Finley'sluckycharm will race again in 2018

Finley’sluckycharm came out of a ninth-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint in good condition and is taking it easy at Fair Grounds in preparation for a 2018 campaign her connections hope ends with another Breeders’ Cup start.

Finley’sluckycharm, who is owned by Carl Moore, won four stakes this year and was 7-1 in the Filly and Mare Sprint, but she never got involved in the race and was beaten nearly 14 lengths by upset winner Bar of Gold.

“She was getting over the track good during the week and I was happy with everything, and then the day of the race it was just a different track,” trainer Bret Calhoun said.

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Calhoun said that jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. told him Finley’sluckycharm was “just spinning her wheels out there.”

“She came out of it fine, though,” Calhoun said. “We’ll just give her 30 to 45 days off.”

Calhoun said the tentative plan is to give Finley’sluckycharm her first 2018 start March 3 at Oaklawn in the Spring Fever Stakes, though he’d be happy to start the mare off at Fair Grounds if the track could make an allowance race go. Finley’sluckycharm will be aimed at races like the Madison at Keeneland and the Humana Distaff at Churchill this spring, with an eye toward the 2018 BC Filly and Mare Sprint.

“We know she likes Churchill, and the Breeders’ Cup is there,” Calhoun said.

◗ Hallie Belle figures to be heavily favored in the Friday feature, race 8, a first-level filly and mare turf-route allowance.