Three of the last five winners of the $300,000
Del
Mar Futurity (G1), which was moved from its traditional position as Del
Mar’s closing-day feature to Labor Day this season, have gone on to be named the
Eclipse Award winner as champion two-year-old male. The most recent of these was
Midshipman (Unbridled’s Song), who gave trainer Bob Baffert his eighth career
victory in the Futurity last year. A ninth could be provided by LOOKIN AT LUCKY
(Smart Strike), who drew the one-hole in the seven-furlong contest.
Undefeated in two starts for Baffert, who won seven consecutive editions of
this race from 1996-2002, Lookin at Lucky grinded his way to victory in a July
11 maiden at Hollywood Park and the August 9 Best Pal S. (G3), both times as the
favorite under Garrett Gomez. The bay, who sports the colors of Baffert’s
long-time client Mike Pegram, held his competition safe in both efforts with
deceiving margins of three-quarters of a length each time.
Lookin at Lucky faces some familiar names in the Futurity, including
the Best Pal second- and third-placers MAKE MUSIC FOR ME (Bernstein) and SMILING
TIGER (Hold That Tiger), and STERLING OUTLOOK (Eurosilver), who rebounded from
his second in Lookin at Lucky’s debut to romp by 4 1/2 lengths against maiden
foes over Del Mar’s Polytrack on August 1.
ZIP QUIK (City Zip), runner-up in the Hollywood Juvenile Championship (G3)
two back, subsequently shipped to Saratoga and finished a distant second in the
Saratoga Special S. (G2) for Patrick Biancone 18 days ago. Another possibility
is the maiden WHO’S UP (Graeme Hall), who finished four lengths second in his
August 22 debut to Sidney’s Candy (Candy Ride [Arg]), who set a 5 1/2-furlong
track record that day over the Del Mar strip. Trainer Kathy Walsh captured the
Futurity two years ago with Georgie Boy (Tribal Rule).
The penultimate day of the 2009 Del Mar meet also features the $100,000
I’m
Smokin S. for California-bred two-year-olds over six furlongs and the
$85,000
Adoration S. for fillies and mares at one mile.
The I’m Smokin marks the return of YOGAROO (Bring the Heat), one of several
juveniles trainer Wesley Ward shipped to England for the prestigious Royal Ascot
meet in June. A winner at second asking over the Polytrack at Keeneland, the
gelding fared poorly over the turf in England when finishing ninth in the
Norfolk S. (Eng-G2). His main challengers are the Graduation S. one-two WOLF
TAIL (Strive) and GRACE UPON GRACE (Rio Verde), and the debut-winning JOHN SCOTT
(Bertrando).
Grade 2 queen BRIECAT (Adcat), whose runner-up finish to Zenyatta (Street Cry
[Ire]) in the June 27 Vanity H. (G1) was bookended by poor efforts on turf,
should be favored in her return to synthetic in the Adoration, where she will
meet up with Grade 3 veteran VICTORINA (Delaware Township), 2008 Torrey Pines S.
winner DAWN BEFORE DAWN (High Yield), and the improving RAINBOW’S SONG
(Unbridled’s Song).