Finley’sluckycharm headlines Thoroughbred Club of America

Carl R. Moore Management’s Finley’sluckycharm, who has emerged as one of the top female sprinters in the country, will make her Keeneland debut Saturday when she heads a field of eight fillies and mares for the 37th running of the $250,000 Thoroughbred Club of America (G2) going 6 furlongs on the dirt.

The Thoroughbred Club of America, one of five graded stakes on Saturday’s 10-race program, is a “Win and You’re In” race for the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (G1) to be run Nov. 4 at Del Mar. Saturday’s race is the sixth of the afternoon with a 4 p.m. ET post time.

Trained by Bret Calhoun, Finley’sluckycharm has posted a 6-5-1-0 mark at the 6-furlong distance and claimed graded stakes victories in the Winning Colors (G3) and Chicago Handicap (G3) at Churchill Downs.

In her most recent start, Finley’sluckycharm finished second, beaten a neck by Paulassilverlining in the Honorable Miss (G2) at Saratoga. Paulassilverlining won the Madison (G1) here this spring.

Regular rider Brian Hernandez Jr. has the mount on Finley’sluckycharm and will break from post position four.

Looming as the prime challenger to Finley’sluckycharm is Kirk and Judy Robison’s Vertical Oak.

Trained by Steve Asmussen, Vertical Oak comes into Saturday’s race off a 5¼-length victory in the Prioress (G2) at Saratoga. Ricardo Santana Jr. has the mount and will break from post position two.

Returning for a second run in the race is Claiborne Farm’s Bendable. Trained by Richard Mandella, Bendable was third in last year’s running and comes into Saturday’s race off a third-place finish in the Rancho Bernardo (G3) at Del Mar.

Javier Castellano has the mount on Bendable and will break from post position one.

The field for the Thoroughbred Club of America, with riders and weights, is: Bendable (Castellano, 122 pounds), Vertical Oak (Santana Jr., 120), I’m a Looker (Corey Lanerie, 120), Finley’sluckycharm (Hernandez Jr., 122), Grace’s Treasure (Jesus Castanon, 120), Chalon (Paco Lopez, 118), True Romance (Joe Bravo, 120) and Ivy Bell (Shaun Bridgmohan, 120).