Shawnee Country wears down champion filly in deep stretch to spoil her sophomore debut

Chilukki cruised into New Orleans earlier this month for the Davona Dale Stakes (G3) and her three-year-old debut with some pretty impressive numbers. But, in the end, according to her trainer, Bob Baffert, the most important number was 1,346-the number of feet in the Fair Grounds stretch-that played the major role in getting the champion juvenile filly of 1999 beat.

Davona Dale S. (G3)
Fair Grounds, February 19, $125,000, 1 1/16 miles, fast, 1:45.11
1-SHAWNEE COUNTRY, f. 3, Chief's Crown-Mi Lucia, by Icecapade.
2-Chilukki, f. 3, Cherokee Run-Song of Syria, by Damascus.
3-Humble Clerk, f. 3, Humble Eleven-Deputy Clerk, by Deputy Minister.

As Chilukki faltered inside the sixteenth pole in the 1 1/16-mile Davona Dale, late-running Shawnee Country was there to pick up the pieces, prevailing by a half-length over the 2-to-5 favorite. Another length farther back in third was Humble Clerk.

For the winner, a 28.70-to-1 shot trained by D. Wayne Lukas, things began somewhat rougher than they ended. Ridden by Donnie Meche, Shawnee Country broke from the eight post and was about four wide heading into the first turn when Foxcaller, inside Shawnee Country and looking for racing room, forced her even wider.

After remaining wide down the backstretch and dawdling along well behind early pacesetter November Slew, who was tracked by Chilukki through fractions of :24.18, :47.84, and 1:12.43, Shawnee Country again went wide turning for home. Her determination and the second-longest stretch in America helped her wear down Chilukki, though.

"She just runs even, even, even," Lukas assistant Mike Maker said. "She doesn't have a quick turn of foot or she doesn't show a whole lot of speed, but she runs hard every time."

As for Chilukki, Maker said her presence was not factored into prerace plans or instructions.

"Not at all," Maker said. "We had a lot of confidence in our filly. If there was a day to beat Chilukki-today was the day. She (Chilukki) ran her eyeballs out. She's a hell of a horse."

Meche said that for the most part the race went as scripted.

"Mr. Mike (Maker) told me that she would show a little speed from the gate, but she would kind of ease herself back," Meche said. "I thought we would have a better pace than what we had today. I couldn't save more ground than that around the turn. I just kept getting forced out. But she was doing it easy, and at the head of the lane when I asked her to run, she really responded.

"About the eighth pole I knew I had the horse on the lead (Chilukki). I was just concerned about a horse coming through on the inside that would catch me, but I knew they would have to be running to do it."

Shawnee Country ran the 1 1/16 miles over a fast track in 1:45.11.

Chilukki came into the race with six wins and a second from seven starts, earnings of $762,723, and an Eclipse Award. Baffert thought her effort was something to build on.

"You don't like to lose, but if you get beat, you get beat," Baffert said. "I got Real Quiet beat here last year.

"It's a very difficult track to win on. Probably the most difficult that I've ever trained (on). Because of the stretch. The filly ran her guts out in her first out. She ran very credible. She ran fast and she was done and she just kept running. It'll tighten her up. She needed that.

"I worry about this stretch. These horses, it's confusing, they're going and going and going, and they're thinking, ÔWhen's this ever going to end?' "

Baffert indicated that Stonerside Stable's daughter of Cherokee Run will remain at Fair Grounds and will be pointed for the March 11 Fair Grounds Oaks (G3), also at 1 1/16 miles.

Shawnee Country, a dark bay daughter of Chief's Crown, was bred in Kentucky by Lucy W. Yu and Carl Rosen Associates. A $200,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling, she runs in the colors of William T. Young's Overbrook Farm and has four wins from ten lifetime starts for earnings of $220,660.

After breaking her maiden at first asking in June at Belmont Park, running sixth in the Astoria Stakes in July, and winning an allowance race in August at Saratoga, Shawnee Country ran in six consecutive stakes (five graded) before winning the $125,000 Davona Dale. Her finest moment leading up to her Fair Grounds triumph was a win on November 2 in the one-mile Tempted Stakes (G3) over an Aqueduct track rated as good.

Exchange Rate caps Lukas's sweep

Completing a highly successful weekend for Lukas, Exchange Rate became a stakes winner on February 19 with a determined victory in the $125,000 Risen Star Stakes. In addition to winning the three-year-old stakes at Fair Grounds, the Racing Hall of Fame trainer ran the table at Gulfstream Park, winning the Fountain of Youth Stakes (G1) with High Yield and the Davona Dale Stakes (G2) with Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) winner Cash Run.

Exchange Rate, ridden by Corey Nakatani, hit the starting gate at the start of the Risen Star but quickly moved into second place as Peninsula led through fractions of :24.02, :47.12, and 1:11.94 for six furlongs. Exchange Rate gained a narrow lead early in the stretch and was all out to hold off Mighty, who closed strongly between horses, and Ifitstobeitsuptome. After veering out in the final furlong, Exchange Rate drew clear to win by 1 1/4 lengths over Mighty. The 1.60-to-1 favorite completed the Risen Star's 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.25 on a fast track.

"He drifted out into Shane (Sellers aboard Mighty)," Nakatani said. "But Shane's horse would have never beat me. This is a real nice colt. He's got a shot at the (Kentucky) Derby (G1). He's got a lot of talent. He's very athletic, and he just keeps getting better and better."

Ifitstobeitsuptome finished third, 2 3/4 lengths ahead of Peninsula. Doctor Mike, Proper Man, Red Mountain, and Noble Ruler completed the order of finish. Multiple stakes winner Snuck In was scratched because of a foot abscess.

Exchange Rate, who last year finished second in both the Best Pal (G3) and Hollywood Juvenile Championship (G3) Stakes, improved his record to 3-2-0 in five starts and has now earned $181,100 for the Padua Stables of Satish and Anne Sanan. He is a Kentucky-bred son of Danzig out of Sterling Pound, by Seeking the Gold.