Lothenbach Stables' She Can't Sing will attempt to defend her victory in last year's Chilukki Stakes (G) when she meets eight fillies and mares entered for this year's edition of the $300,000 one-mile race next Saturday at Churchill Downs.
The Chilukki is carded as Race 10 of 11 with a post time of 5:35 p.m. (ET). First post is 1 p.m.
Trained by Chris Block, She Can't Sing is an eight-time winner from 38 starts. The 6-year-old daughter of Bernardini has won four of those races at Churchill Downs, including her 3¾-length triumph in last year's Chilukki.
Block opted to return She Can't Sing to the turf following her Chilukki victory on Churchill's main track and she finished fourth in the Tom Benson Memorial at Fair Grounds and third in the Lady Canterbury at Canterbury Park. The Chilukki will be She Can't Sing's first start since her fourth-place effort in the Romacaca Handicap in early August on the turf at Hawthorne. Brian Hernandez Jr., who rode She Can't Sing in last year's Chilukki, has the return call from post No. 5.
Block also has entered Richard Perkin's 14-time winner Oeuvre, who's set to make her first start against graded stakes company. The 4-year-old Illinois-bred daughter of Shackleford is on a three-race win streak with victories in the Jean Elizabeth Handicap at Hawthorne and consecutive allowance wins at Kentucky Downs and Keeneland. Jockey Jareth Loveberry will be in the irons from post 4.
Trainer Bill Mott, a two-time Chilukki winner, aims for his third victory in the race with 2022 Gazelle (G3) winner Nostalgic. Ridden by Florent Geroux from the rail, Godolphin's homebred Nostalgic finished 10th in the 2022 Longines Kentucky Oaks (GI), just ahead of fellow Chilukki rival Hidden Connection, who finished 12th. Nostalgic, a Medaglia d'Oro filly, began her 4-year-old season in mid-July, finishing second to Sixtythreecaliber in a third-level allowance contest. Four weeks later she defeated five rivals in allowance company and would go on to finish third to Randomized and A Mo Reay six weeks later in the Beldame (GII).
Mott previously won the Chilukki with Obligatory (2021) and Feasibility Study (1997).
Here is the complete Chilukki field from the rail out (with jockey and trainer): Nostalgic (Geroux, Mott); Raindrops on Roses (Joe Talamo, Pat Huffman); Hidden Connection (Tyler Gaffalione, Bret Calhoun); Oeuvre (Loveberry, Block); She Can't Sing (Hernandez, Block); Braganza (Declan Cannon, Eddie Kenneally); Falconet (Luis Saez, Todd Pletcher); Be Like Water (Martin Garcia, Vicki Oliver); and Hot and Sultry (Ricardo Santana Jr., Norm Casse).
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