Freshman sire Itsmyluckyday gets off the mark with Evangeline romper

Grade 1 hero, millionaire, and track record-setter Itsmyluckyday put his first winner on the scoreboard courtesy of his juvenile daughter Cohenscollegefund in Saturday’s 2ND race at Evangeline Downs.

Debuting at odds of 7-2 in the Louisiana-bred maiden special weight, the Allen Landry pupil sped clear through an opening quarter in :22.64 and never looked back. Jockey Kerwin Clark only had to keep her to task as she romped by 4 3/4 lengths over the 3-2 favorite D’rockette. Cohenscollegefund, who had already blown the race apart by the half-mile split in :46.91, negotiated 4 1/2 furlongs in :53.81.

Cohenscollegefund, bred by 4M Ranch, was recently purchased for $27,000 at the Equine Sales Company of Louisiana’s Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale in Opelousas. The half-sister to multiple stakes winner Mr. Baker is out of No More Tax, an Artax half-sister to multiple stakes victress Too Too Divine.

Itsmyluckyday, the top performer by champion Lawyer Ron, captured the 2012 Foolish Pleasure S. and Fasig-Tipton (off-the-Turf) Dash at Calder before entering the national spotlight in Gulfstream Park’s 2013 Kentucky Derby (G1) preps. A 6 3/4-length winner of the Gulfstream Park Derby, he toppled champion Shanghai Bobby in the Holy Bull (G3) while establishing a track record of 1:41.81 for 1 1/16 miles. Itsmyluckyday finished second in the Florida Derby (G1) to eventual Kentucky Derby victor Orb, but didn’t run up to his best when 15th in the slop at Churchill Downs. He rebounded with a runner-up effort in the Preakness (G1), only to be pulled up with a pelvic fracture next time in the Pegasus (G3).

As a four-year-old, Itsmyluckyday burnished his resume with four stakes victories, most notably the Woodward (G1) at Saratoga and the Salvator Mile (G3) at his summer base of Monmouth Park. He also placed in the Whitney (G1) and Kelso (G2) en route to retiring with a record of 21-9-4-2, $1,706,350.

Itsmyluckyday was produced by the stakes-placed Viva La Slew, a Doneraile Court mare from the family of French classic winner Astronomer Royal, multiple Grade 1 scorer Vicar, and at a further remove, French Group 2 victor and 2017 Dubai Turf (G1) near-misser Heshem.

The eight-year-old stallion stands at Spendthrift Farm near Lexington, Kentucky, for $5,000, stands and nurses.