Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas and jockey Jon Court took down another
The victory came one week after the trainer-jockey combo teamed up to win the
Setting a modest pace of :24 and :50 over a course labeled good but still
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“I thought (Optimizer) handled (the course) real well,” Court said. “I knew
he should run really good today and was counting on it. Mr. Lukas is having some
luck there at Oaklawn so I wanted to make sure I could bring some of that luck
with Optimizer here today.
“I think he likes these distances. If the race sets up I think he’s capable
of going a mile, a mile and a quarter. He’s got that in him, but it’s a matter
of how things set up. He can handle it, especially on the grass. Anything over a
mile is in his favor.”
String King, a multiple stakes winner in the Louisiana-bred ranks, finished
second as the 7-2 second choice, three parts of a length ahead of 14-1 chance
Bim Bam. Completing the order of finish were Unlatch, Trend, Strike Impact,
Dubious Miss, Tetradrachm, and James Street.
Although he has made frequent visits to the main track, most successfully in
the Grade 2 Rebel last year where he finished second, and the Grade 1 Breeders’
Futurity in 2011 where he finished third, Optimizer has found his best on turf.
Second in the Grade 2 With Anticipation at two, he returned to infield
competition after competing in all three legs of the Triple Crown last term. His
first stakes win came in the Grade 3 Kent at Delaware Park in September, and he
preceded this victory with a third in the Grade 2 Hollywood Turf Cup. The
Kentucky-bred now boasts a line of 20-4-2-2, $536,942.
Optimizer’s dam is the A.P. Indy mare Indy Pick, who is a half-sister to
multiple Grade 1 winner Finder’s Fee and multiple Grade 1-winning steeplechaser
Tax Ruling. All were produced by Grade 1 winner Fantastic Find. Optimizer’s
third dam was the noted Phipps family producer Blitey, while his third dam was
1966 champion three-year-old filly Lady Pitt.