NEWS
Baffert eager for another shot at Haskell
Posted: Tuesday, July 27, 2010 4:42 PM
LOOKIN AT LUCKY
PhotosByZ.com/Thoroughbred Times
by Jeff Lowe
Since 2001, trainer Bob Baffert has shipped six horses into Monmouth Park for graded stakes races, and he has left there with five wins, including three in the Haskell Invitational Handicap (G1) and two at the 2007 Breeders’ Cup World Championships.
Baffert is understandably anxious to return to the Oceanport, New Jersey, track this weekend, especially with a horse the caliber of Preakness Stakes (G1) winner Lookin At Lucky. But Baffert sees Sunday’s Haskell as anything but a giveaway.
Baffert and the connections of Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) winner Super Saver have had their eyes on the Haskell since they bowed out of the Belmont Stakes (G1) following Lookin At Lucky’s victory in the Preakness on May 15. Derby runner-up Ice Box, Preakness runner-up First Dude, and up-and-comer Trappe Shot are heading in the same direction, creating a potential key race in the three-year-old male division.
“I think this is the toughest of all the ones that I’ve been in,” said Baffert, who finished third in the Haskell with Forestry in 1999, second with Captain Steve in 2000, and won with Point Given in ’01, War Emblem in ’02, and Roman Ruler in ’05. “I’ve always done well at Monmouth. It’s one of my favorite tracks. I like going where I’ve had a lot of success. But I’ve always taken really good horses there. That’s the key.
“The other races they didn’t want to run against my good horses, like Point Given. It’s always tough, and there’s always a horse who runs a big race that day. It’s never won by a bad horse.
“We’re all in this business to see who has the best horse and when you have all those good horses you want to show up and compete. If you can beat them, it makes it even better. They’ve done a great job gathering all these horses, and it should make for a great race.”
Baffert had to play a little bit of catch-up with Lookin At Lucky, who spiked a fever and did not have a published workout between June 20 and July 5. Lookin At Lucky made up for it with five workouts over 21 days, including a five-furlong final drill on Monday in :58.60 at Del Mar.
“I just let him get over it and gave him some extra time,” Baffert said. “It was a tight schedule but it looks like he’s caught up. He hasn’t shown me anything where I would worry about him. He’s doing really well right now.”
Baffert said he is not looking beyond Sunday’s race, but he acknowledged that he would like to start Lookin At Lucky in the Shadwell Travers Stakes (G1) on August 28 at Saratoga Race Course.
“The Belmont was a real tempting race to run him in,” Baffert said. “When you run in the Derby and Preakness, at least you’ve got one of them, and I want him to run as a four-year-old. We tried to save him to run in the bigger races in the fall. It’s hard to get a horse like this, so you’ve got to be very careful in how you manage them and to run them when they’re at the top of their game.”
Jeff Lowe is a Thoroughbred Times staff writer
READER COMMENTS
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Posted by: The Rail, Goshen, NY on July 31, 2010 at 02:59 PM
@zenyatta dude:
Is that you Steve Crist?
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Posted by: Mimi, San Antonio, TX on July 27, 2010 at 10:28 PM
Aw, poor Lookin At Lucky. It's awesome that he's overcome his fever. The Haskell might be the most exciting race of the year, seeing the caliber of 3YO's going into it.
I agree Zenyatta dude, you GO BOB!!
It's defenitely a great idea to run Lookin At Lucky as a 4YO. Curlin also won the Preakness and went on to an awesome 4YO campaign, although Curlin wasn't run as a 2YO, but it might not make much of a difference. When he's 4 Baffert should put him in the DWC.
I heard in another article that First Dude might be in the Haskell? I'd like to see him there.
And, I wonder how Drosselmeyer would fare in the Haskell? Too bad he can't because of his ankle soreness.
Good luck to all of the horses!
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Posted by: zenyatta dude, rosemead, CA on July 27, 2010 at 09:18 PM
you go BOB its nice to see a california trainer thats got the courage to bring west coast horses to the east and take on other great horses i'm not saying there isnt a few more trainers from out west that wont because blind luck has a trainer with guts and also there is john saddler maybe 1 or 2 more maybe these guys can talk to moss and give him the backbone to try it.
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