It appears trainer Richard Dutrow Jr. has found a lot to occupy his time between now
and June 7, when he will saddle Big Brown (Boundary) in the Belmont S. (G1) for the colt’s bid for the
Triple Crown. On Sunday, the outspoken conditioner saddled Lansdown Robbins
III’s LOOKY YONDER (Johannesburg) for Sunday’s $147,000
Vagrancy
H. (G2) and proceeded to watch his charge make up 11 lengths in the final
five-sixteenths of a mile to upset heavily favored Dream Rush (Wild Rush) in the
6 1/2-furlong feature at Belmont Park. Under Garrett Gomez, the nearly 10-1
Looky Yonder completed the distance over a fast track in 1:17 3/5 and returned
$21.60, $6.10 and $2.60 while keying the $52 exacta and $93 trifecta (5-3-6).
Dream Rush, a multiple Grade 1 winner last year, was making her seasonal
debut in the Vagrancy and had no problem securing a comfortable lead. The 4-5
favorite led by 2 1/2 lengths through an opening quarter-mile in :22, and drew off
to a four-length advantage through a half-mile in :45 1/5. Dream Rush still
maintained that margin with a furlong to go but Looky Yonder, who had trailed
until the stretch, made a remarkable run up the rail to catch the visibly tired
Dream Rush with yards to go.
Dream Rush paid $3.10 and $2.10 after finishing 8
1/4 lengths clear of Baroness Thatcher (Johannesburg), who returned the
mandatory minimum of $2.10 for taking third. Any Limit (Limit Out) followed and Sangrita (Mr.
Greeley) trailed in fifth after hitting the gate at the start. Bedside Story
(Tale of the Cat) was scratched.
“I told Garrett in the paddock to hope for second and plan on that,” Dutrow
said. “It worked out better than we hoped. We’re going to let her party and
relax and get over this one. This was an amazing run by her, and she will need
40-50 days off.”
The Vagrancy was the first career stakes win for Looky Yonder, who had been
unplaced in three prior graded stakes attempts. Following a seventh-place effort
in the Dogwood S. (G3) last June, Looky Yonder was switched from trainer Ken
McPeek to Dutrow, who has since guided the four-year-old to three wins in five
starts. Her other tallies this year occurred in a second-level allowance at
Gulfstream and a third-level allowance/optional claiming at Belmont on May 9.
Looky Yonder’s record now stands at 11-5-0-2 with earnings of $227,835.
A $25,000 purchase at the 2005 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Looky
Yonder was produced from multiple stakes winner Victorian Angel (Hennessy)
and has an unraced juvenile half-sister named Tall Tale Tammie (Tale of the Cat) and
a yearling half-brother by Lion Heart.