Prospective Saint fits pattern

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Trainer Marty Wolfson has gotten pretty good at scoring with the hit-and-run in Kentucky. Last month at Keeneland, Pampered Princess won the Grade 1 Spinster Stakes, emulating the successful invasions that the south Florida-based Wolfson has pulled off in recent years with fillies such as Stay Forever and O K to Dance.

Now Wolfson has sent yet another filly, Prospective Saint, from Miami for the $150,000 Chilukki Stakes, a Grade 2 race that highlights a 10-race Sunday card at Churchill Downs. As one of 11 fillies and mares in the one-mile Chilukki, Prospective Saint looks like a major threat, having just romped to victory in the Shocker T. at her home track, Calder, three weeks ago.

, owned by Charles Miller, might be further aided by the fact the filly-mare handicap division looks rather thin in Kentucky. There does not appear to be a standout in the Chilukki, and if she shows her usual early zip, Prospective Saint stands a good chance to take this field a long way.

Among her challengers is , who gave first-year trainer Brad Cox, 25, his first stakes victory by winning the Prairie Meadows Oaks in her last start. Tappin for Gold is 2 for 2 in one-mile races at Churchill.

Cox, who trains Tappin Gold for Doug Cox (no relation) of LaGrange, Ga., was born and raised in Louisville.

"It'd be awesome to have my first graded stakes win come in my first year and at Churchill," he said.

Other logical contenders in the Chilukki include , who has earned more than $725,000 but enters on a nine-race losing streak; Savorthetime, a consistent filly who has won 11 of 30 starts and nearly $600,000; and Miss Fortunate, a late-running mare who has earned nearly $500,000.

The others are My Ro, Journey Fever, Tempus Fugit, Plumlake Lady, Beautiful Bets, and Kristy Beethoven.

This is the 20th running of the Chilukki, which until this year had been known as the Churchill Downs Distaff. Chilukki, owned by Stonerside Stable and trained by Bob Baffert, was the 2-year-old champion filly of 1999. She also won the 2000 CD Distaff under Gary Stevens as a 3-year-old.

The Chilukki is the ninth race on a Sunday card that also includes a $70,800 overnight stakes (the Cherokee Run, race 6) and three allowances (races 3, 7, 8). First post is 12:40 p.m. Eastern.