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PREAKNESS THEY SAID IT
MAY 15, 2010
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| It was Lookin at Lucky's time to shine
(Melissa Wirth/Horsephotos.com) |
"This horse is such a warrior. He wants to win. He tries so hard. So
I wanted to win it for the horse, you know, 'cause he tries so hard
every time. I mean, the (Kentucky) Derby (G1), he had that rough trip. Santa Anita Derby
(G1), rough trip. But, you know, every time he had those rough trips, he
came back. He's got a great mind. He's a cool horse. He's just a really
great athlete. I mean, he's one of the best horses I've ever had. It's
amazing. He's still a baby. He's so immature. He's not even
three-years-old yet. His birthday is May 27. He's just starting to grow
right now."
—trainer
Bob Baffert on LOOKIN AT LUCKY (Smart Strike), his fifth Preakness S.
(G1) winner
"I think the draw was so important. I think maybe he brought us some
luck with the draw. I kept seeing 7 all day today. They gave me
breakfast, gave me No. 7 number, that was my number to get my food. Then
somebody told me that Baltimore Bob is in the 7th hole today."
—Baffert
on drawing the 7 post with Lookin at Lucky in the Preakness
"I wanted to make a rider change. They understood that. I talked to
Garrett (Gomez) about it. He was really good about it. It's tough
because Garrett is a good friend. We weren't having the luck. But I
think today, the 7 hole, Garrett probably would have won on him. So I
think that was the whole key is we were drawing so poorly."
—Baffert
on taking regular rider Garrett Gomez off for the Preakness |
"I have confidence in him. He knows that I have confidence in him. I think
the jockey knows that a trainer has confidence in him, you click. If you don't
have confidence in a rider, you're not going to click. I think we've been
clicking. I sent him all over the States. He's getting a tour of the United
States since he
joined me, which is good, getting a lot of experience."
—Baffert
on why he tabbed Martin Garcia to ride Lookin at Lucky
"He comes from very humble beginnings and he's a very humble person. You
don't realize, he kept thanking me before the race for putting him on the horse.
He was supposed to be worrying about the Preakness. All he was doing was
thanking me. 'Thank you so much, Bob, for letting me ride this horse.' That's just
the way he is."
—Baffert
on Garcia
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| A beaming Garcia triumphantly lifts the Woodlawn Vase
(Jim Tyrrell/Horsephotos.com) |
"After I crossed the wire (laughter). I mean, my horse had long
strides. Like I said before, I tried to get out of it. He was kicking
(on), like he was home into that position. When I asked him to go, he
kicked (on). But at the same time, (Jackson Bend [Hear No Evil]) was
coming running. I thought once he was going to pass me, but my horse
keep fighting with (First Dude [Stephen Got Even]). He (would) just take
off again. When my horse kicked (on) again, I said, 'No, I think this
race is gonna be mine.'"
—jockey
Martin Garcia on when he knew he had won the Preakness
"When Bobby puts a saddle on the horse, you're going to be confident.
He wasn't going to lead him over here unless he was ready. There were a
lot of similarities between this horse and Real Quiet. When he won it,
it was like he was an undeserving champion. Coming into this run, we
knew how good Lookin at Lucky was. We knew how good a training job he
did going into the Derby. The day was about redemption, and we got it."
—Lookin at Lucky's
co-owner Mike Pegram, who also owned 1998 Derby and Preakness winner Real Quiet
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"I want to thank everybody here at Pimlico. They've been
professional, they've been good. I think we have a reputation of
breaking the rules sometimes with winner's circle pictures. When you're
excited, your friends travel this far, see your horse run, you want to
make sure they share it with you. That's what's so neat about this
business, the camaraderie is just so great. You can see how much your
friends enjoy your success. It's just a neat feeling when that happens."
—Pegram
expressing his gratitude to the Pimlico track officials "At first, I wasn't going to run him in the Preakness. I was going to take
him home. I was very disappointed (after the Derby). I'm going to watch him for
a few days. All of a sudden, he really started coming around by the weekend.
That's when I decided, you know what, I told Mike, you know -- he's looking
better every day. I would text him every day, 'Looking better.' I told them not
to put the plane in the shop next week, just in case. By Sunday, I think, 'You
know what, I think we're going to run.'"
—Baffert
on almost skipping the Preakness with Lookin at Lucky after the colt ran sixth
in the Kentucky Derby
"I thought this was a really good horse to win the Kentucky Derby with. When
he drew the 1 hole, I just felt an emptiness. I wanted to scratch the horse. I
was sick about it 'cause I knew he's down there. So I felt, like, beat. I really
couldn't get into the Derby. I told my wife that day, 'I can't feel it because I
think the 1 hole is going to kill us.' Too much disadvantage around the rail."
—Baffert
describing his emotions on drawing the rail in the Derby with Lookin at Lucky
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