LEXINGTON, Ky.— The quest for a graded stakes victory has brought Slammed to Keeneland for Saturday’s $350,000 Thoroughbred Club of America (G2) for fillies and mares going 6 furlongs.
Owned by Suzanne Kirby and co-breeders Brad King and trainer Todd Fincher, Slammed has won eight of 11 starts with seven of those coming in state-bred races in New Mexico. In July, Fincher took the Slammed Show on the road to Del Mar.
“We had options in New Mexico,” Fincher said via text from Zia Park in New Mexico. “New Mexico has a great state-bred program with great purses. The owners and I love Del Mar, and we really wanted her to win a graded stakes race because we felt she was good enough and we also wanted to be in this position right now; a possible Breeders’ Cup serious contender.”
At Del Mar, Slammed trounced an allowance field by 5¼ lengths and then finished second to Edgeway by a half-length in the Rancho Bernardo (G3) on Aug. 28. Edgeway finished second in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (G1) at Del Mar.
“We flew her to Churchill Downs immediately after the Rancho Bernardo with the TCA as our target,” Fincher said.
The TCA is a “Win and You’re In” for the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint to be run here Nov. 5 going 7 furlongs. Should Slammed win Saturday, she would have to be supplemented to the Breeders’ Cup.
“IF she wins and IF she is healthy, that is what we will do,” Fincher said. “We also have to evaluate her and make sure she is at her peak or it’s senseless to supplement her if she’s not at her best. But they are willing to supplement if all the above comes to fruition.”
Florent Geroux will have the mount Saturday and break from post position seven. Fincher is scheduled to arrive in Lexington Friday night.
Keeneland Press Release
Photo: Slammed wins an allowance at Del Mar (Ernie Belmonte)
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