Churchill: How to bet With, and Against, Coach in the Chilukki Stakes

A total of seven fillies and mares will go postward in Saturday’s feature at Churchill Downs, the $300,000 Chilukki S. (G3). Multiple stakes heroine #1 Coach (9-5) is the one to beat for conditioner Brad Cox. The accomplished dark bay was last seen finishing a clear second in the Twixt S. at Laurel Park and will be very tough to knock off with improvement in this affair.

By Commissioner, the filly kept fine company during her solid sophomore campaign and commenced 2022 with a convincing score in the Pippin S. at Oaklawn Park in January. The dark bay checked in fourth in the subsequent Bayakoa S. (G3), prior to her good effort in Maryland which should have her set up for a big performance on Saturday.

Coach is a stakes heroine on the course and has trained forwardly in preparation of her return to Louisville. The filly has tactical speed and will never be far back with Ricardo Santana in the silks.

I really believe that #2 Mariah’s Princess (3-1) will be a top-two finisher in the field for conditioner Phil Bauer. By Ghostzapper, the four-year-old flashed considerable potential while being patiently handled during the first two seasons of her career, and the bay kicked off 2022 with a smart runner-up allowance run at Keeneland last time out.

Mariah’s Princess decimated allowance foes in her most recent Churchill Downs appearance in November last year and the one-mile distance seems to be ideal for her. She needed her latest run off the long absence and will be formidable on Saturday with an expected move in the right direction. Martin Garcia will be in the stirrups.

The John Ortiz-trained #4 Ice Orchid (10-1) offers arguably the best value in the field under Tyler Gaffalione. By Super Saver, the Shortleaf Stables homebred has never finished out of the money in her career, and she showed a lot of courage in coming out on top when facing allowance runners at Keeneland last time out. The versatile dark bay can run from up close or well back early on, and she also ran fairly well in her lone Churchill Downs outing. I expect her to be moving well inside the final furlong at a square number.

Grade 3 heroine #3 Center Aisle (6-1) brings speed and class to the field for trainer Paulo Lobo. The Into Mischief five-year-old has won four of her last six starts dating back to last campaign, and her best performance will give her an obvious chance late. Gerardo Corrales takes the reins.

Coach – With

• $2 superfecta: 1 with 2, 3 with 2, 3, 4 with all ($32)
• $2 superfecta: 1 with 2 with 3, 4 with all ($16)
• $1 superfecta: 1 with 2 with all with 3, 4 ($8)

Coach – Against

• $1 superfecta: 2, 3 with 1, 2, 3, 4 with 1, 2, 3, 4 with all ($48)