Baffert calls Lookin at Lucky the best 2yo he's had in "at least 5 years"
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from the San Diego Union-Tribune:
JUVENILE
Lookin At Lucky made strong impressions winning the Best Pal and Del Mar Futurity stakes last summer and reinforced the feeling that the Smart Strike colt might be something special, staying undefeated (4-for-4) in the Norfolk Stakes at Santa Anita on Oct. 4.
Trainer Bob Baffert, who guided Midshipman down the Futurity-Norfolk path to victory in the 2008 Juvenile at Santa Anita has bluntly stated that Lookin At Lucky is not only better than Midshipman but the best 2-year-old he's had in at least five years.
Considering how Lookin At Lucky's record has been achieved on synthetic surfaces, the last over the same course as the Juvenile, he would figure as an overwhelming favorite. But favorites have prevailed in just nine of 25 runnings of the Juvenile and the worst finish by a favorite in Breeders' Cup history was the 12th (and last) by 3-to-2 choice Cuvee, beaten 58 lengths, in the 2003 Juvenile at Santa Anita.
Potential challengers that Lookin At Lucky has not already faced include a pair of Richard Dutrow Jr. trainees, D'Funnybone and Homeboykris.
D'Funnybone won the Saratoga Special and Futurity last summer, making the 9 percent ($180,000) supplemental fee for the BC non-nominee easier to take and Homeboykris earned a place in the race with a victory in the Win And You're In (WAYI) challenge Champagne Stakes at Belmont Park on Oct. 10.
That same day, Noble's Promise pulled off a $27.80 upset in the WAYI Dixiana at Keeneland and trainer Ken McPeek indicated the Juvenile was next.
MILE
Cowboy Cal and Court Vision stepped up to be counted among the top U.S.-based contenders with victories two weeks ago in the Oak Tree Mile at Santa Anita and the Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland respectively. Both were WAYI events for the race.
Cowboy Cal, shipped from New York by trainer Todd Pletcher for the Oak Tree Mile, took an unpressured lead shortly after the start and held it throughout as the 8-5 favorite. That's the 4-year-old Giant Causeway colt's preferred trip, but one not likely to be repeated successfully in a BC race that has often gone to European imports with a late burst, like defending champion Goldikova, and in which Lure (1992-93) is historically the only successful front-running type.
Goldikova, a sensation winning in 2008, has a 3-0-1 result line from five 2009 starts, with the third coming in her most recent assignment at Longchamp in France on Oct. 3.
Despite the loss, her connections are reportedly still aiming for the Mile.
A major European stake connected to the Mile, the Group I Queen Elizabeth II stakes at Ascot, was won by one of the top runners on the continent, Rip Van Winkle. Immediately afterward, Rip's trainer Aiden O'Brien put to sleep any Mile notions by saying: We are looking forward to going to America and the plan is to run in the Classic.
Raven's Pass came over from England to dash the dreams of Curlin owner Jess Jackson and turn him into a synthetic surface hater.
Even with Rip Van Winkle going to the Classic, the second and third-place finishers in the QE II, Zacinto and Delegator, are strong possibilities for the Mile.
SPRINT
After Zensational won the Bing Crosby and Pat O'Brien stakes to secure the Horse of the Meeting honor at Del Mar, Baffert decided another race before the Sprint wasn't necessary.
So Baffert has gone about the job of getting the likely odds-on choice ready on works alone with a series that has now reached four, the last being five furlongs in :57.80 on Wednesday.
He needed a little break and he's the kind of horse who's so fast I just wanted to have him fresh because he's going to have to really get to the bottom of himself and run like he's never run before in the Breeders' Cup, Baffert told the Daily Racing Form this week. He looks fantastic and is doing great. He's two works away from being super.
Baffert will be shooting for an unprecedented third straight Sprint victory. The previous two were counted by Midnight Lute.
Gayego established himself as a contender with a victory in the Ancient Title at Santa Anita two weeks ago, running the six-furlong distance on the Sprint course in 1:08.28.
