Finley'sluckycharm Seeks Grade 1 Glory in Madison

Take a glance through the past-performance lines of Finley'sluckycharm and it becomes clear why trainer Bret Calhoun doesn't have much to talk about when discussing the 5-year-old mare's bad days.

There are a couple odd blemishes, including a ninth-place finish in the 2017 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (G1), but by and large the daughter of Twirling Candy  has done nothing but fire in her 14 starts. Among her nine wins are three graded stakes victories, with that Breeders' Cup run just the second time she has ever finished out of the top two.

Another statistic that pops out from the dark bay mare's list of achievements is the fact she has yet to lose within the state of Kentucky. Finley'sluckycharm will aim to maintain the status quo when she faces 12 challengers in the $300,000 Madison Stakes (G1) going seven furlongs at Keeneland April 7.

Of the seven wins Finley'sluckycharm has notched in the Bluegrass State, six have come at Churchill Downs—highlighted by victories in the Winning Colors Stakes (G3) and Chicago Handicap (G3) last year. However, her lone effort over the Keeneland main track cemented her as a hometown girl when she captured the Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes (G2) by 1 3/4 lengths in October.

After she arrived at Del Mar later that month to prepare for the Filly and Mare Sprint, her training in the morning hours told Calhoun he had no reason to expect anything but her usual stalwart run. But in one of the massive upsets on a Breeders' Cup card full of bombs, it was 66-1 shot Bar of Gold who prevailed, while Finley'sluckycharm had a rare non-competitive outing.

"That's the only bad race on her form, really," Calhoun said. "When we got out there and trained out there, I thought she would run really well. She looked like (she) got over (the main track) well, but in the afternoon it appeared to be a different surface, and she just didn't handle it. I think she was getting to be a bit of a tired filly, also, so it was nice to freshen her and point toward this series.

"She's never been beaten in the state of Kentucky, between Churchill and Keeneland, so she likes it here. For her to have already started here and won here does give you more confidence."

Calhoun had the Madison circled on the calendar for Finley'sluckycharm last spring, but the mare "popped a curb" ligament and had her season debut pushed back. To get her ready this year to take aim at her first grade 1 victory, the trainer called upon his charge's versatility and started her in the Mardi Gras Stakes Feb. 13 over the turf at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, where she finished a good second in her first grass start.

"We had several options to get her a race to prepare for this spot, and none of them were ideal," Calhoun said. "One would have been shipping to Oaklawn, and I didn't really want to start off shipping her. The other was the turf at the Fair Grounds, and she was able to run out of her own stall, which I thought was a benefit. I don't think she really liked the going, but I think she ran well enough to get out of it what she needed to get out of it, to be well prepared for this spot."

Owned by Carl Moore Management, Finley'sluckycharm just missed winning a top-level race in 2016 when she came in second to Constellation by half a length in the seven-furlong La Brea Stakes (G1).

Finley'sluckycharm will have to overcome post 12 in the Madison while 7-2 morning-line favorite and multiple graded stakes winner Lewis Bay breaks from post 2 in a deep field.

Lewis Bay is a model of consistency in her own right, finishing worse than third just once in 12 starts. The Alpha Delta Stables homebred daughter of Bernardini  won the one-mile Rampart Stakes (G3) in December to close her 2017 campaign and finished second to Martini Glass in the Royal Delta Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park Feb. 19.

The John Servis-trained Ms Locust Point brings a four-race win streak to the Madison. She was most impressive last time out when she led at every point of call in the seven-furlong Barbara Fritchie Stakes (G2) en route to a 4 1/2-length victory.

American Gal has also sizzled at the seven-furlong distance—winning the Longines Test Stakes (G1) by four lengths Aug. 5—but the daughter of Concord Point went to the sideline after that effort and will be making her first start off an eight-month layoff. Ami's Mesa is also making her season debut after she ran second by a nose in her dirt debut in the Filly & Mare Sprint.

"I don't think you ever come in here beaming with confidence. I like my horse and wouldn't trade spots, but it's a tough group of horses this weekend," Calhoun said. "It's a big, deep field of talented horses. It should be a really good race."

Entries: Madison S. (G1)

Keeneland, Saturday, April 07, 2018, Race 8

• Grade I
• 7f
• Dirt
• $300,000
• 4 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
• 5:10 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Sailor's Valentine (KY)	Corey J. Lanerie	118	Eddie Kenneally	20/1
2	2Lewis Bay (KY)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	118	Chad C. Brown	7/2
3	3Salty (KY)	Tyler Gaffalione	118	Mark E. Casse	10/1
4	4Ms Locust Point (KY)	Jorge A. Vargas, Jr.	120	John C. Servis	12/1
5	5Tequilita (KY)	Luis Saez	118	Michael R. Matz	20/1
6	6Teresa Z (KY)	Albin Jimenez	118	Anthony R. Margotta, Jr.	50/1
7	7Berned (KY)	Feargal Lynch	118	H. Graham Motion	20/1
8	8Miss Sunset (CA)	Julien R. Leparoux	118	Jeff Bonde	9/2
9	9Natural Wonder (KY)	Chris Landeros	118	Sally Sue Schu	50/1
10	10Ami's Mesa (ON)	Luis Contreras	118	Josie Carroll	6/1
11	11American Gal (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	118	Simon Callaghan	4/1
12	12Finley'sluckycharm (KY)	Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.	118	W. Bret Calhoun	4/1
13	13Mines and Magic (KY)	Jose Lezcano	118	Victoria H. Oliver	30/1