Finley’s lucky charm seeking rebound in first turf attempt

Mardi Gras, formally, has been going on for weeks in New Orleans, but Mardi Gras Day is Tuesday, and the number of female turf sprinters entered in the $75,000 Mardi Gras Stakes compares favorably, in a relative sense, with the number of Fat Tuesday revelers who will pack the French Quarter.

The older female turf sprint division has been stacked all Fair Grounds meet, to the point that the Dec. 2 Richard Scherer Memorial Stakes was run in two divisions. Fifteen fillies and mares, 12 in the field’s main body and three also-eligibles, are entered for the Mardi Gras, but one name, Finley’ s lucky charm, stands out.

Finley’ s lucky charm last raced in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint – poorly, as it turned out. The Del Mar main track was biased during the Breeders’ Cup, favoring horses racing several paths off the rail, but that’s not what led to Finley’ s lucky charm’ s ninth-place finish. Bret Calhoun trains Finley’ s lucky charm for owner Carl Moore, and he wonders if she struggled with the racing surface. Finley’ s lucky charm, for whatever reason, just was not herself that day.

At her best, Finley’ s luckycharm ran off three straight wins last year, including two in graded stakes, and she was a close second at Saratoga in the Honorable Miss. Then came murmurs of at least a nagging problem, and Finley’ s lucky charm didn’t race again for about 10 weeks. When she returned in the Grade 2 Thoroughbred Club of America at Keeneland last October, Finley’ s lucky charm ground out an odds-on win over a field she was supposed to beat. Maybe it was a good sign that she stalked the pace and won that day, but Finley’ s lucky charm previously had dazzled with her early speed, which she again failed to show in the Breeders’ Cup.

So there is that to consider for bettors pondering whether to take a short price – that and the fact Finley’ s lucky charm will be making her turf debut unless the 5 1/2-furlong Mardi Gras is rained onto dirt. That’s possible, since Sunday’s turf races were run on a sloppy main track and there was a chance of rain Monday into Tuesday. On dirt, and at this short-sprint trip, Finley’ s lucky charm is difficult to oppose.

But on turf, there are other options, although Finley’ s lucky charm’ s dam was a French turf mare and her female family abounds with grass horses. Chief among them is Triple Chelsea. Triple Chelsea didn’t get an ideal run finishing third in a division of the Richard Scherer, but she flew home Jan. 6 in the Pan Zareta Stakes, a 5 1/2-furlong turf dash, to win going away, and a similar performance for trainer Joe Sharp and jockey Adam Beschizza would give even an on-form Finley’ s lucky char ma battle.

Also worth considering are two Tom Proctor-trained fillies. Contributing didn’t get ideal trips finishing second in a division of the Scherer and second in the Pan Zareta, and she is a 4-year-old with upside. Compelled hasn’t started since finishing second in the $100,000 Hilltop Stakes last May at Pimlico, and she has not turfsprinted since her career debut seven starts ago. But Compelled never has finished worse than third, and has shown enough zip in races at or about one mile to imagine her adapting to this shorter trip.

KEENELAND/COADY PHOTOGRAPHY Finley’sluckycharm, winning the Thoroughbred Club of America in October, has not raced since November’s Breeders’ Cup.