Her Smile works for Chilukki

by Brisnet.com

Bobby Flay's Grade 1-winning filly Her Smile leads a group of 26 nominees for

the 26th running of the Grade 2, $150,000 Chilukki for fillies and mares,

three-year-olds and up at one mile on the main track at Churchill Downs

scheduled to be run as part of the Breeders' Cup Saturday undercard on November

5.

Previously owned by her breeder William Backer, Her Smile was purchased by

Flay shortly after finishing second in the Grade 3 Comely at Aqueduct with the

goal of competing in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks. The dark bay daughter of Include

was never a factor in the Oaks, finishing 11th in the field of 13.

Her Smile would prove herself to be a smart purchase shortly after the Oaks

with two impressive performances at Belmont Park, a third in the Grade 1 Acorn

and a victory in the Grade 1 Prioress.

After disappointing efforts in her previous two starts, the Todd

Pletcher-trained Her Smile is on schedule to attempt a rebound in the Chilukki.

The sophomore lass breezed a half-mile Sunday morning over Churchill Downs' fast

dirt in :48 1/5 in preparation for the race.

The eighth running of the Grade 3, $100,000 Commonwealth Turf is scheduled to

kick off Breeders' Cup World Championships weekend on November 3. The list of 24

nominations for the 1 1/16-mile race for sophomores to be run on the Matt Winn

Turf Course is highlighted by a duo of Grade 1 winners in Santa Anita Derby

victor Midnight Interlude and last year's Breeders' Futurity winner J. B.'s

Thunder.

Arnold Zetcher LLC's Midnight Interlude has a record of 1-1-0 in four starts

on turf including a win in the Tsunami Stakes at Hollywood Park and a narrow

defeat in the Grade 2 Del Mar Derby. The War Chant colt was fourth by only 1 1/2

lengths as the favorite in his most recent start, the Grade 2 Oak Tree Derby.

J. B.'s Thunder returned from a near 10-month layoff with a fourth-place

finish in an allowance over the turf at Saratoga. The bay son of Thunder Gulch,

who races under the colors of Columbine Stable, was third in a 1 1/16-mile

allowance race at Keeneland in his most recent start on October 9.

The 19th running of the Grade 3, $100,000 Ack Ack Handicap for

three-year-olds and up at 1 1/16 miles on the main track will be run as part of

the Breeders' Cup Friday undercard on November 4, and closed with 27

nominations. Weights for the Ack Ack Handicap will be announced Friday.

Closing out Breeders' Cup weekend on November 6 is the 38th running of the

Grade 3, $100,000 Cardinal Handicap. The list of 29 nominations for the 1

1/8-mile race for distaffers to be run on the Matt Winn Turf Course is headed by

Grade 1 Just a Game Stakes vixen C. S. Silk. Owned by William Pacella, George

Bonomo and Fred Barbara, the five-year-old daughter of Medaglia d'Oro boasts a

record of 2-1-1 in five lifetime starts over the Matt Winn Turf Course,

including a neck third in last year's Grade 3 Locust Grove. Weights for the

Cardinal Handicap will be announced next Sunday.