Churchill Downs Stakes Recap and Quotes: Grade III, $300,000 Chilukki and Grade III, $300,000 Commonwealth Turf

Nov 23, 2024

Rigney Racing LLC’s 3-year-old filly Two Sharp collected the first stakes win of her brief career with a jaw-dropping gate-to-wire romp over seven older fillies and mares in Saturday’s 39th running of the $297,500 Chilukki (Grade III) at Churchill Downs.

 

Breaking from post position No. 4, Two Sharp zipped the first quarter mile in :22.86, the half in :44.86 and six furlongs in 1:09.11 – the fastest three-quarter mile split in race history – before she stopped the teletimer for one mile over a “fast” track in a swift 1:34.40 while defeating Royal Spa by 5 ¾ lengths under wraps.

 

The final time was the second-fastest in 39 runnings of the stakes race, only behind the race’s namesake, who posted a 1:33.57 final time in 2000 when it was known as the Churchill Downs Distaff Handicap.

 

New York-based Junior Alvarado flew to Kentucky for mount and rode for locally based trainer Phil Bauer.

 

“It definitely was worth the trip down here,” Alvarado said. “She broke so well and I just tried to stay out of her way all I could. She was opening up on her own and travelled great the entire way.”

 

This was only the fifth career start for Two Sharp, who broke her maiden in her second start on Aug. 2 at Saratoga by 11 ¼ lengths. She followed that effort with a neck defeat to Grade I-winning filly Brightwork in the $200,000 Prioress (GIII) at Saratoga on Aug. 31.        Two Sharp tuned up for Saturday’s Chilukki with a 6 ¼-length first-level allowance win over 6 ½ furlongs at Keeneland on Oct. 12.

 

“She’s been a filly we always had high regards for,” Bauer said. “In each of her four prior starts she’s run very well and continues to improve each time. We added a small cup set of blinkers today to just keep her a little more focused. They looked like they did the job down the lane. You could tell down the backside Junior was just letting her go at her own pace and she was opening up on the field. She showed us there was no issues handling the mile distance and maybe could get a little further one day if she keeps running like that.”

 

Her next start is expected to come against Grade I company in the $300,000 La Brea for 3-year-old fillies at seven furlongs on Dec. 26 at Santa Anita in Southern California.

 

“This race set her great to try that next,” owner Richard Rigney said.

 

Two Sharp banked the $180,350 first prize in the Chilukki and rewarded her backers with $3.94, $3.18 and $2.40 as the odds-on 4-5 favorite.

 

Royal Spa, ridden by Flavien Prat, finished second at odds of 8-1 and paid $6.82 and $4.82. Taxed was another 2 ¾ lengths back in third at 8-1 under Brian Hernandez Jr. and returned $4.32. Oeuvre was fourth and was followed by Positano Sunset, Pigalle, Fancy and Imonra.

 

Overall, Two Sharp’s record now stands at 5-3-2-0—$366,698. She is a bay daughter of Twirling Candy out of the Distorted Humor mare Double Sharp and was bred in Kentucky by Woods Edge Farm LLC.

 

Known as the Churchill Downs Distaff from 1996-2004, the Chilukki was renamed in 2005 to honor Stonerside Stable’s graded stakes-winning filly. The daughter of Cherokee Run made four starts at Churchill Downs, all of which were victories. Chilukki won the 2000 edition of this race in what would be her final start with a final time of 1:33.57 – a track record at the time.

 

BREAKTHROUGH WIN FOR LAGYNOS IN GRADE III, $286,005 COMMONWEALTH TURF

 

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024) – Lagynos used an authoritative closing kick to split rivals in mid-stretch and draw away late to win the 19th running of the $286,005 Commonwealth Turf (Grade III) by three-quarters of a length over Evade (FR) in stakes record time on Saturday at Churchill Downs.

