Chilukki (Grade 3)- $300.000 Purse
CD- For Fillies and Mares Three Years Old and Upward
One Mile on the Dirt
November 18, 2023

Since arriving with Spb Racing through a $7.500 claim, Savanna had won back-to-back races, first being an allowance and then an ungraded stake. The filly would look to take another step forward as she took on graded company for the first time in the Chilukki. She would run well right front the gate, and prevailed in a photo at the wire over a rival that has won over $1,200.000 on the year. What’s next for Savanna after this? No matter what, we know that the trainer has plenty of reason to be excited about the filly’s chances as a four-year-old next year. For the first-year trainer, it is their obviously their first win in the Chilukki, and jockey R M Hernandez is also a first-time winner. Congratulations to them! The time of the win was 1:34.83, the third quickest in the race’s history. Let’s take a look at it!

(1/4 Mile- :23.24)- Right from the gate, our two horses that would be seeing each other again at the wire ran side by side, with Mo Mentum Farm’s Appreciate getting official credit for being the leader at this point, but the eventual winner from Spb Racing, Savanna, will take this tradeoff for being narrowly ahead when it mattered the most. Kalthoff Repeater runs in a stalking position for Spankys Barn, and Smokey Stover’s Queen Mother runs to her outside. It’s two more to the trailer, TwinTowersRacing’s Karloffs Monster.

(½ Mile- :46.71)- Down the backstretch we go, and both Savanna and Appreciate have pulled away from the rest of the competition. Savanna now has a half-length advantage on Appreciate, with Kalthoff Repeater and Queen Mother now two and a half lengths off the pace. It’s about that distance more to Karloffs Monster.

(Top of Stretch, 1.8F To Go)- Savanna and Appreciate continue to be the class of the field, as neither of them have any difficulty with the turn. They enter the stretch with Savanna narrowly in front, as Appreciate drifted out just a bit on exit of the turn. In such a close race and eventual photo at the wire, that may have cost her the race. Queen Mother is now third as Kalthoff Repeater drops back. Karloffs Monster still had not done much.

(Finish- 1:34.83)- Savanna looks to be doing just enough to hold off Appreciate to the wire, maintaining a steady stride and Appreciate could not make up the ground that she needed to. However, in the final strides, Appreciate did what she could. In the end, it would not be enough, as in the photo it is Savanna over Appreciate. Queen Mother inched a little closer, but this was a two-horse race. She’ll have third, over Karloffs Monster and Kalthoff Repeater.

About The Winner- Savanna, trained by Spb Racing and ridden to victory by R M Hernandez, is a three-year-old filly by Edge Of Darkness and is out of Still A Rebel. She was bred by Wood Duck Stables in California as a third quarter two-year-old and was acquired by Spb Racing with a $7.500 claim in August 2023. There were four claims put in for her that day. Congratulations to the connections! The win is her fifth in eight starts, her second stake win and first graded win! Her career earnings are now $309.080.

Track: Fast
Time: :23¹  :46³  1:10²  1:34⁴

$2 Mutuel Prices:

$1 Exacta: 2 – 4 Paid 33.10
$1 Trifecta: 2 – 4 – 3 Paid 53.90

Scratched: None

— NS

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES