by Steve Bailey

Grade 2 winner Lucky Island (Arg) has been thrust into the spotlight entering the $250,000 Forego Stakes (G1) instead of simply looming in the shadow of the nation’s top sprinter.

Grade/Group 1 winner Benny the Bull was found to have a chip in his right front ankle and was retired on Wednesday, two days after he worked six furlongs in 1:14.29 at Aqueduct in preparation for the seven-furlong test at Saratoga Race Course.

With Benny the Bull out, Shadwell Stable’s Lucky Island, winner of the Tom Fool Handicap (G2) on July 4 at Belmont Park in his previous start, now finds himself in the role of probable favorite in the field of ten.

Trained by meet-leading trainer Kiaran McLaughlin, Lucky Island has won all four of his starts this year and five of six over his three seasons on the track.

The four-year-old Lucky Roberto colt opened his season with back-to-back victories by a combined 6 3/4 lengths in allowance races at Gulfstream Park and Aqueduct, respectively. He followed up with a 2 1/4-length victory in the Bold Ruler Handicap (G3) on May 10 at Belmont.

Lucky Island is assigned high weight of 121 pounds against nine challengers, including Grade 3 winner First Defence, stakes winner Bold Start, Grade 2-placed Forefathers, and Tasteyville and Premium Wine, the second- and third-place finishers, respectively, in the Tom Fool.

Juddmonte Farms’s homebred First Defence won the Jaipur Handicap (G3) on June 15 at Belmont and enters off a runner-up finish to Abraaj in the Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap (G2) on July 26 at the Spa.

Lawrence Carroll’s Bold Start has won two of four starts this season, including the Don Bernhardt Stakes by three lengths over Officer Rocket (GB) on July 19 at Ellis Park. Trained by Ken McPeek, he enters off a runner-up finish to Eternal Star in the James Marvin Stakes on August 9 at Saratoga.

Zayat Stables’ Forefathers snapped a nine-start winless skid in his previous start for Racing Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott with a 6 1/2-length victory in a one-mile allowance/optional claiming race on June 7 at Belmont.

Steve Bailey is deputy news editor of Thoroughbred Times

The field, in post-position order, with (sire), jockey, weight, and trainer:

1. First Defence (Unbridled's Song), Channing Hill, 119, Robert J. Frankel;

2. Forefathers (Gone West), Edgar S. Prado, 117, William I. Mott;

3. Eternal Star (Five Star Day), John R. Velazquez, 117, Michael J. Trombetta;

4. Bold Start (Jump Start), Robby Albarado, 117, Kenneth G. McPeek;

5. Ferocious Fires (Lite the Fuse), Cornelio H. Velasquez, 117, Anthony W. Dutrow;

6. Premium Wine (Prime Timber), Julien R. Leparoux, 117, Anthony W. Dutrow;

7. Real Estate (High Yield), Eibar Coa, 117, Bruce N. Levine;

8. Lucky Island [ARG] (Lucky Roberto), Alan Garcia, 121, Kiaran P. McLaughlin;

9. Greeley's Conquest (Mr. Greeley), Jorge F. Chavez, 117, Gary A. Thomas; and

10. Tasteyville (With Approval), Michael J. Luzzi, 117, Patrick J. Kelly.