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They're all Lookin at Lucky after smashing Haskell victory
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| Lookin at Lucky seized control of the three-year-old division
(Bill Denver/Equi-Photo) |
Karl Watson, Mike Pegram and Paul Weitman's LOOKIN AT LUCKY (Smart
Strike), last year's champion two-year-old male, bolstered his claims
for the three-year-old championship by crushing an all-star cast in
Sunday's $1,010,000
Haskell Invitational (G1) at Monmouth Park. Last seen landing the
May 15 Preakness S. (G1), the Bob Baffert trainee overpowered Kentucky
Derby (G1) winner Super Saver (Maria's Mon) and Preakness runner-up
First Dude (Stephen Got Even) entering the stretch and turned the
well-matched contest into a one-sided affair. The lightly-raced Trappe
Shot (Tapit) got up for second, but never got within shouting distance
of the impressive four-length winner, who handed Baffert a record fourth
victory in the Haskell.
Breaking from the rail, Lookin at Lucky was maneuvered several paths
off the fence by Martin Garcia in the opening yards, a move ensuring
that the 6-5 favorite would get a clear run and avoid being hemmed in a
pocket. Meanwhile, First Dude hustled to the front. With Our Dark Knight
(Medaglia d'Oro) applying pressure to his outside, and Super Saver
prompting three-wide in third, First Dude reeled off splits of :23 2/5
and :47 4/5. Lookin at Lucky, who had been reserved in fourth, commenced
his move approaching the far turn and rapidly gained on the early
leaders through six furlongs in 1:12 2/5. By that point, Our Dark Knight
had already backed out. |
First Dude couldn't keep pace with Lookin at Lucky and Super Saver leaving
the far turn, and those two hooked up at the top of the stretch. The classic
winners briefly appeared poised for a battle royal, but Lookin at Lucky
dispatched Super Saver in short order and stormed clear. In imperious isolation
through the final furlong, Lookin at Lucky was in hand as he finished 1 1/8
miles on the fast track in 1:49 4/5, returning $4.40, $3 and $2.40.
"I've been working this horse for a long time now," Garcia said. "Bob told
me, 'You know you're on the best horse. Just give him a breather and then send
him.'
"I moved him to the outside because I knew I was on a super horse and I
wanted to keep him out of trouble. I knew I was on the best horse."
"He broke fine," Baffert said, "and Martin eased him to the outside. I knew
we'd lose a little bit of ground, but that was the winning move. This was really
a break-out race.
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| Lookin at Lucky had something in reserve
(Christiana Scavuzzo/Equi-Photo) |
"At the three-eighths pole, that's when you know you've got a good
horse because they'll be pulling you. Martin was still sitting, but when
he pushed the button, the horse really took off.
"You can't make that move on synthetic, but on dirt it was the
winning move. That's really what I like to see -- running fast horses on
fast tracks.
"I've been coming here since 1997 when we ran Anet (who finished
second to Touch Gold)," Baffert said. "Win, lose or draw, I know we'll
have a great time at Monmouth."
Baffert, who had been tied with Jimmy Croll and Sonny Hine with three
Haskell winners each, moved into the top spot as Lookin at Lucky
followed Point Given (2001), War Emblem (2002) and Roman Ruler (2005)
into the Haskell winner's circle.
Trappe Shot, who was caught in traffic for a moment, finished strongly to
overtake a resurgent First Dude and Super Saver by three-quarters of a length.
The runner-up gave back $3.40 and $2.60 as the 5-2 second choice and ended the
$17.20 exacta.
"He ran well -- very well," trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said of Trappe
Shot. "We were second to a top horse. We're disappointed because we
think an awful lot of this horse. But this race is the best of the best,
and right now we're in second place."
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First Dude kept slugging it out on the rail and came again to rob
Super Saver by a nose, providing $3 to show as the third choice at 5-1. The trifecta was good for $58.40, and the 6-1 Super Saver capped the $180.20
superfecta (1-8-4-6).
