Home » Fillies and mares competing in $200,000 Chilukki Stakes at Churchill Downs

Fillies and mares competing in $200,000 Chilukki Stakes at Churchill Downs

Scheduled for Saturday

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Nov. 6, 2015) — Grade II winners Birdatthewire, Keen Pauline and Gold Medal Dancer headline a field of eight fillies and mares entered for Saturday’s 30th running of the $200,000 Chilukki Stakes (Grade II) at Churchill Downs. The one-mile Chilukki will go as Race 10 of 11 on Saturday at approximately 5:15 p.m. The first race is 12:40 p.m.

Forum Racing IV’s Birdatthewire and Stonestreet Stables LLC’s Keen Pauline are 3-year-old fillies that will face elders for the first time and hail from the barn of trainer Dale Romans. Birdatthewire, winner of the Forward Gal (GII) and Gulfstream Park Oaks (GII) in South Florida early in the year, will be making her first start since finishing fifth in the $1 million Longines Kentucky Oaks (GI) when she was 5 ¼ lengths back of winner Lovely Maria. Black-Eyed Susan (GII) winner Keen Pauline most recently finished ninth of 11 in the $1 million Cotillion (GI) at Parx Racing on Sept. 19.

Romans saddled last year’s Chilukki winner Molly Morgan and also won the race in 2004 with Halory Leigh. A win on Saturday would tie Rusty Arnold’s record for most wins by a trainer in the race.

Gold Medal Dancer, a 5-year-old Pin Oak Stable LLC homebred, hasn’t raced since finishing sixth in the $200,000 Fleur de Lis Handicap (GII) on June 13. In March, she defeated 2014 Kentucky Oaks winner Untapable by a half-length to win the $294,000 Azeri Handicap (GII).

The complete Chilukki field from the rail out (with jockeys): Birdatthewire (Corey Lanerie), Black-Eyed Susan third Ahh Chocolate (Brian Hernandez Jr.), stakes-placed Serene Melody (Julien Leparoux), Open Mind winner Spelling Again (Shaun Bridgmohan), Grade III-placed Ambusher (Chris Landeros), Gold Medal Dancer (Luis Quinonez), Keen Pauline (Miguel Mena) and multiple stakes winner Shanon Nicole (Robby Albarado).

Known as the Churchill Downs Distaff from 1996-2004, the Chilukki was renamed in 2005 to honor Stonerside Stable’s graded stakes-winning filly trained by Bob Baffert. The daughter of Cherokee Run made four starts at Churchill Downs, all of which were victories. Chilukki won the 2000 edition of this race in what would be her final start.