Finley'sluckycharm Right at Home in Humana Distaff

There is something about Churchill Downs that brings out the best in Finley'sluckycharm.

While the daughter of Twirling Candy  has acquitted herself with aplomb in almost every venue she has visited in her 15 starts, there seems to be an extra bounce to her stride, and extra oomph in her acceleration whenever she gets beneath the Twin Spires—hence her 6-for-6 record over the Louisville oval.

"She trains well everywhere, she runs well everywhere," trainer Bret Calhoun said of his grade 1-winning charge. "But even last Friday when we breezed her, (jockey) Brian Hernandez Jr. came back and he goes 'She just moves different over this track.' She just takes it up to a little bit higher level here, it seems like."

Considering Finley'sluckycharm is coming off the biggest win of her career, now may be a particularly challenging time for her rivals to try and take her down in her backyard. The 5-year-old dark bay aims to keep her Louisville streak going when she faces seven others in the $300,000 Humana Distaff Stakes (G1) May 5, part of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) undercard.

Finley'sluckycharm has never been beaten in eight starts within the state of Kentucky, with her most recent score coming when she prevailed in a four-horse blanket finish in the April 7 Madison Stakes (G1) at Keeneland. Aside from the obvious joy of the Madison being her first career top-level victory, Calhoun relished seeing owner Carl Moore's mare leave no doubt she was among the elite in her division after ending her 2017 campaign with a rare off-the-board outing when ninth in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1).

"(The Madison) was a grueling race. I'm very proud of her," Calhoun said. "She and (grade 1 winner) American Gal went toe-to-toe from gate to wire, four of them on the wire in a very exciting race. She ran huge. I had a lot of respect for her before the race and a lot more respect for her afterwards, with how fast they went early and how she was able to hold on late."

Fittingly, Churchill Downs was the site of Finley'sluckycharm's first graded stakes triumph—a victory in the 2017 Winning Colors Stakes (G3)—and she also took the seven-furlong Chicago Handicap (G3) there in gate-to-wire fashion last June. She has only been worse than second twice in 15 career starts, boasting ten wins and $788,368 in earnings.

"She has a real affinity for this racetrack, obviously," Calhoun said.  "I don't know what it is, but there are horses for courses some times. Luckily she's been able to run and win in different places, but I do think she's a better horse here."

American Gal, fourth in that tight Madison finish, is making her second start back off a more than seven-month layoff. The daughter of Concord Point captured the Longines Test Stakes (G1) for trainer Simon Callaghan last August before going to the sidelines until her seasonal bow at Keeneland.

Multiple graded stakes winner Lewis Bay is another returnee from the Madison, where she was third, beaten just two noses. The Chad Brown-trained daughter of Bernardini  is another model of consistency in the division, finishing out of the top three just once in 13 starts.

Entries: Humana Distaff S. (G1)

Churchill Downs, Saturday, May 05, 2018, Race 6

• Grade I
• 7f
• Dirt
• $300,000
• 4 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
• 1:13 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Finley'sluckycharm (KY)	Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.	123	W. Bret Calhoun	7/2
2	2Salty (KY)	Tyler Gaffalione	118	Mark E. Casse	4/1
3	3Ivy Bell (KY)	Javier Castellano	120	Todd A. Pletcher	5/1
4	4Skye Diamonds (CA)	Mike E. Smith	118	William Spawr	5/1
5	5Lewis Bay (KY)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	118	Chad C. Brown	3/1
6	6Miner's Cat (KY)	John R. Velazquez	118	Charles Lopresti	20/1
7	7Torrent (KY)	Jose Lezcano	118	Ron Moquett	20/1
8	8American Gal (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	118	Simon Callaghan	7/2