"He got challenged a little earlier on the lead than I would have liked,"
trainer Dale Romans said of First Dude, "but I guess every trainer with a horse
on the lead says that. I was happy with the way he dug in."
Afleet Again (Afleet Alex) checked in fifth, trailed by
Kentucky Derby runner-up Ice Box (Pulpit) and Our Dark Knight. Uptowncharlybrown
(Limehouse), Trappe Shot's stablemate, was scratched after spiking a temperature.
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| Auto racing legend Mario Andretti hoists the Haskell trophy, flanked by Bob Baffert and Martin Garcia
(Bill Denver/Equi-Photo) |
With this fifth career Grade 1 victory, and seventh stakes score overall,
Lookin at Lucky sports a sterling record of 11-8-1-1 to go along with $2,713,000
in earnings. Lookin at Lucky was voted the Eclipse Award as champion
two-year-old following a nearly unbeaten 2009 season. Breaking his maiden in his
initial try last July at Hollywood Park, the bay went on to take his next three
-- the 6 1/2-furlong Best Pal S. (G2), seven-furlong Del Mar Futurity (G1) and 1
1/16-mile Norfolk S. (G1). Lookin at Lucky suffered his first loss in a
heartbreaker in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1), where he was compromised by the
13 post and was just beaten a head. He promptly rebounded in the CashCall
Futurity (G1) to conclude the year.After overcoming a world of trouble to win the Rebel S. (G2) in his sophomore
debut, Lookin at Lucky ran into even worse trouble that he couldn't overcome in
the Santa Anita Derby (G1) and Kentucky Derby. He was taken up sharply in the
Santa Anita Derby, but regrouped for third, and was an equine pinball when
drawing the rail in the Run for the Roses. Knocked repeatedly in the early going
of the 1 1/4-mile classic, Lookin at Lucky managed to put in enough of a run to
finish sixth in the 20-horse field. His connections decided to make a rider
switch from Garrett Gomez to Garcia for the Preakness, and enjoying a better
draw and a clean trip, he wore down a stubborn First Dude.
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Bred in Kentucky by Gulf Coast Farm LLC, Lookin at Lucky RNA'd for $35,000 as
a Keeneland September yearling before selling to Pegram for $475,000 as a
Keeneland April two-year-old. He is the third registered foal out of the winning
Private Feeling (Belong to Me) and counts as an older half-brother last year's
Jim Dandy S. (G2) and Dwyer S. (G2) winner Kensei (Mr. Greeley), who ran second
in his seasonal bow in the Duncan F. Kenner S. The 11-year-old mare has also
produced an unnamed yearling colt by Afleet Alex and a 2010 Mr. Greeley colt.
Private Feeling, who is out of the stakes-placed Regal Feeling (Clever
Trick), counts as a half-sister Grade 3 queen Grand Charmer (Lord Avie), the
granddam of 2006 champion three-year-old filly and multiple Grade 1 queen Wait a
While (Maria's Mon), an earner of more than $2.1 million on track. Lookin at
Lucky's third dam is Grade 1 winner Sharp Belle (Native Charger), and this is
the same family as 1987 Irish Derby (Ire-G1) winner Sir Harry Lewis (Alleged).
The Haskell Day crowd of 40,904 at Monmouth bet $3,270,939, and helped set an
all-time record for Haskell handle, as $4,463,736 was bet on the race. The total
handle for the 14-race card was $17,442,170, second highest ever for a
non-Breeders' Cup program, and just a shade below the 2008 mark of $17,642,955,
when $4,257,409 was bet on the Haskell.
"We couldn't have asked for a better day," said Dennis R. Robinson, president
and CEO of the New Jersey Sports & Exposition Authority. "Racing, wagering and
attendance, it was an across-the-board winner. The fans really came out for a
great day and an exceptional race.
"To see the numbers we posted today is further testament to the racing
experiment at Monmouth Park this year, and what we hope is the new and bright
future of racing in the Garden State."
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