Finley'sluckycharm seeks sprint sweep in Ballerina

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Finley’sluckycharm will attempt to pull off a sweep of the two principal filly and mare sprint races at the Saratoga meet when she faces the always tough Lewis Bay and California shipper Marley’s Freedom in the Grade 1, $500,000 Ballerina.

The nine-horse field also includes Grade 2 winner Ivy Bell, who will be turning back in distance off two longer races; Grade 1 winner Union Strike, who will be making her first start since being transferred to the barn of Steve Asmussen; and Highway Star, who was beaten a head in this race a year ago.

The seven-furlong Ballerina is a Win and You’re In for the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Churchill Downs on Nov. 3.

Finley’sluckycharm stalked Vertical Oak in the Grade 2 Honorable Miss on July 25 and went on to win the six-furlong race by 2 1/4 lengths, earning a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 104. The race was easy enough on Finley’sluckycharm that trainer Brett Calhoun is comfortable bringing the 5-year-old back on just over four weeks’ rest.

“We just feel that in the Honorable Miss things went our way,” Calhoun said. “She didn’t have to run that hard all the way around there.”

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Finley’sluckycharm will have to travel a furlong farther in the Ballerina than she did in the Honorable Miss, and while that is within her reach, it should be noted the daughter of Twirling Candy has been more effective at six furlongs than seven during her career. In races at six furlongs or shorter, Finley’sluckycharm is 9 for 11. In five tries at seven furlongs, she has two wins and a second.

Calhoun said that as Finley’sluckycharm has matured, she has settled down and relaxed. He uses her victory last fall in the Grade 2 Thoroughbred Club of America at Keeneland as an example. She came from off the pace in that six-furlong race to win by 1 3/4 lengths.

“We kind of got jostled away from there and shuffled back,” Calhoun said. “She was never in a good position the whole race. I thought that was the first sign of her starting to relax and settle off it.”

As for seven furlongs, Finley’sluckycharm turned in a gutsy performance to win the Grade 1 Madison by a nose going that distance at Keeneland in April. She went head and head with two-time Grade 1 winner American Gal, bested her, and then held off a late-running cavalry charge.

“The Madison was an extremely tough race,” he said. “They went head to head through suicide fractions and she held on. She can do it that way if need be, or I think she can settle a little bit.

“She’s a fast filly, and obviously we won’t take that away from her.”

Lewis Bay has been a solid mare throughout her career but is yet to win a Grade 1. Trainer Chad Brown would like to check that box Saturday.

“I think in our barn she’s the most deserving to win a Grade 1 that hasn’t won one yet,” Brown said. “She’s had such a solid career. I really believe she deserves to be a Grade 1 winner before she’s retired.”

Lewis Bay has made five starts since returning from a year layoff. She has been freshened since winning the Grade 3, seven-furlong Bed o’ Roses at Belmont Park in early June.

“She ran such a fast number we thought she needed extra time to recover, and she’s proven to us that she runs better fresh, off a layoff,” Brown said. “She’s been training brilliantly.”

Marley’s Freedom is 2 for 2 since being transferred to trainer Bob Baffert, who also has sent Abel Tasman in for the Personal Ensign on Saturday. Marley’s Freedom earned a 105 Beyer winning the Grade 3 Desert Stormer at Santa Anita in her debut for Baffert, then came back to take the Grade 2 Great Lady M. at Los Alamitos.

Although Marley’s Freedom will be facing tougher rivals in the Ballerina, she is certain to have a lot of supporters with Baffert and jockey Mike Smith in her corner.

Ivy Bell won the Grade 2 Inside Information going seven furlongs at Gulfstream Park in March. In her most recent effort, she finished fourth, beaten two lengths, going 1 1/8 miles in the Grade 3 Shuvee. Two starts ago, she was second to runaway winner Abel Tasman in the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps at 1 1/16 miles.

Trainer Todd Pletcher believes seven furlongs is Ivy Bell’s best distance.

“I’m thinking off two routes, back to seven-eighths, hopefully she’s ready to fire a good one,” Pletcher said. “She ran productively going longer, but seven-eighths is perfect for her.”

Union Strike was sent to Asmussen in July and has worked four times over the Oklahoma training track. She is winless in four starts since she took the Santa Paula Stakes at Santa Anita in April 2017 when she was trained by her owner, Mick Ruis.

Highway Star finished second to Lewis Bay in the Bed o’ Roses while returning on 10 days’ rest after being beaten a nose by Holiday Disguise in the New York-bred Critical Eye Stakes.

Trainer Rodrigo Ubillo said she has been training very well for the Ballerina. She did lose a shoe in her Monday workout, but Ubillo has been monitoring her closely and said she appears none the worse for wear.