakes (G1) at Keenelandplaced seventh in the Derby City Distaff Stakes presented by Kendall-Jackson Winery (G1) at Churchill Downs, and finished first in the October 9 head-to-head allowance option claim race in Keeneland.
Jockey Gerardo Corrales will be in the saddle on the probable speed bike, who has started all of her starts in races that span seven distances or less.
Likely to be among the favorites who have won the Kueber Racing bet twice Trainer Chilukki’s entrant is relatively new, starting for the second time after coach Brad Cox was fired.
Far from winter at Oaklawn Parkwhere she won the Pippin Stakes and finished fourth in the Bayakoa Stakes (G3), she returned on October 1 in the Twixt Stakes at Laurel Park. Despite being defeated as the favorite, she fought to finish in second place after Battle of Bling after spawning, she can be in third place when the field turns into lane.
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She will benefit from that fitness boost and perhaps from a return to Churchill Downs, where she won the Rags to Riches Overnight Stakes in 2020. She then finished third in the Golden Rod. Stakes (G2) in 2020 and ninth in the Longines Kentucky in 2021 Oaks (G1) in two other local starts.
The Commissioner The 4-year-old owned by Louisville businessman Rick Kueber has also put in two other shares, coming in second in the Martha Washington Stock and third in the Virtual Stock (G3) as a 3-year-old boy on last year.
Jockey Ricardo Santana Jr. will be tasked with riding on the Train Drag Trainer. He rode her twice to victory last winter at Oaklawn.
Also stemming from the option claim effort at Keeneland is Rigney Racing’s Mistletoe Stock winner Princess Mariah . Returning from nearly 11 months of being fired at the end of the October 29 Keeneland meeting for coach Phil Bauer, she launched a broad effort to take command in the middle of a 1/16-mile race, only to be caught by late protest Le Da Vida .
Due to the one-turn nature of Chilukki, which begins at the end of Churchill Downs’ long-back slide, Saturday’s race participants were a mix of sprinters and routers.
Cold temperatures in the mid-30s and sunny skies are the forecast for Saturday afternoon for Louisville, Ky. The posting time for Chilukki, the 10th race in the 11-race program, is 5:35 p.m. ET.
Item: Chilukki S. (G3)
Churchill DownsSaturday, November 19, 2022, Race No. 10
- Class III
- 1m
- dust
- 300,000 USD
- 3 years and older Fillies and Mares
- 5:35pm (local)
