Finley'sluckycharm Romps in Winning Colors

Finley'sluckycharm broke sharply and never looked back as she romped by 5 1/2 lengths to score her first graded stakes win, the $100,000 Winning Colors Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs May 27. 

"That's exactly how you're supposed to do it, right?'" said winning trainer Bret Calhoun, who also saddled runner-up Mayla. "I'm very proud of both of my horses' efforts today. This was a great spot for Finley'sluckycharm to stay home and hopefully finish off the meet with the Chicago Handicap (G3, at Churchill June 24). This gives us the opportunity to save her best for some of the grade 1s down the road."

Carl R. Moore Management LLC's 4-year-old filly was sent off as the 1-5 favorite in the field of seven going six furlongs. Under jockey Brian Hernandez Jr., Finley'sluckycharm ran the first quarter-mile in :22.13 and was only 1 1/2 lengths ahead of Game Time Decision. Heading into the turn, the filly put more distance between her and the rest of the field, opening up by 4 1/2 lengths as a half-mile went in :45.17. 

Into the stretch, the daughter of Twirling Candy   showed no signs of slowing down, even under a hand ride from Hernandez. The duo crossed the wire 5 1/2 lengths in front of stablemate Mayla, who closed from sixth. The final time on a fast track was 1:09.87.

Sweetgrass finished another three-quarters of a length back in third, a neck ahead of Covey Trace in fourth. Athena, Game Time Decision, and Ramona's Wildcat completed the order of finish. 

 

The odds-on favorite returned $2.40, $2.20, and $2.10 across the board. 

 

"She does everything so well and has such good natural speed that I just have to stay out of her way," Hernandez said. "On the backstretch one of the other riders smooched at their horse to go, and my horse heard it and started opening up."

Finley'sluckycharm entered Saturday's race off a three-quarter length score in the six-furlong Roxelana Overnight Stakes at Churchill April 29. In her nine-race career, she has only failed to find the winner's circle twice. She tired badly and finished seventh in the Twinspires.com Rachel Alexandra Stakes (G2) last February, and she also got beat by a half-length by Constellation in the La Brea Stakes (G1) in December. 

Bred by Lakland Farm, she was purchased by her owner at the 2014 Keeneland September yearling sale for $77,000 out of the Burleson Farms consignment. She now has earnings of $344,468.