(She’s Lookin Lucky / Photo by Coady Media)

From the Turfway Park Media Team / Kevin Kerstein:

SHE’S LOOKIN LUCKY AIMS TO CAP 5-YEAR-OLD SEASON IN $250,000 MY CHARMER, PART OF TURFWAY’S SYNTHETIC CHAMPIONSHIPS

FLORENCE, Ky. (Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025) – She’s Lookin Lucky will close out her 5-year-old season and set the stage for a planned 6-year-old campaign in Saturday’s $250,000 My Charmer presented by Claiborne Farm, her first start since breeders Richard Dunn and Douglas Schultz purchased her back for $375,000 at last month’s Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale.

She’s Lookin Lucky has put together a solid record with three wins and seven seconds from 22 starts. Her runner-up finishes include the 2024 Cardinal (GIII) at Churchill Downs and the One Dreamer (Listed) at Kentucky Downs. This season, she finished third in the Indiana General Assembly Distaff Handicap at Horseshoe Indianapolis and most recently was second in an allowance at Keeneland to Proctor Street, who returned to win last month’s Cardinal.

“She’s been a great mare in our barn and has run well in nearly every one of her 22 starts,” trainer Matt Shirer said. “We had our eye on this race since the sale, and I think if she’s able to handle the synthetic for the first time, she’ll run a big race.”

While her immediate family hasn’t raced on the Tapeta, Shirer noted there is synthetic form further back in the pedigree.

“None of her siblings have tried synthetic tracks, but if you go back a generation, there is some success over the surface,” Shirer said. “She runs well over everything and that gives us a little extra confidence.”

Four races later on the card, She’s Lookin Lucky’s half-brother Helpful Howie was entered in a 2-year-old maiden special weight. Shirer noted another half-sibling, 3-year-old filly Overcome Adversity, will be entered Wednesday for the Dec. 17 Turfway Park program.

In recent years, Shirer has typically spent his winters based at Fair Grounds and Oaklawn but is planning to keep a year-round presence in Kentucky.

“The racing is too good not to be in Kentucky year-round,” Shirer said. “We still have a barn at Oaklawn and plan to be there as well, but we’re keeping several live horses here this winter to run at Turfway.”

The My Charmer shares the Saturday spotlight with the $250,000 Prairie Bayou (Listed), $250,000 Holiday Cheer and the $250,000 Holiday Inaugural presented by Claiborne Farm. Run at one mile, the My Charmer field will go to post as Race 6 at 8:25 p.m. (all times Eastern). First post is 5:55 p.m.

The field for the My Charmer Stakes in order of post positions (with jockey and trainer):

  • Crosley (Joe Ramos, John Langemeier)
  • Caitlinhergrtness (Flavien Prat, Kevin Attard)
  • Literate (Irad Ortiz Jr., Brad Cox)
  • Queens Command (IRE) (Ryan Munger, Martin Drexler)
  • Nanabush (ARG) (Victor Carrasco, Horacio De Paz)
  • Landed (Walter Rodriguez, Wesley Ward)
  • Vina Arana (IRE) (Adam Beschizza, Jack Sisterson)
  • Next Up (Dylan Machado, Matt Sims)
  • She’s Lookin Lucky (Luan Machado, Shirer)
  • Trial (Irving Moncada, Tommy Drury Jr.)
  • Louder Than Words (Samuel Bermudez, Anthony Granitz)

As part of the “Make Your Mare” series from Claiborne Farm, the top three finishers in Saturday’s race will receive future stallion credits to use at the famed farm: $10,000 to the winner, $5,000 to the runner-up and $2,500 to the third-place finisher.

ENCINO RETURNS TO TAPETA FOR SATURDAY’S $250,000 PRAIRIE BAYOU – Godolphin’s Encino will head back to Turfway Park Racing & Gaming on Saturday for the second annual Synthetic Championships, where his connections hope a shift to his preferred surface sparks another trip to the winner’s circle.

Encino, a 4-year-old son of Nyquist, has never finished outside the exacta on a synthetic surface with three wins and two seconds from five starts. His victories include two wins at Turfway Park, highlighted by last year’s John Battaglia Memorial (Listed).

“We got him back up to Turfway the other week and he put in a solid work over the track,” trainer Brad Cox’s local assistant Trace Messina said. “He’s obviously run well at Turfway in the past and we’re really looking forward to getting him back over the surface for Saturday’s race.”

Encino last competed at Turfway Park earlier this year in the TwinSpires Kentucky Cup Classic (GIII), where he finished second by a length to Mercante. Following that start, he returned to turf and won the Jonathan B. Schuster Memorial (Listed) at Horseshoe Indianapolis, then traveled to Presque Isle Downs to win the Presque Isle Mile over the synthetic surface. He’ll be ridden Saturday by Flavien Pratand break from post No. 12.

The field for the Prairie Bayou in order of post position (with jockey and trainer):

  • Wagstaff (Orlando Bocachica, Paul McEntee)
  • Horsepower (Samuel Marin, Joe Orseno)
  • Cameo Performance (Irad Ortiz Jr., Brendan Walsh)
  • Theismann (Danny Sheehy, Peter Eurton)
  • Dresden Row (Ryan Munger, Lorne Richards)
  • Best Actor (Rodolfo Guerra, Ed Moger Jr.)
  • Quatrocento (Julien Leparoux, Fausto Gutierrez)
  • Henro (Joe Ramos, Chris Hartman)
  • Otago (Adam Beschizza, Kelsey Danner)
  • Chiron (Gabe Saez, Richie Estvanko)
  • Surly Furious (Luan Machado, Glenn Wismer)
  • Encino (Prat, Cox)
  • AE. Naptown (Victor Carrasco, Jose Magana)

The Synthetic Championships, featuring four stakes contests worth a combined $1 million in purses, is the highlight of the Turfway Park Holiday Meet. First post is 5:55 p.m. (all times Eastern). The one-mile Prairie Bayou will go as Race 8 at 9:25 p.m.

Along with the Prairie Bayou, the card also includes the $250,000 Holiday Cheer, the $250,000 Holiday Inaugural presented by Claiborne Farm and the $250,000 My Charmer presented by Claiborne Farm.

FINAL FLORENCE FURLONG – Walter Rodriguez had the hot hand opening week at Turfway Park and recorded eight wins from 22 starts to lead all riders. Luan Machado was second with seven wins followed by Vincent Cheminaud with four. Wesley Ward led the trainer standings with three wins, teaming with Rodriguez for all of them. … Jockey Edgar Morales will return to action Wednesday night for the first time since undergoing a procedure five weeks ago for a lacerated kidney. … Through four days of racing at the Holiday Meet, the average $2 win payout was $14.10. … A total of 228 horses recorded published workouts during Saturday’s four-hour training period, including Jeff Ruby Steaks (GIII) winner Final Gambit (four furlongs, :48.20). … Fans can enjoy $1 beer, $1 draft beer and live music each Thursday for Trifecta Thursdays. For more information and to see the entertainment lineup, visit www.turfway.com/events/entertainment/trifecta-thursdays. … Racing analysts Megan Devine(@MeganDevineTV) and Geoff Riggs (@BeardedHandicpr) will provide selections for horseplayers on their respective X accounts. Devine will be on the simulcast signal each Wednesday and Thursday while Riggs will be on Fridays and Saturdays. … For the latest information about racing and gaming at Turfway Park, visit www.turfway.com and follow Turfway Park on all social media channels.