Fox Hill Farms' Joyful Victory, a multiple graded-stakes winning earner of more than $625,000, heads a competitive field of 11 fillies and mares entered for the $150,000 Chilukki Stakes (gr. II) Nov. 3 at Churchill Downs.
The Chilukki , one mile on the main track, will go as race nine on a 10-race card with a post time of 4:37 p.m. EDT.
A 4-year-old gray or roan daughter of Tapit , Joyful Victory will be making her first start beneath the Twin Spires since finishing fourth in the 2011 Kentucky Oaks (gr. I). She was made the 2-1 favorite in the Oaks off her dominating victories in the Fantasy (gr. II) and Honeybee (gr. III) stakes at Oaklawn Park that winter.
After winning the Tiffany Lass Stakes at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, the Larry Jones-trained Joyful Victory has placed in three consecutive graded stakes events. In her most recent start, she finished second behind Love and Pride in the Zenyatta (gr. I) at Santa Anita Park. She will break from post two in the Chilukki and be ridden by Robby Albarado.
Joyful Victory will face stiff competition in the Chilukki, which includes four other graded-stakes winners. Two of those are Salty Strike and Brushed by a Star, who ran 1-2 in Hoosier Park's Mari Hulman George Stakes Oct. 6.
Craig Singer's Salty Strike has won five of her seven starts at Churchill Downs, including last spring's Dogwood Stakes (gr. III). A 4-year-old daughter of Smart Strike, Salty Strike has won four of her last five for trainer Ken McPeek, with her lone defeat coming in the Presque Isle Downs Masters (gr. II) to Groupie Doll, morning-line favorite for the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (gr. I).
Team Forster's Brushed by a Star recorded back-to-back stakes victories this summer by taking the Iowa Distaff at Prairie Meadows and the Molly Pitcher (gr. II) at Monmouth Park. Prior to her runner-up effort in the Mari Hulman George, Brushed by a Star finished fifth behind Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic (gr. I) contender Love and Pride in the Personal Ensign (gr. I) at Saratoga Race Course.
The two other graded stakes winners recorded their biggest victories over the Churchill oval.
John Oxley's Dancinginherdreams will break from post three under Leandro Goncalves. Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, Dancinginherdreams seeks her first graded-stakes victory since winning the 2010 Pocahontas Stakes (gr. II).
William S. and Graydon Patterson's Juanita, winner of the Indiana Oaks (gr. II) during her 3-year-old campaign, scored an upset victory on this year's Kentucky Oaks Day undercard by taking the La Troienne (gr. II) at odds of more than 16-1.
In addition to the live action, Churchill Downs will simulcast the second of the two-day Breeders' Cup World Championships from Southern California's Santa Anita Park Nov. 3. A simulcast of the 12-race card from Santa Anita will begin at 1:05 p.m. EDT.