 

Lagynos ran 1 1/16 miles over “firm” turf in 1:40.83 to eclipse Heart to Heart’s previous Commonwealth Turf record of 1:41.54 in 2014. Flavien Prat rode the winner for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen, who won the race for a record-extending fourth time. His other Commonwealth Turf winners were Inca King (2007), Hot Springs (2018) and Gigante (2023).

 

This breakthrough performance was Lagynos’ first stakes win. Earlier this year, he finished second in the $275,000 Audubon in June and $500,000 Hall of Fame (GII) at Saratoga in August. Also, he was third in the $400,000 Transylvania (GIII) and $600,000 American Turf (GII).

 

“He deserved this win,” Asmussen said. “He’s gotten in so much trouble in his last couple starts and even this spring at Keeneland. We’re very proud of his effort to win a race like this today. He’s shown up for every start and runs hard each time.”

 

Lagynos relaxed in sixth down the backstretch as My Boy Prince led the field of eight 3-year-olds through fractions of :23.08, :47.34 and 1:11.23. At the head of the stretch, Lagynos was full of run but had nowhere to go with traffic ahead of him. A seam appeared between My Boy Prince on the inside and Piper’s Factor to the outside. Lagynos used a powerful late kick to split those rivals, grabbed the lead at the eighth pole and cruised down the homestretch to outrun Evade (FR) by three-quarters of a length.

 

“He broke well and I got him to relax going into the first turn,” Prat said. “I knew I wanted to be close but would have to wait for room. Down the lane I was able to split horses late and he really finished up nicely.”

 

Lagynos returned $9.12, $4.82 and $3.32 as the 7-2 third betting choice. Evade (FR), with Luan Machado up, paid $6.44 and $3.70 at odds of 5-1. Ak Sar Ben Derby, ridden by Junior Alvarado at odds of 16-1, paid $6.78 to show.

 

Piper’s Factor, My Boy Prince, 5-2 favorite Herchee, Dashman and Will Take It completed the order of finish. Telescopic was scratched.

 

Lagynos netted $180,350 for owner HRH Prince Sultan Bin Mishal Al Saud of Saudi Arabia and now boasts career earnings of $700,553 from a record of 3-2-3 in 13 starts.

 

Lagynos is a son of Kantharos out of the Speightstown mare Steamy and was bred in Kentucky by Robert Spiegel.

 

CHILUKKI QUOTES

 

Junior Alvarado (jockey, Two Sharp, winner): “It definitely was worth the trip down here. She broke so well and I just tried to stay out of her way all I could. She was opening up on her own and travelled great the entire way.”

 

Phil Bauer (trainer, Two Sharp, winner): “She’s been a filly we always had high regards for. In each of her four prior starts she’s run very well and continues to improve each time. We added a small cup set of blinkers today to just keep her a little more focused. They looked like they did the job down the lane. You could tell down the backside Junior (Alvarado) was just letting her go at her own pace and she was opening up on the field. She showed us there was no issues handling the mile distance and maybe could get a little further one day if she keeps running like that.”

 

Richard Rigney (owner, Two Sharp, winner): “As crazy as it sounds I really didn’t get nervous seeing the fractions up the backside. We knew how fast she was and we were so confident in her today. The plan is to try the (Dec. 26) La Brea (GI) at Santa Anita and this race set her great to try that next.”

 

Rodolphe Brisset (trainer, Royal Spa, runner-up): “I thought she ran a very good race. The winner was very impressive, and we were just second best.”

 

COMMONWEALTH TURF QUOTES

 

Flavien Prat (jockey, Lagynos, winner): “He broke well and I got him to relax going into the first turn. I knew I wanted to be close but would have to wait for room. Down the lane I was able to split horses late and he really finished up nicely.”

 

Steve Asmussen (trainer, Lagynos, winner): “He deserved this win. He’s gotten in so much trouble in his last couple starts and even this spring at Keeneland. We’re very proud of his effort to win a race like this today. He’s shown up for every start and runs hard each time.”