Slammed leads from flagfall to finish in Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes

LEXINGTON, Ky. – It was such a great week in Kentucky for Todd Fincher that the New Mexico-based trainer thinks he’ll stick around a few weeks more.

Fincher got his first Breeders’ Cup starter last Saturday when Senor Buscador won the Ack Ack at Churchill Downs, and at nearly the same time a week later, he may have got his second when Slammed rolled to a 6 1/2-length triumph in the 42nd running of the Grade 2, $320,163 Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes at sunny Keeneland.

Slammed, a bay New Mexico-bred, “is an awesome filly,” said Fincher, who began training Thoroughbreds in 1998.

:: Bet Keeneland with confidence! Get DRF PPs, Picks, Betting Strategies, and more.

Slammed, ridden by Florent Geroux, never had a worry in the six-furlong TCA as she flew off to an open lead in the first few strides and never looked back. She paid $6.78 as favorite in a field of eight after finishing in 1:10.03 over a fast track. She earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 99.

“She’s very professional, knows what to do out there,” said Geroux. “She relaxed very nicely. I just tried to keep her focus all the way to the wire.”

Happy Soul, who gave closest chase for most of the way, held off Joyful Cadence by a half-length for second. Then came Li’l Tootsie, Club Car, Sconsin, Liberty M D, and Palm Cottage. Carribean Caper was an early scratch.

Slammed, as with Senor Buscador the previous Saturday, earned the Win and You’re In berth to her respective race in the Breeders’ Cup, which will be run Nov. 4-5 at Keeneland. However, Slammed is not a BC nominee and will have to be supplemented in order to run in the BC Filly and Mare Sprint. Senor Buscador goes in the BC Dirt Mile.

Slammed is owned by Brad King, Suzanne Kirby, and Barbara Coleman. She now has won nine of 12 starts, with her previous start resulting in a half-length defeat with something of an excuse behind Edgeway, another BC Filly and Mare starter, in the Aug. 28 Rancho Bernardo at Del Mar.

“My only concern today was her getting away from the gate good and clean,” said Fincher. “Last time, she slipped behind, and it cost her. When I saw those turquoise blinkers jump out of the gate, I was very happy. When I looked up and saw they went the first quarter in (22.75 seconds), I said, ‘If she gets beat, we have no excuse.’ You saw what she did down the lane.”

Slammed earned $179,025 for her victory. She was ineligible for the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund incentives that are part of the purse structure on the Kentucky circuit.

She might be the most accomplished New Mexico-bred since Peppers Pride won all 19 starts in a career that ended in 2008.

“I’m more proud of the horse than anything,” said Fincher. “I’m just her trainer. The horses are the superstars. I’m just trying to stay out of her way.”

This was the second TCA win for Geroux, following Golden Mischief in 2018.

The $2 exacta (7-9) paid $47.88, the $1 trifecta (7-9-8) returned $152.98, and the 10-cent superfecta (7-9-8-1) was worth $80.38.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.