Look Forward annexes Eight Belles

Reddam Racing’s Look Forward showed that a return to one-turn racing is what the doctor ordered when she prevailed by 1 1/4 lengths in Friday’s $579,660 Eight Belles (G2) under cloudy skies at Churchill Downs. Guided by Umberto Rispoli, the sophomore Michael McCarthy-trained bay earned her second stakes win of the year.

Impulse Buy took the field through opening fractions of :21.92 and :44.17 with the eventual winner in between her and the favored Eclatant. As they entered the stretch, however, it was clearly Look Forward who had all the spark needed as she got past the furlong marker in a brisk 1:08.80 and then finished seven furlongs over a fast main track in 1:22.36.

Look Forward, a daughter of Bolt d’Oro, easily thwarted a minor challenge from Blue Fire, who in turn had a length on late-running Evanescence. The latter filly rallied all the way from last in the field of 11 fillies. Completing the order of finish were Mendela, Verity, Whatintheliteral, Bourbon Memory, the fading pacesetters Impulse Buy and Eclatant, Princess Aliyah, and Kimchi Cat. Unchained Elaine was withdrawn.

Look Forward was bred in Kentucky by Woods Edge Farm & Ballyfair Bloodstock and fetched a bid of $285,000 at the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. She is the third foal and second stakes winner produced by the Into Mischief mare Troublesome, who has an unnamed yearling colt by Yaupon.

Look Forward was second in the Starlet S. (G2) in December but reached stakes-winning status with her score in the Santa Ynez. She then recorded off-the-board showings in the Honeybee (G3) at Oaklawn and the Ashland (G1) at Keeneland. The filly exits the Eight Belles with a record of 6-3-1-0, $505,675.