
Lookin At Lucky earns third G1 in CashCall Futurity
Tuesday | December 22, 2009
![]() Benoit photo |
On Dec. 19th, Lookin At Lucky put a stamp on a tremendous 2-year-old campaign that should lead him to Eclipse honors, as the talented Smart Strike colt captured his third Grade 1 triumph with a win in the $750,000 CashCall Futurity at Hollywood Park.
The young Baffert trainee was always prominently placed in the 1 1/16-mile race and showed his class in the stretch, repulsing all challenges to finish first – something he has done in all but one of his six starts at two. Ironically, luck was not on the colt’s side in his lone defeat in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) last month at Santa Anita, where he would fall just a head short while finishing second after a wide trip and traffic trouble from his far-outside post.
Despite the lone blemish on his resume, Lookin At Lucky figures to be the leading candidate to receive Eclipse 2-Year-Old Male honors at next month’s Eclipse Awards after his impressive win in Saturday’s CashCall. It was his first start at Hollywood since breaking his maiden in his debut in July, and he posted a final time of 1:43.30 over the local synthetic track for his three-quarters of a length win over Grade 1 winner Noble’s Promise.
“He didn’t have to do a lot,” Baffert said. “He just sat there and cruised around. He was in a good spot the whole way. He just keeps getting better and better.”
Lookin At Lucky now heads into his 3-year-old season in 2010 with immense promise as the likely Winter Book Favorite for the Kentucky Derby (G1) next May. Baffert and Mike Pegram – part owner in the colt – have been there before, winning it together in 1998 with Real Quiet, who also captured the Futurity at two.
Lookin At Lucky now owns five wins with earnings of $1,243,000 for Pegram and fellow owners Karl Watson and Paul Weitman. He became Baffert’s fifth CashCall winner and second in as many years, as Baffert took the 2008 running with Pioneerof the Nile. The win also gave Baffert his tenth Grade 1 victory of the year.

