Karl Watson, Mike Pegram and Paul Weitman’s LOOKIN AT LUCKY (Smart Strike)
circled his foes entering the second turn of Sunday’s $299,000
Norfolk
S. (G1) at Santa Anita, withstood a renewed challenge from Gallant Gent
(Yankee Gentleman) on the rail, then hung on by 1 3/4 lengths as the rest of the
field closed with a rush late. Jockey Garrett Gomez gave the Bob Baffert pupil a
well-timed ride, finishing up 8 1/2 furlongs on the Pro-Ride in 1:43.
Sterling Outlook (Eurosilver) led the field throughout from his inside post,
reeling off fractions of :23 1/5, :47 2/5 and 1:11 2/5 while tracked by Gallant
Gent, Alfarabi (Yes It’s True) and Lookin at Lucky to his outside. The eventual
winner began his charge wide around the turn and opened up by one length in the
stretch, getting the mile split in 1:36 3/5. Gallant Gent was racing along the
rail and wouldn’t give in so easily, though, nearly drawing even with Lookin at Lucky.
The bay colt re-broke and had enough momentum to cross under the wire first.
“This was his first time long and he
handled it perfectly,” Gomez said. “He’s never been a horse who was real keen but I wanted to
be a little bit more forwardly placed than I was last time. He made the lead
turning for home and when he did, he threw his ears up and kind of waited on
that horse inside of him. When I got after him though, he went on with it and
finished up real game.
“How good is he? Well, he’s four-for-four and I guess
he’ll tell us how good he is.”
“He’s
got power steering,” Baffert said. “He’s not one-dimensional, which is so great because you
don’t have to worry about track condition or speed. He’s just a very good horse.
You’re seeing him unfold like I do. He’s got something different than my other
ones have ever had, so it’s pretty exciting.”
Lookin at Lucky was the 4-5 favorite in the 11-strong Norfolk, paying $3.60,
$2.60 and $2.40 while starting the $22.40 exacta ($1). Pulsion (Include) managed
to overtake Gallant Gent on the line, holding a half-length margin over that
rival to return $6.80 and $4 as the 18-1 sixth pick.
“This colt has a lot to
learn, but he’s learning,” said Mike Smith, who piloted Pulsion. “He gets to where he starts and stops a few times too
many, but he’s learning. I think he’ll be more honest next time. We’ll hone down
on him a little more, tighten the screws a little more, and I think he’ll be
right there. Forget about the winner being the best two-year-old on the West
Coast, I think the best two-year-old in the country won the race, and we weren’t
far off of him. So if he can improve, who knows?”
Gallant Gent kept his nose
in front of Jung Man Scott (Freud) and John Scott (Bertrando), who dead-heated
for fourth, and was worth $8.40 at 39-1 while ending the $295.60 trifecta ($1).
Those who had Jung Man Scott in the $1 superfecta (2-12-5-9) were rewarded with
$1,220.10, while the John Scott superfecta (2-12-5-11) ($1) totaled $858.10.
It was another nose back to Dave in Dixie (Dixie Union), then came Alfarabi,
Came Aboard (Came Home), Seattle Ruler (Roman Ruler), Lucky Rave (GB) (Lucky
Story) and pacesetter Sterling Outlook. Hurricane Ike (Graeme Hall) was
scratched.
Lookin at Lucky scored at first asking, taking a July 11 maiden at Hollywood
Park by three-quarters of a length while going six furlongs. Baffert then sent
his charge to face stakes company, and the bay colt responded with a victory in
the Best Pal S. (G2) at Del Mar by the same margin. The Norfolk is Lookin at
Lucky’s second Grade 1 win, following a one-length victory in the Del Mar
Futurity (G1), and he’s now earned $483,000 to match his undefeated
four-for-four mark.
Bred in Kentucky by Gulf Coast Farms, Lookin at Lucky was a $475,000
Keeneland April two-year-old-in training purchase. Produced from the winning
Private Feeling (Belong to Me), the juvenile is a half-brother to this year’s
Jim Dandy S. (G2) and Dwyer S. (G2) winner Kensei (Mr. Greeley), as well as a
weanling colt by Afleet Alex. Private Feeling is a half-sister to Grade 3 queen
Grand Charmer (Lord Avie), the granddam of 2006 champion three-year-old filly
Wait a While (Maria’s Mon). Lookin at Lucky’s third dam is Grade 1 queen Sharp
Belle (Native Charger), and Sir Harry Lewis (Alleged), the 1987 Irish Derby
(Ire-G1) winner, also hails from this family.