Lookin At Lucky crowned in Preakness
The prospect of a US Triple Crown champion was put into cold storage for at least another year after Lookin At Lucky won the 135th running of the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico.
Lookin At Lucky had been anything but that in the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs two weeks ago, where he got the worst of a rough race to finish sixth. This time everything went smoothly. Super Saver, the Kentucky Derby winner who was attempting to become the 33rd horse to claim the Triple Crown, finished only eighth of the 12 runners this time.
Martin Garcia, replaced Garrett Gomez on the winner, a decision that trainer Bob Baffert had said was “only because of the bad luck we've been having lately.” There was no luck needed this time.
First Dude grabbed the early lead with Calvin Borel covering the pace on Super Saver, while Garcia had Lookin At Lucky a little further away in sixth down the back stretch. Garcia kept the colt off the rail as he made sure that he had a clear run – unlike the traffic problems Lookin At Lucky had suffered in the Derby – and Garcia made his move approaching the second turn along with Caracortado.
They disputed the lead with First Dude as Super Saver was beginning to wilt early in the home stretch. Caracortado’s run also quickly petered out but First Dude would not yield. He duelled with Lookin At Lucky as Jackson Bend and Yawanna Twist emerged to make their runs at the furlong pole, but Lookin At Lucky edged just clear enough in the last 75 yards to win by a three-quarters of a length from First Dude with Jackson Bend in third.
Super Saver tired badly and was beaten by 11½ lengths, leaving Borel to conclude: “Perfect trip, he just came up empty today.” Gomez took the ride on Dublin for Wayne Lukas but had to settle for finishing fifth.
It was a fifth victory in the Preakness for Baffert but for Garcia, 25, this win marked the high point of a remarkable career. When he arrived in America, from Mexico five years ago, Garcia was not even a jockey. He was working in a restaurant in Northern California near Pleasanton racecourse. It was there that it was suggested that he was the right build for a jockey and he has been building a reputation on the Californian circuit ever since, and his partnership with Baffert-trained winners has accelerated the process.
However this was his break into the big-time. This was his first Triple Crown race win, having only ridden in his first Triple Crown race two weeks ago, aboard Conveyance in the Derby. “We've been clicking,” Baffert told the Daily Racing Form. “I've just been winning with him. He can finish. He's so young, I don't think he realised the magnitude of the race.”
Earlier on the card Rainbow View won her second race since being switched to race permanently in America when she carried top weight to win the Gallorette Handicap.
The filly, formerly trained by John Gosden for who she was a Group One winner at both two and three, is now with Jonathan Sheppard, won an allowance race at Keenland last month and looks like making a steady progression stateside. She did not get the easiest run in this race and was chopped for room before the run to the first turn.
Julien Leparoux had to bide his time down the back stretch and seemed to have lost his chance when encountering more trouble in running off the home turn. However, Rainbow View came with a powerful last surge to overhaul Quiet Meadow close home to win by a half-length, with Ave, formerly trained by Sir Michael Stoute, also rallying late to take third.
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