NEWS
Champion Two-Year-Old Male: Lookin At Lucky
Posted: Monday, January 18, 2010 8:17 PM
LOOKIN AT LUCKY
Benoit & Associates photo
by Tom Law
The direct path to the Eclipse Award for champion two-year-old male goes to the winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1), or at least it has for the past four years and 12 of the last 13. Since the inception of the Breeders’ Cup in 1984, 20 winners of the Juvenile have walked away with the two-year-old male title, giving merit to the notion that North America’s showcase event served its purpose in determining racing’s champions.
Every so often the formula does not compute, however, and in 2009, Lookin At Lucky went against the grain and still came away with the championship. Not that his campaign was lackluster by any measure, considering the Smart Strike colt won five of six starts, finishing second by a head in his only loss, won three Grade 1 races, and banked $1,243,000.
Lookin At Lucky, who is owned by the same partnership of Mike Pegram, Paul Weitman, and Karl Watson that campaigned 2007 champion male sprinter and two-time Breeders’ Cup winner Midnight Lute, is the first two-year-old male champion to contest but not win the Juvenile since Dehere in 1993. Lookin At Lucky finished second in the Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita Park, losing by a diminishing head to European invader Vale of York (Ire) after a horrific trip that forced him extremely wide on both turns.
Racing Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert regrouped after that disappointing loss, one he called “frustrating” because he knew he “had the best horse,” and set his sights on the CashCall Futurity (G1) on December 19 at Hollywood Park. The CashCall, formerly the Hollywood Futurity and the same race 2004 champion Declan’s Moon won to help defeat Juvenile winner Wilko and eventual dual classic winner and champion three-year-old male Afleet Alex, would prove the key victory for Lookin At Lucky to secure his title.
For a list of all 2009 Eclipse Award winners, click here.
Tom Law is managing editor of Thoroughbred Times
