Chilukki Posts Game Victory in Track Record Time

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It wasn't the Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I), but the day at Churchill Downs began Saturday with a dramatic stretch drive between two game horses. The Churchill Downs Distaff (gr. II) began the day's card and Chilukki and Reciclada gave the crowd something to cheer about, hooking up the length of the stretch, Chilukki getting the win by the narrowest of margins in track record time.

Reciclada, under Pat Day, took the lead in the one-turn mile right out of the gate, but Gary Stevens moved Chilukki up down the backside. When they turned for home, it was a two-horse race, no one else able to gain at all down the lane. Chilukki on the outside, just got by for the victory, her 10th in 14 lifetime starts. Rose of Zollern got up for third.

Chilukki, owned by Stonerside Stable and trained by Bob Baffert, was running on Breeders' Cup Day for the second straight year. The 3-year-old Cherokee Run filly finished second as the favorite in last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile to Cash Run.

Chilukki ran the mile in a track record 1:33.57 after fractions were set of :22.57, :45.56, 1:09.80, and 1:21.57.

Chilukki paid $5.40, $3.60 and $3 while Reciclada returned $8.60 and $6. Rose of Zollern was worth $6. The exacta returned $54.40.
At Churchill Downs at noon, when the card began, it was partly cloudy and the temperature was in the mid-50s.

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