Kueber Racing's two-time stakes-winning filly Coach will attempt to collect her first victory in graded stakes company as the headliner in Saturday's $300,000 Chilukki Stakes (Grade 3) at Churchill Downs.
The one-mile Chilukki Stakes for fillies and mares will go as Race 10 of 11 with a post time of 5:35 p.m. (all times Eastern). First post is 1 p.m.
Owned by Louisville entrepreneur Rick Kueber and trained by Brad Cox, Coach was victorious in the $98,000 Rags to Riches as a 2-year-old and won the $150,000 Pippin to begin her 4-year-old campaign. In between those two races, the daughter of Commissioner finished third in the $200,000 Golden Rod (G2), second in the $200,000 Martha Washington, third in the $600,000 Fantasy (G3) and ninth in the $1.25 million Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1).
Coach finished fourth in this year's $250,000 Bayakoa (G3) and was forced to the sidelines for nearly eight months until her runner-up effort in the $100,000 Twixt Stakes on Oct. 1 at Laurel.
Jockey Ricardo Santana Jr. will have the riding assignment in the Chilukki and break from the rail. Santana was aboard Coach for her victory in the Pippin and an allowance contest on Dec. 17 at Oaklawn.
Chief among Coach's rivals in the Chilukki is Grade 3 winner Center Aisle. Owned by Larry Best's OXO Equine and trained by Paulo Lobo, Center Aisle won the $100,000 Sugar Swirl (G3) last year at Gulfstream Park. Following two disappointing efforts against Grade 1 competition in the $500,000 Madison and $750,000 Derby City Distaff (G1), Center Aisle returned against allowance foes where she finished a determined head in front of Chandana on Oct. 9 at Keeneland. Jockey Gerardo Corrales will be in the saddle for the Chilukki from post No. 3.
Also entered in the Chilukki is Rigney Racing's $150,000 Mistletoe Stakes winner Mariah's Princess. Trained by Phil Bauer, Mariah's Princess made the first start of her 4-year-old campaign on Oct. 29 at Keeneland where she made a sweeping four-wide move at the head of the stretch to take the lead in the 1 1/16-mile allowance event but gave way late to eventual winner Le Da Vida (CHI). Jockey Martin Garcia will be aboard Mariah's Princess from post 2.
Here is the complete field for the Chilukki from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):
- Coach (Santana, Cox);
- Mariah's Princess (Garcia, Bauer);
- Center Aisle (Corrales, Lobo);
- Ice Orchid (Tyler Gaffalione, John Ortiz);
- Empire House (Joe Talamo, Jonathan Wong);
- She Can't Sing (Brian Hernandez Jr., Chris Block); and
- Liberty M D (Julien Leparoux, Ian Wilkes).
It will be a cool day for racing Saturday in Louisville with temperatures expected to reach 36 degrees and sunny skies, according to the National Weather Service.
Wagering is available on www.twinspires.com, the official wagering provider of Churchill Downs Incorporated and the Kentucky Derby.
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