Photo: Renee Torbit/Churchill Downs showcases the remarkable moment. In Saturday's 39th running of the Grade 3, $297,500 Chilukki at Churchill Downs, the 3-year-old filly Two Sharp achieved her first stakes win with an astonishing gate-to-wire performance. Breaking from post position No. 4, she zipped through the first quarter-mile in 22.86 seconds, the half in 44.86 seconds, and six furlongs in 1:09.11 – the fastest three-quarter mile split in race history. She then stopped the teletimer for one mile over a fast track in a swift 1:34.40, defeating Royal Spa by 5 3/4 lengths while under wraps.

Impressive Race Statistics and Records

The final time of 1:34.40 was the second-fastest in 39 runnings of the stakes race, only behind the race's namesake who posted a 1:33.57 final time in 2000 when it was known as the Churchill Downs Distaff Handicap. This remarkable feat by Two Sharp has set a new benchmark in the history of the Chilukki.Two Sharp's performance was truly exceptional. Her ability to maintain such a high speed throughout the race and break the previous records is a testament to her talent and potential. It is a moment that will be remembered in the annals of horse racing.

Journey to Victory

This was only the fifth career start for Two Sharp. She broke her maiden in her second start on Aug. 2 at Saratoga by 11 1/4 lengths. Following that, she had a neck defeat to Grade 1-winning filly Brightwork in the $200,000 Prioress (G3) at Saratoga on Aug. 31. Before Saturday's Chilukki, she tuned up with a 6 1/4-length first-level allowance win over 6 1/2 furlongs at Keeneland on Oct. 12. Each of her prior starts has shown her continuous improvement and determination.Trainer Phil Bauer had high regards for Two Sharp from the beginning. "She's been a filly we always had high regards for. In each of her four prior starts she's run very well and continues to improve each time. We added a small cup set of blinkers today to just keep her a little more focused. They looked like they did the job down the lane. You could tell down the backside Junior was just letting her go at her own pace and she was opening up on the field. She showed us there was no issues handling the mile distance and maybe could get a little further one day if she keeps running like that."

Next Steps and Future Prospects

Her next start is expected to come against Grade 1 company in the $300,000 La Brea for 3-year-old fillies at seven furlongs on Dec. 26 at Santa Anita in Southern California. This race will be a significant test for Two Sharp as she takes on tougher competition.Owner Richard Rigney, who races under the Rigney Racing banner, is optimistic about her future. "This race set her great to try that next." With her recent victory and continuous improvement, Two Sharp is sure to attract the attention of horse racing enthusiasts and bettors alike.Two Sharp banked the $180,350 first prize in the Chilukki and rewarded her backers with $3.94, $3.18, and $2.40 as the 4-5 favorite. Royal Spa, ridden by Flavien Prat, finished second at odds of 8-1 and paid $6.82 and $4.82. Taxed was another 2 3/4 lengths back in third at 8-1 under Brian Hernandez Jr. and returned $4.32. Oeuvre was fourth and was followed by Positano Sunset, Pigalle, Fancy, and Imonra.Two Sharp's record now stands at 5: 3-2-0 for earnings of $366,698. She is a bay daughter of Twirling Candy out of the Distorted Humor mare Double Sharp and was bred in Kentucky by Woods Edge Farm.Known as the Churchill Downs Distaff from 1996-2004, the Chilukki was renamed in 2005 to honor Stonerside Stable's graded stakes-winning filly. The daughter of Cherokee Run made four starts at Churchill Downs, all of which were victories. Chilukki won the 2000 edition of this race in what would be her final start with a final time of 1:33.57 – a track record at the time.