Red hot 3-year-old filly Finite is part owned by Virginia Thoroughbred Association Executive Director Debbie Easter. Follow her progress here as the Kentucky Oaks nears!
Ron Winchell, Thomas Reiman, William Dickson and Deborah Easter’s Finite now owns back-to-back victories on the Fair Grounds trail to the Kentucky Oaks, defeating 2019 champion juvenile filly British Idiom (4-5 favorite) by 4 3/4 lengths in Saturday’s Grade 2 Rachel Alexandra Stakes. The 3-year-old Munnings filly (5-2 second choice), ridden by Ricardo Santana, Jr. for trainer Steve Asmussen, ran 1 1/16 miles over the fast main track in 1:43.97.
“I think the last race put us in this position,” said Asmussen. “This race has obviously been a producer of really nice fillies and I think we have something to work with now with her. She’s always been a really game filly and has always showed a lot of heart. We won the Rachel with Untapable a few years ago then won the Fair Grounds Oaks and were fortunate enough to win the Kentucky Oaks, so we’re hoping this filly can stay sound and keep running well and hopefully follow that same path.”
The victory earns Finite 50 points toward the Kentucky Oaks, adding to the 10 she won last month in the Silverbulletday and the 10 from her G2 Golden Rod victory as a 2-year-old. Finite now tops the Oaks leaderboard with 70 points, while Breeders’ Cup winner British Idiom is second with 50 points.
British Idiom’s jockey, Hall of Famer Javier Castellano, said: “We were second best but I think she ran a good race and Finite has been running consistently, we’ve been off since Breeders’ Cup so she needed this race. she has been running more lately. My horse ran such a good race and I think next time will be a different story.”
Breaking from the outside in the seven-filly field, Finite rushed up to press the pace in the early going but was content to settle in third heading into the backstretch. British Idiom was back along the rail in sixth around the first turn, while His Glory ran out fractions of :24.20 and :47.97 on the lead.
2/15/2020 – Finite and jockey Ricardo Sanrtana, Jr. pull away to win the 40th running of the Rachel Alexandra Stakes at Fair Grounds. Hodges Photography / Amanda Hodges Weir
Rounding the far turn, Finite drew even with His Glory while British Idiom was fanned three-wide under Javier Castellano. When British Idiom faltered slightly at the head of the lane, Finite kept on battling against His Glory. In the final furlong, Finite kicked away convincingly to win by over five lengths, while British Idiom dug in late to nab the place over Swiss Skydiver. Tempers Rising finished fourth.
“She was really ready and cranked for today,” said Santana. “I knew turning for home I had a lot of horse under me. She responded right when I asked her and she’s just such a fighter.”
Bred in Kentucky by co-owner Winchell Thoroughbreds, Finite is a fourth-generation homebred out of the multiple stakes-winning Tapit mare Remit. The filly brought $200,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-year-old in training sale, and broke her maiden at third asking at Kentucky Downs. The Rachel Alexandra is her fifth win in a row, improving her overall record to five wins and two seconds from seven starts for earnings of over $630,000.