NO BELMONT FOR ‘LUCKY’: BAFFERT SAYS ‘HE’S SHIPPING HOME’
By Ray Paulick
Trainer Bob Baffert said in the immediate aftermath of Lookin At Lucky’s win in Saturday’s Preakness Stakes he had made no plans for where he would ship Mike Pegram, Paul Weitman and Karl Watson’s champion 2-year-old colt, but by the end of the night he made up his mind: Lookin At Lucky will not go on to the 1 1/2-mile Belmont Stakes on June 5 and will instead be shipped back to his home base at Santa Anita in Southern California on Sunday morning.
"No Belmont. Shipping home," Baffert said in a text message to the Paulick Report late Saturday. His decision means the Belmont will not have either the Kentucky Derby or Preakness winner in the starting line-up. That also occurred in 2006 after Derby winner Barbaro broke down in the Preakness, and Bernardini, winner of the Triple Crown’s middle jewel, passed on the race. The same thing happened in 2000 when Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus and Preakness winner Red Bullet skipped the 1 1/2 mile Belmont.
Todd Pletcher, trainer of Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver, indicated the son of Maria’s Mon would be pointed to a summer campaign instead of racing in the Triple Crown’s final leg.
Tags: belmont stakes, Bob Baffert, kentucky derby, Looking At Lucky, Paulick Report, preakness, Ray Paulick, Super Saver
May 16th, 2010 at 9:48 am
Wise decision. LAL is such an honest, gutsy colt Baffert knows a big effort in the Belmont could gut him for the rest of the year. Plus, being a May 27 colt he’s likely to be going through a growth spurt soon. A little rest, some hand grazing and snoozing in the CA sun on the end of a shank are well deserved after what he’s been through this year.
May 16th, 2010 at 9:56 am
Too Bad for New York, great for Lucky, people forget that he has been running all the races until Baltimore at the age of two. The little guy needs a break and hats off to Bob for giving it to him.
May 16th, 2010 at 10:31 am
kudos to PR, ratings must be high to get a text from Baffert the same night. Way to go! keep up the good work
May 16th, 2010 at 12:21 pm
Hear,Hear For Baffert.There is class in the business.One of the greatest stretch duals I’ve seen for a long time.I’ve liked “LAL” since early on in his 2 year old campaign and he has definitely earned a rest.Should make for an interesting Travers (As long as Pletcher doesn’t have 9 of the 10 horses entered that is !!!)
Also good deal for Smart Strike;Many had doubts as to the quality of this horse thinking after Curlin and English Channel he was done.Now the sire of the Preakness Winner and broodmare sire of the 2nd place horse.
May 16th, 2010 at 12:31 pm
Good call by Baffert. The horse deserves a rest, then perhaps race later in the summer, and point toward the Breeders’ Cup in the fall. A start in the Belmont Stakes might have impacted all that.
May 16th, 2010 at 1:05 pm
congrats to Baffert/Pegram. Pegram’s post race comments, hard to say it better than this!
May 16th, 2010 at 1:56 pm
Smart Strike is broodmare sire of last years KY Derby winner Mine That Bird also. Why would anybody be foolish enough not to think Smart Strike could sire more great horses? He has done much better at siring Champions than Giants Causeway or Unbridleds Song. He has higher median and average earnings per runner,higher percentage of runners to foals, winners to runners,etc. + a lower stud fee. Those who do their homework instead of listening to bad advice would have noticed that when searching for the best possible cross for their mare (if they can afford a high stud fee stallion).
May 16th, 2010 at 4:50 pm
Way to go!! As soon as Lucky got the Preakness, I thought No Belmont. Why? Doesn’t need it and that race is a killer as is that track. He’s proved he’s a champ through and through. I hurt for him this year with the way he was roughed up all the time and people getting on his case. I thought he’d get hurt or worse and was terrified. But what a tough guy he is. The way he took on that giant First Dude - Yeah, I really love this kid. And I thank his connections for taking care of Lucky and giving him some time off.
May 16th, 2010 at 5:25 pm
I have to admit I’m disappointed that neither the Derby nor the Preakness winner will be in the Belmont.
Certainly doing what’s best for the horse is paramount but I think LAL is at the top of this batch of three year olds and could win the Belmont and then have his vacation. I just hate seeing a Triple Crown race being shuffled off into irrelevancy.
May 16th, 2010 at 9:09 pm
ANOTHER BLOW TO NYRA,
May 17th, 2010 at 6:18 am
Just another reason why the sport is fading away……..
May 18th, 2010 at 9:57 am
QUOTE:Just another reason why the sport is fading away……..
I have more respect for a trainer and owner connections that actually care about their horses as well as the welfare of them than someone that thinks without him being in The Belmont it’s the death of horseracing..Personally,”Lookin At Lucky” isn’t suited for the Belmont,he ran an outstanding race for a 1/16 of a mile shorter than the Derby but I believe after a long haul as a two year old as well as his early three year old campaign,he’s proven himself.He deserves and has earned a rest but do you honestly believe after watching him that he can get a mile and a half,especially after the campaign he has had.I think it’s better for racing to see LAL bypass the Belmont than to go into the Belmont and lose.Everybody knows that there will be more than a few in the Belmont that will be coming into the race fresh,those that bypassed the Derby and Preakness only to run in the Belmont.
Obviously this poster has no clue as to how much a stretch dual can take out of a horse.It’s not like next week they can just say well we’ll NASCAR prepare him with high-octane oats !!!
I think LAL is an honest mile to a mile and a quarter horse and he can be great at those distances.He’ll win at a mile and a quarter but after watching him it will have to be a 100% clean trip to do it.Does it take anything from him,heck no,he’s still the class of the three year olds this year and I commend Baffert for doing what’s right for the horse and not for the so-called tradition.