It may have taken some time for Northern Luckygirl to make it to the races, but it didn’t take long for her to capture her first career win. The Indiana filly earned her first win in her third career start Saturday, Nov. 4 at Harrah’s Hoosier Park.
Northern Luckygirl and Kyle Wilfong are greeted in the winner’s circle Saturday, Nov. 4 by Jackie Ricks, lessee and trainer of Northern Luckygirl who scored her first career win at Harrah’s Hoosier Park. Photo by Dean Gillette
Guided by Kyle Wilfong, Northern Luckygirl started from sixth in the $10,000 conditioned pace for two-year-old fillies and got away fifth as Polk Dotlady and Peter Wrenn moved out for the lead, opening up early at the quarter in :28.1. She continued her dominance at the half in :58.0 and three-quarters in 1:28.0 before feeling pressure on the outside. Northern Luckygirl was one of those in the outer flow of traffic looking to move up into contention for the top spot.
In the stretch, Northern Luckygirl went to work. She scooted home in :26.1 to score the win by one length over Polk Dotlady in 1:55.2. Rock N Brook and Atlee Bender finished third.
Northern Luckygirl was a longshot in the field, paying $32.80 for the win. The Luck Be Withyou filly is trained by Jackie Ricks and is currently leased by Ricks from breeder and owner Martin Schmucker. The lease went into effect in early September prior to the filly making her racing debut.
Northern Luckygirl is the second foal from the Mach Three mare Eat Me Up, who took a mark of 1:51.0 during her racing career and made nearly a half million. Her first foal is a filly by Check Six named Check Point Six, who took a mark earlier this year of 2:06.0 on the county fair circuit.
For Ricks, it was her first training win since 2016. Ricks first came to Indiana in the late 1990s with the John Lee Stable and eventually branched out onto her own. She has stayed involved in the racing business and is a valuable member of the Cullipher Stable, serving as the caretaker of such standouts including TJ’s Top Pick.
Ricks, a native of Shelburne, Ontario, lives in Shelbyville and commutes daily to care for her horses in the Cullipher barn. She also assists the outrider John Neal at Horseshoe Indianapolis and helps with barn work with the support horses at the track. She has also helped Cullipher rehab horses on the mend at the Shelby County Fairgrounds and oversaw the arrival of the standout New Zealand horse, Ana Malak N, who was acquired during COVID-19 and relegated to the Shelby County Fairgrounds due to restrictions before later being allowed to join Cullipher’s Stable at Harrah’s Hoosier Park.