NEWS

Lookin At Lucky to try dirt in Rebel

Posted: Thursday, March 11, 2010 6:02 PM

LOOKIN AT LUCKY

Benoit & Associates photo

by Frank Angst

Champion juvenile male Lookin At Lucky will try dirt for the first time in his career when he faces six other three-year-old males in the $300,000 Rebel Stakes (G2) on Saturday at Oaklawn Park.

Lookin At Lucky will be making his seasonal debut after closing out last season with a victory in the CashCall Futurity (G1) on December 19 at Hollywood Park. That victory followed his narrow runner-up finish in the Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1), the lone loss in his six starts last season.

For Lookin At Lucky’s seasonal debut, trainer Bob Baffert decided to skip the local Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) prep offered at Santa Anita Park, the San Felipe Stakes (G2), in favor of the Rebel. Baffert is two-for-two at the Oaklawn meeting with victories by Conveyance in the Southwest (G3) and Freedom Star in the Azeri (G3) Stakes.

Regular rider Garrett Gomez will make the trip to Arkansas for the mount on Lookin At Lucky, and Baffert believes the Smart Strike colt will handle the surface.

“He’s going to run well,” Baffert said. “He’s doing great and he’s a good horse. I’m worried more about my other horses trying to get to the [Kentucky] Derby.”

Dublin enters off a runner-up finish to Conveyance in the Southwest. Trained by D. Wayne Lukas, Dublin was closing well in the short stretch of the one-mile Southwest. The Afleet Alex colt figures to benefit from the extra sixteenth of a mile and full Oaklawn stretch.

Dublin won last year’s Three Chimneys Hopeful Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course and has earned $278,623 in six career starts.

Noble’s Promise also will be making his first start since closing out last season in the same two races as Lookin At Lucky. A Cuvee colt, Noble’s Promise finished third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and second in the CashCall Futurity. Noble’s Promise also will be making his first start on dirt. While he has started at five different tracks, he only has raced on synthetic surfaces and turf.

The Rebel, an Arkansas Derby (G1) prep, has attracted three of the current top 13 horses in the THOROUGHBRED TIMES Triple Crown poll. Lookin at Lucky ranks second, Dublin fourth, and Noble’s Promise 13th.

Rounding out the Rebel field are Southwest third-place finisher Cardiff Giant, Royal Express, winner of this year’s Black Gold Stakes at Fair Grounds, Boyd Gaming’s Delta Jackpot Stakes (G3) runner-up Uh Oh Bango, and Smarty Jones Stakes runner-up Pleasant Storm.

Frank Angst is senior writer for Thoroughbred Times

Rebel S.