Joyful Victory, Salty Strike Head Chilukki
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Photo:
Coady Photography
Fox
Hill Farms Inc.’s
Joyful Victory, a multiple graded-stakes winning earner of more than
$625,000, heads a competitive field of 11 fillies and mares entered for
Saturday’s 27th running of the Grade II, $150,000-added
Chilukki at one mile on the main track at Churchill Downs.
The
Chilukki, which honors the 3-year-old filly who won this event in track-record
time (1:33.57) in 2000, will go as Race 9 on the 10-race card with a post time
of 4:37 p.m. (all times Eastern). Post time for the first race is 12:40 p.m.
A
4-year-old gray or roan daughter of Tapit, Joyful Victory will be making her
first start at Churchill Downs since finishing fourth in the 2011 Kentucky Oaks
(GI). She was made the 2-1 favorite in the Oaks off her dominating victories in
the Fantasy (GII) and Honeybee (GIII) at Oaklawn Park that winter.
After
winning the Tiffany Lass at Fair Grounds, the Larry Jones-trained Joyful
Victory has placed in three consecutive graded stakes events. In her most
recent start, she finished second behind Love and Pride in the Zenyatta
(GI) at Santa Anita.
She
will break from post two in the Chilukki and be ridden by Robby Albarado,
who holds the record with Pat Day for most victories in the Chilukki
with four. Albarado’s most recent win in this race came in 2010 aboard Distinctive
Dixie.
Joyful
Victory will face stiff competition in the Chilukki, which includes four other
graded-stakes winners.
Two
of those are Salty Strike and Brushed by a Star who ran
1-2 in the Mari Hulman George at Hoosier Park on Oct. 6.
Craig
Singer’s
Salty Strike has won five of her seven starts at Churchill Downs, including
last spring’s Dogwood (GIII). A 4-year-old daughter of Smart Strike, Salty
Strike has won four of her last five, with her lone defeat coming in the
Presque Isle Downs Masters (GII) to Groupie Doll, morning-line favorite
for the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (GI). The Ken McPeek-trained
Salty Strike will break from the outside in post 11 under Victor Lebron.
Team
Forster’s
Brushed by a Star recorded back-to-back stakes victories this summer by taking
the Iowa Distaff at Prairie Meadows and the Molly Pitcher (GII) at Monmouth
Park. Prior to her runner-up effort in the Mari Hulman George, Brushed by a
Star finished fifth behind Love and Pride in the Personal Ensign (GI) at
Saratoga. She will break from post nine under Corey Lanerie.
The
two other graded stakes winners recorded their biggest victories over the
Churchill Downs oval.
John
Oxley’s
Dancinginherdreams will break from post three under Leandro Goncalves.
Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, Dancinginherdreams will be seeking
her first graded-stakes victory since winning the 2010 Pocahontas (GII) at
Churchill Downs.
William
S.
and Graydon Patterson’s Juanita, winner of the Indiana Oaks (GII)
during her 3-year-old campaign, scored an upset victory on this year’s Kentucky
Oaks Day undercard by taking the La Troienne (GII) at odds of more than 16-1.
Jockey Joe Rocco Jr. will be in the irons when Juanita breaks from post
eight in the Chilukki.
The
field for the Chilukki, from the rail out (with jockey and weight): Brilliant
Future (Calvin Borel, 121), Joyful Victory (Albarado, 121),
Dancinginherdreams (Goncalves, 121), Make a Toast (Ben Creed, 118), Bonnie’s
Empire (Ramon Vazquez, 118), Jemima’s Pearl (Jesus Castanon, 118), Indulgence
(Shaun Bridgmohan, 121), Juanita (Rocco Jr., 123), Brushed by a Star (Lanerie,
123), Spectacular Sky (Elvis Trujillo, 121) and Salty Strike (Lebron,
121).
Highlighting
the undercard is the $65,000-added Bet On Sunshine, which will go as Race 5 at
2:36 p.m. The field of seven entered for the overnight stake is led by Silverton
Hill LLC’s three-time graded stakes-winner Havelock. A 5-year-old
gelded son of Great Notion, Havelock will be making his first start since
winning the Hanshin Cup (GIII) at Arlington Park in May. Trained by Darrin
Miller, Havelock will break from post four under Jesus Castanon.
The
field for the Bet On Sunshine, from the rail out (with jockey and weight): Moe
Man (Goncalves, 120), Will’s Wildcat (Borel, 120), Delaunay
(Bridgmohan, 120), Havelock (Castanon, 124), Laurie’s Rocket (Rocco Jr.,
120), China (Albarado, 120), Golden Country (Lanerie, 120).
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