Finite Returns to Winning Ways in Chilukki
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Photo: Coady Photography
Ricardo Santana Jr. shares a moment with Finite after winning the Chilukki Stakes at Churchill Downs
After beginning the season full of promise, Finite came full circle with a 2 1/2-length score in the $100,000 Chilukki Stakes (G3) Nov. 21 at Churchill Downs.
The 3-year-old Munnings filly could head next to the Dec. 26 La Brea Stakes (G1) at Santa Anita Park in pursuit of a top-level score, trainer Steve Asmussen said Saturday.
Finite put a five-race win streak together at the end of 2019 and start of 2020, breaking her maiden on the lawn at Kentucky Downs and then immediately switching to the main track to win the Rags to Riches Stakes, Golden Rod Stakes (G2), Silverbulletday Stakes, and Rachel Alexandra Stakes Presented by Fasig-Tipton (G2). A fourth-place finish in the March 21 Twinspires.com Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) led her connections to pause for minor ankle surgery, and she came back to Asmussen's barn a few months later amid an uncertain calendar made hazy by COVID-19.
After returning on turf in the Sept. 15 Music City Stakes at Kentucky Downs, where she finished 11th, she came into the one-turn mile Chilukki off a narrow runner-up finish to Venetian Harbor in the Oct. 17 Lexus Raven Run Stakes (G2) at Keeneland.
"She's a really quality filly," Asmussen said. "We had a really nice win last year at Churchill in the Golden Rod and going one turn in the Rags to Riches. … It was a disappointing race in the Fair Grounds Oaks, and after that is when this year was sort of turned upside down. We gave her some time off after that race, and she didn't really handle the going in her start at Kentucky Downs. In the Raven Run, she ran really well against some nice fillies."
Risky Mandate led a field of nine through swift fractions of :22.75 and :45.59 in the Chilukki, with 6-5 favorite Finite tracking in seventh down the backstretch under Ricardo Santana Jr. As the eventual winner moved into contention circling around the field, Sanenus grabbed the lead and crossed the six-furlong marker in 1:10.81. But Finite quickly forged to an advantage in upper stretch and willingly drew off thereafter.
Finite clocked the mile on a fast track in 1:35.53 in her first start against elders. She improved her record to six wins and three seconds from 11 starts, with earnings of $757,869. It was her fifth stakes win for Winchell Thoroughbreds, Thomas Reiman, William Dickson, and Debbie Easter.
"We had a great trip rating behind the pace," Santana said. "I think at this stage of her career, she is just getting better. She's only 3 years old, and today was her first time against older horses. We went one turn today, but she's maturing and going to be really nice at longer distances, too."
Finite paid $4.40 on a $2 win ticket. Sanenus held for second, and Whoa Nellie was another 1 1/4 lengths back in third. Gold Standard, Grand Cru Classe, Risky Mandate, New Roo, Crazy Sexy Munny, and Unique Factor completed the order of finish.
Finite was bred in Kentucky by Winchell Thoroughbreds out of the stakes-winning Tapit mare Remit and was a $200,000 purchase by Easter from Randy Miles' consignment to the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale.
Remit, a full sister to graded winner and sire Tapiture , is also the dam of Reride (by Candy Ride ), who won the 2018 Mine That Bird Derby and Big Drama Stakes. The mare has a 2-year-old Candy Ride filly named Bankable and a yearling colt by Gun Runner and dropped a Gun Runner filly in April. She was bred back to Gun Runner for 2021.