Finley'sluckycharm Too Good This Time in Honorable Miss
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Photo: Coglianese Photos/Chris Rahayel
Finley'sluckycharm takes the Honorable Miss Handicap at Saratoga
For the second straight year, Finley'sluckycharm surged past her main rival in the stretch and looked on her way to victory in the $200,000 Honorable Miss Handicap (G2). Unlike the gut punch of last season, the daughter of Twirling Candy kept the pedal to the floor July 25 and made sure she didn't let the hardware end up in another's grasp.
One year after getting nailed at the wire by Paulassilverlining after initially passing that rival in the lane, Finley'sluckycharm got her Honorable Miss score when she ran down Vertical Oak in midstretch and outkicked her rival by 2 1/4 lengths to capture the 27th running of the six-furlong test at Saratoga Race Course.
Though she was coming into the Honorable Miss off a fourth-place finish in the May 5 Humana Distaff Stakes (G1) at Churchill Downs—her first loss within the state of Kentucky—Finley'sluckycharm looked a huge favorite in the five-horse field off the strength of back class that included a victory in the Madison Stakes (G1) at Keeneland in April. The biggest concern for trainer Bret Calhoun Wednesday was the showery weather that hit the area—Carl Moore's mare didn't exactly relish the wet conditions in the Humana.
"I was sweating all day. I know there's a couple of horses in here that really move up in the slop. For us, I don't think it's her best surface," Calhoun said. "I think she tolerates it. She runs over it, but I don't think it's her best. I never thought in a million years we'd get to run on a dry fast track."
With the conditions officially rated good, Finley'sluckycharm began putting Calhoun's mind at ease shortly after breaking from the outside post. With jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. at the helm, the dark bay/brown mare stayed just off Vertical Oak as the pacesetter went the opening quarter-mile in :22.52 and the half in :45. Out of the turn, Hernandez encouraged Finley'sluckycharm as she straightened for home, and the 4-5 favorite responded by gaining ground to the outside of Vertical Oak before overtaking her, completing the distance in 1:09.48.
"That was great after last year being beaten a neck by Paulassilverlining," Hernandez said. "We all went out to dinner and had our heads down, but this year we get to go to dinner and have a little celebration, so it'll be fun. We put Vertical Oak away in the lane, but she kept coming back at us. We just needed to make sure our filly kept running through the wire, and she did.
"She gutted it out, and she ran a fast enough time for not running since Derby Day at Churchill. She was impressive today."
Vertical Oak was a clear second best, finishing 9 1/4 lengths in front of third-place finisher Kirby's Penny. Thirteen Songs and Faypien completed the order of finish.
Bred in Kentucky by Lakland Farm out of the Victory Gallop mare Day of Victory, Finley'sluckycharm improved her record to 11 wins—five of them graded—from 17 starts. She has been worse than second just three times in her career. Purchased by Moore for $77,000 out of the 2014 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Finley'sluckycharm continues to inch toward millionaire status, with earnings of $913,068.