Fatal Bullet earned a WAYI place in the Sprint with a victory in the Phoenix Stakes at Keeneland early this month
JUVENILE
Lookin At Lucky made strong impressions winning the Best Pal and Del Mar Futurity stakes last summer and reinforced the feeling that the Smart Strike colt might be something special, staying undefeated (4-for-4) in the Norfolk Stakes at Santa Anita on Oct. 4.
Trainer Bob Baffert, who guided Midshipman down the Futurity-Norfolk path to victory in the 2008 Juvenile at Santa Anita has bluntly stated that Lookin At Lucky is not only better than Midshipman but the best 2-year-old he's had in at least five years.
Considering how Lookin At Lucky's record has been achieved on synthetic surfaces, the last over the same course as the Juvenile, he would figure as an overwhelming favorite. But favorites have prevailed in just nine of 25 runnings of the Juvenile and the worst finish by a favorite in Breeders' Cup history was the 12th (and last) by 3-to-2 choice Cuvee, beaten 58 lengths, in the 2003 Juvenile at Santa Anita.
Potential challengers that Lookin At Lucky has not already faced include a pair of Richard Dutrow Jr. trainees, D'Funnybone and Homeboykris.
D'Funnybone won the Saratoga Special and Futurity last summer, making the 9 percent ($180,000) supplemental fee for the BC non-nominee easier to take and Homeboykris earned a place in the race with a victory in the Win And You're In (WAYI) challenge Champagne Stakes at Belmont Park on Oct. 10.
That same day, Noble's Promise pulled off a $27.80 upset in the WAYI Dixiana at Keeneland and trainer Ken McPeek indicated the Juvenile was next.
MILE
Cowboy Cal and Court Vision stepped up to be counted among the top U.S.-based contenders with victories two weeks ago in the Oak Tree Mile at Santa Anita and the Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland respectively. Both were WAYI events for the race.
Cowboy Cal, shipped from New York by trainer Todd Pletcher for the Oak Tree Mile, took an unpressured lead shortly after the start and held it throughout as the 8-5 favorite. That's the 4-year-old Giant Causeway colt's preferred trip, but one not likely to be repeated successfully in a BC race that has often gone to European imports with a late burst, like defending champion Goldikova, and in which Lure (1992-93) is historically the only successful front-running type.
Goldikova, a sensation winning in 2008, has a 3-0-1 result line from five 2009 starts, with the third coming in her most recent assignment at Longchamp in France on Oct. 3.
Despite the loss, her connections are reportedly still aiming for the Mile.
A major European stake connected to the Mile, the Group I Queen Elizabeth II stakes at Ascot, was won by one of the top runners on the continent, Rip Van Winkle. Immediately afterward, Rip's trainer Aiden O'Brien put to sleep any Mile notions by saying: We are looking forward to going to America and the plan is to run in the Classic.
Raven's Pass came over from England to dash the dreams of Curlin owner Jess Jackson and turn him into a synthetic surface hater.
Even with Rip Van Winkle going to the Classic, the second and third-place finishers in the QE II, Zacinto and Delegator, are strong possibilities for the Mile.
SPRINT
After Zensational won the Bing Crosby and Pat O'Brien stakes to secure the Horse of the Meeting honor at Del Mar, Baffert decided another race before the Sprint wasn't necessary.
So Baffert has gone about the job of getting the likely odds-on choice ready on works alone with a series that has now reached four, the last being five furlongs in :57.80 on Wednesday.
He needed a little break and he's the kind of horse who's so fast I just wanted to have him fresh because he's going to have to really get to the bottom of himself and run like he's never run before in the Breeders' Cup, Baffert told the Daily Racing Form this week. He looks fantastic and is doing great. He's two works away from being super.
Baffert will be shooting for an unprecedented third straight Sprint victory. The previous two were counted by Midnight Lute.
Gayego established himself as a contender with a victory in the Ancient Title at Santa Anita two weeks ago, running the six-furlong distance on the Sprint course in 1:08.28.
Fatal Bullet earned a WAYI place in the Sprint with a victory in the Phoenix Stakes at Keeneland early this month