Lookin At Lucky favored for 136th Kentucky Derby

By: SPORTS NETWORK

 

Louisville, KY (Sports Network) - Eclipse Award winner Lookin At Lucky has been installed as the 3-1 morning-line favorite for Saturday's 136th running of the Kentucky Derby. The $2 million Run for the Roses is the first jewel in racing's Triple Crown.

Contested at a distance 1 1/4-miles, the Kentucky Derby will have a full field of 20 three-year-olds, 19 colts or geldings and one filly.

Lookin At Lucky and 5-1 second choice Sidney's Candy will bookend the field, with the favorite starting from post one and the second pick on the far outside.

The role of favorite fell to Lookin At Lucky, the 2009 champion two-year-old colt, only after the withdrawal of leading contender Eskendereya from the race. Eskendereya has an injured left front leg.

Trained by Bob Baffert, Lookin At Lucky will start from the unenviable inside post with regular rider Garrett Gomez in the saddle.

Owned by Karl Watson, Mike Pegram and Paul Weltman, Lookin At Lucky has won six of eight career starts for more than $1.5 million. Lookin At Lucky was second to Vale of York in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile last November, but came back to win the CashCall Futurity the following month at Hollywood Park.

This year he won the Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park, but finished a troubled third to Sidney's Candy in the Santa Anita Derby with Setsuko second.

Baffert also has Sunland Derby runner-up Conveyance entered Saturday. The gray colt, 12-1 in the program, will start from post 12 with Martin Garcia riding.

Owned by Zabeel Racing, Conveyance won the Southwest at Oaklawn Park this year after a victory in the San Rafael Stakes at Santa Anita. The three-year-old has earned $430,400 with four wins in five career starts.

"It's always exciting when you have a horse that has a chance, or you think he has a chance," Baffert said. "We have two nice horses."

Baffert has saddled Kentucky Derby winners three times -- Silver Charm (1997), Real Quiet (1998) and War Emblem (2002).

Santa Anita Derby winner Sidney's Candy is owned by the Sid and Jenny Craig Trust and will be ridden by Joe Talamo from post 20. Last year, Talamo was to ride the favorite I Want Revenge in the Derby until the colt was scratched the morning of the race.

Trained by John Sadler, Sidney's Candy is the winner of four of six lifetime starts. He has career earnings of $673,560, which includes victories this year in the San Vicente and San Felipe Stakes.

Another runner trained by Sadler is Arkansas Derby champ Line of David. Owned by Ike and Dawn Thrash, the chestnut colt will ridden by Rafael Bejarano from post five and is 30-1.

Line of David has won three of six starts for $662,000. The Kentucky Derby will be just his second career stakes appearance.

Churchill Downs oddsmaker Mike Battaglia has made Awesome Act, Ice Box and the filly Devil May Care the co-third choices at 10-1.

Devil May Care is trained by Todd Pletcher, who will be seeking his first ever Kentucky Derby win with four horses entered. The four-time Eclipse Award winner, who would also have had Eskendereya in the field, will send out Louisiana Derby winner Mission Impazible, Arkansas Derby runner-up Super Saver and Risen Star winner Discreetly Mine in addition to Devil May Care. Pletcher has previously started 24 horses in the Run for the Roses with no success.

"I think she (Devil May Care) fits well in the race (Derby)," Pletcher noted. Her races are competitive with colts, she has tremendous mechanics and she figures to very much like the distance."

Three fillies have come away with the garland of roses on the first Saturday in May -- Regret (1915), Genuine Risk (1980) and Winning Colors (1988). In 2008 Eight Belles finished second to Big Brown in the race, but suffered a pair of broken ankles immediately after the finish and had to be euthanized on the track.

Here is the complete field for the Kentucky Derby in post position order: Lookin At Lucky, 3-1, Garrett Gomez; Ice Box, 10-1, Jose Lezcano; Noble's Promise, 12-1, Willie Martinez; Super Saver, 15-1, Calvin Borel; Line of David, 30-1, Rafael Bejarano; Stately Victor, 30-1, Alan Garcia; American Lion, 30-1, David Flores; Dean's Kitten, 50-1, Robby Albarado; Make Music for Me, 50-1, Joel Rosario; Paddy O'Prado, 20-1, Kent Desormeaux; Devil May Care, 10-1, John Velazquez; Conveyance, 12-1, Martin Garcia; Jackson Bend, 15-1, Mike Smith; Mission Impazible, 20-1, Rajiv Maragh; Discreetly Mine, 30-1, Javier Castellano; Awesome Act, 10-1, Julien Leparoux; Dublin, 12-1, Terry Thompson; Backtalk, 50-1, Miguel Mena; Homeboykris, 50-1, Ramon Dominguez and Sidney's Candy, 5-1, Joe Talamo.

The 19 colts and geldings will each carry 126 pounds and Devil May Care gets a five pound break to 121.

The weather forecast calls for a 20 percent chance of rain on Friday and 40 percent on Saturday.

Post-time for the Kentucky Derby is scheduled for 6:10 p.m. (et) and will be broadcast on NBC.