NEWS

Racing News

Industry News

Most Popular Stories

Most E-mailed Stories

Champion Lookin At Lucky highlights lucrative Indiana Derby card

Posted: Wednesday, September 29, 2010 6:18 PM

LOOKIN AT LUCKY

Bill Denver/Equi-Photo

by Ed DeRosa

Lookin At Lucky’s performance in the $500,000 Indiana Derby (G2) on Saturday at Hoosier Park will determine whether the Smart Strike colt will move forward to take on older horses for the first time in the $5-million Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) five weeks later at Churchill Downs.

Last year’s champion two-year-old male, Lookin At Lucky is in the driver’s seat to become the first colt since Spectacular Bid in 1979-’80 to repeat as champion three-year-old male. The Smart Strike colt won the Preakness (G1) and Haskell Invitational (G1) Stakes this year but has not raced since his four-length score in the Haskell on August 1 at Monmouth Park.

“We want to see the same horse that we saw at the Haskell,” Racing Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert said. “We’ll know when we watch him run. We have to get a good effort out of him. The main thing is to win the race and to watch how he does it.”

Baffert trains Lookin At Lucky for a partnership that includes Mike Pegram. The pair teamed to race 1998 dual classic winner and champion three-year-old male Real Quiet, who died this week. The partnership includes Karl Watson and Paul Weitman, who also were involved in racing Real Quiet’s champion son Midnight Lute.

Baffert saddled last year’s Indiana Derby winner and eventual Grade 1 winner Misremembered. The trainer said his allegiance to the race this year is based upon its timing on the calendar.

“I didn’t really have a choice,” Baffert said about why he chose the Indiana Derby. “Timing wise, this was the only place I could go.”

An additional eight three-year-olds have entered to face Lookin At Lucky, including the one-two finishers from the Smarty Jones Stakes in Thiskyhasnolimit and Nacho Friend, respectively.

A wildcard in the proceedings is Uareoutlaw (Brz), a Grade 1 winner in his native Brazil who now races for owner Tom Conway and trainer Mike Maker, the same team behind longshot Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G1) winner Stately Victor.

Baffert was not surprised at the depth of the field despite the presence of his champion.

“I think you have some … horses taking some shots since [Hoosier Park] pays 1% of the purse [$5,000] to all entrants,” Baffert said.

The Indiana Derby is part of a 14-race program that includes seven stakes. Highlighting the undercard is the $200,000 Indiana Oaks (G2) with Grade 3 winner Seeking the Title the most likely favorite, although stakes winners Fuzzy Britches and Harissa each will probably attract money.

Baffert will saddle Arnold Zetcher’s Always a Princess in her first outing on dirt after the Leroidesanimaux (Brz) filly won her three-year-old debut in an allowance race on September 8 at Del Mar off a ten-month layoff following a fifth-place finish in the 2009 Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1).

Ed DeRosa is news editor of Thoroughbred Times

Indiana Oaks
October 02, $200,000, 3yo, f, 1 1/16M, Hoosier Park, 5:26 PM CT

Indiana Derby
October 02, $500,000, 3yo, 1 1/16M, Hoosier Park, 6:02 PM CT