Ever So Lucky gets a spot in the Swale Stakes to make his seasonal debut
Trainer Jonathan Sheppard has to put out his newly turned 3-year-old colt, Ever So Lucky, in a race to find out whether he is a genuine Grade 1 Kentucky Derby contender or not, and hopefully all will fall into perspective when a delayed 2012 debut will take
place for Ever So Lucky in the Grade 3, $150,000 Swale Stakes at Gulfstream Park over a distance of seven furlongs on 10 March, 2012, as the race reeled in 10 sophomore colts.
Augustin Stable’s Ever So Lucky is a Kentucky bred son of Indian Charlie, out of mare Bally Storm by Summer Squall, and the 3-year-old was scheduled to make his seasonal debut in the Grade 2 Hutcheson Stakes, but Sheppard, possibly wisely decided against
it.
The reason for delaying it was that Sheppard felt that his colt needed some more time to make his debut, and since he missed a scheduled work in February because of a bruised foot, Jonathan Sheppard had all the more reasons to delay his debut, and now finally
he found his colt a spot in the Swale Stakes.
The Grade 3 Swale Stakes wasn’t on the cards until Ever So Luck turned in a fantastic work to prove his fitness, when he turned in a five furlong bullet work in 58 4/5 seconds at Gulfstream Park on 3 March, and that is when his trainer decided that Swale
Stakes is the spot for him.
“I’d be lying if I was saying I wasn’t somewhat apprehensive, which is understandable I think,” Sheppard said March 6. “Things haven’t gone exactly as I would have liked since his last race and he is coming off a pretty long layoff in a graded stakes.
“I really didn’t think he would be ready for this race after the bruised foot; I thought it would take two really nice works. But after the first work (Feb. 21, five furlongs in :1:00 3/5), he went particularly well and seemed to recover quite quickly from
it.”
Ever So Luck has so far won his maiden race at about six and a half furlongs at Churchill Downs, and last fall also at Churchill Downs finished second to Gemologist in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club over a distance of 1 1/16 miles.
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