MONEY’SONCHARLOTTE LEADS OVERFLOW FIELD IN SATURDAY’S $200,000 CHILUKKI STAKES

By Darren Rogers —-

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2017) – Money’soncharlotte, the runner-up in the Grade I, $400,000 Beldame Invitational, heads an over-subscribed field of fillies and mares in Saturday’s 32nd running of the $200,000 Chilukki Stakes (GII) at Churchill Downs.

The one-mile Chilukki is the featured ninth race on Saturday’s program of 10 live races at Churchill Downs, which will also offer simulcast wagering on the races of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships from Del Mar. Post times for Saturday’s racing at Churchill Downs have been adjusted to accommodate the Pacific Time Zone schedule for the Breeders’ Cup and the first live race at the Louisville track is scheduled for 2:15 p.m. (EDT).

Owned by George and Lori Hall and trained by Kelly Breen, Money’soncharlotte has run one time at Churchill Downs, finishing 13th in the 2015 Longines Kentucky Oaks (GI). The 5-year-old daughter of Mizzen Mast’s 2017 campaign began swiftly with a 5 ½-length victory at Parx in an allowance race. Successive victories at Monmouth Park in the $75,000 Lady Secret Stakes and $100,000 Molly Pitcher Stakes (GIII) led Money’soncharlotte to a run at Thistledown in the $200,000 Lady Jacqueline Stakes, which resulted in a 1 ¼-length victory. The only blemish on bay mare’s resume this year is a runner-up effort behind Breeders’ Cup Distaff-(GI) contender Elate in Belmont Park’s Beldame.

Money’soncharlotte (22-7-3-2 —$538,395) drew post three and Corey Lanerie will have the call.

Chief among Money’soncharlotte’s rivals include west-coast shipper Shenandoah Queen (11-5-1-2 —$111,300) for Hronis Racing LLC and trainer John Sadler. The 5-year-old mare by Henny Hughes was a ¾-length victor in Del Mar’s Tranquility Stakes on Aug. 25. Shenandoah Queen would be Sadler’s first starter at Churchill Downs since Stellar Wind ran fourth in the 2015 Kentucky Oaks (GI).

Shenandoah Queen drew post position 11 and Chris Landeros has the mount.

Five D Thoroughbreds’ Kathballu (29-8-4-4 —$478,685) enters the Chilukki off a 1 ¼-length allowance victory at Keeneland on Oct. 7 for trainer Kenny McPeek. The 5-year-old Blue Grass Cat mare looks to avenge her fourth-place effort to Kiss to Remember in last year’s Chilukki. Kathballu will be ridden by Ricardo Santana Jr. and break from post 14.

Owner/trainer Wes Hawley’s $145,000 Oklahoma Distaff runner-up Steel Cut (34-13-6-2 —$476,528) enters the Chilukki in an attempt to garner her first graded stakes victory. The 6-year-old mare by Cactus Ridge was a stout 3 ½-length allowance victor in July at Prairie Meadows before attempting the Oklahoma Distaff.

Jon Court has the call on Steel Cut and the duo will break from post 13.

The field for the Chilukki from the rail out (with jockey): Alpine Sky (Shaun Bridgmohan); Julerette (Alex Canchari); Money’soncharlotte (Lanerie); Rattataptap (Jack Gilligan); Tiger Moth (Manny Cruz); Mo D’amour (James Graham); Farrell (Channing Hill); Motown Lady (Gabriel Saez); Lake Ponchatrain (Calvin Borel); Show Stealer (Miguel Mena); Shenandoah Queen (Landeros); Fuhriously Kissed (Joe Rocco Jr.); Steel Cut (Court); and Kathballu (Santana).

Moiety (Alonso Quinonez) and Sweet Legacy (Francisco Torres) are on the also eligible-list and may run if any late scratches occur.

The Chilukki is named in honor of Stonerside Stable’s champion 2-year-old filly of 1999. The Bob Baffert-trained daughter of Cherokee Run set a pair of track records at Churchill Downs during her career. She lowered the standard for 4 ½ furlongs in her racing debut over the track at two and returned at three to set a stakes record in the race that now bears her name, but was then known as the Churchill Downs Distaff. Chilukki completed her racing career with a record of 11-3-0 in 17 races with career earnings of $1,201,828.

Churchill Downs, the world’s most legendary racetrack, has conducted Thoroughbred racing and presented America’s greatest race, the Kentucky Derby, continuously since 1875. Located in Louisville, the flagship racetrack of Churchill Downs Incorporated (NASDAQ: CHDN) offers year-round simulcast wagering at the historic track. Churchill Downs is currently conducting its live racing Fall Meet through Nov. 26. Churchill Downs will conduct the 144th running of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve on May 5, 2018, and will host the Breeders’ Cup World Championships for the ninth time on Nov. 2-3, 2018. Information is available at www.ChurchillDowns.com.