Lookin At Lucky on track for Breeders’ Cup Classic
Lookin At Lucky laid down his marker for the Breeders’ Cup Classic next month with a victory in the Grade Two Indiana Derby at Hoosier Park.
It was expected to be little more than a well-paid workout for Bob Baffert’s colt – the winner of both the Preakness Stakes and Haskell Invitational – but Martin Garcia at least made sure that he gave the crowd their money’s worth.
Indy Bull grabbed the lead heading to the first turn, with Worldly joining the leader down the back stretch. Garcia was content to sit off the pace with Lookin At Lucky, even when Thiskyhasnolimit made a move. Garcia was still five lengths off the lead at the top of the stretch but came through with supreme confidence to take up the running from Thiskyhasnolimit in the final furlong, with St Maximus Gato in third.
“What a horse,” Baffert said. “He just wants to win. It was a great race. This is the type of horse he really is.”
At Parx Racing, Blind Luck came with a flying run in the Grade Two Cotillion Stakes, but it was just not enough.
The Kentucky Oaks winner, ridden by Joel Rosario, was dropped in trip by trainer Jerry Hollendorfer for the $750,000 race as the filly attempted a sixth Graded victory of the year - and her fifth Grade One in total.
The fact that she had to give weight to all four rivals was not as much as a problem as the need to allow for her late-closing style, which was always going to make her vulnerable over a distance that was short of her best. Blind Luck was six lengths off the early fractions that were being set Bonnie Blue Flag, with Jeremy Rose able to keep Havre de Grace that much closer to the lead down the back stretch and into the turn.
Havre de Grace had already been beaten twice by Blind Luck, in the Grade One Alabama at Saratoga in August and previously in the Grade Two Delaware Oaks. But those were over 10 and nine furlongs respectively and this eight-and-a-half furlongs was just asking too much of Blind Luck’s speed in a race that was run in a track record.
She was still five lengths away from the lead coming around the turn as Havre de Grace had already set sail for the post. Blind Luck came with a wet sail, cutting down the lead with every stride, but simply ran out of strides before the post came.
Expect a different result in the Ladies’ Classic.
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