Lookin At Lucky , the 2009 champion 2-year-old male and winner of the Preakness Stakes (gr. I), is being retired and will stand at Ashford Stud in 2011. He is also a leading contender for another Eclipse Award following further victories in the Haskell Invitational (gr. I) and Indiana Derby (gr. II).
The son of Smart Strike is the winner of nine of his 13 starts with earnings of $3,307,278. He was sound enough to race every month from July through December of 2009, racking up five victories, including the Best Pal Stakes (gr. II), Del Mar Futurity (gr. I), Norfolk Stakes (gr. I) and Cashcall Futurity (gr. I). The bay colt began 2010 with a victory in the Rebel Stakes (gr. II) at Oaklawn Park in his dirt debut.
Lookin At Lucky finished sixth as the favorite in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) during a troubled trip.
Trainer Bob Baffert said it is always difficult to lose a talented horse like Lookin At Lucky, but he was honored to be a part of his career. He was raced by owners Michael Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman.
"He retired sound," Baffert said. "We were going to run him again this year (in the Dec. 26 Malibu Stakes), but there were so many farms interested in him that the owners couldn't pass it up. It was a business decision.
"The horse never ran a bad race. He always showed up. Other than getting a little sick after the Haskell, he never had a setback. We had so many great moments with him and that's the reason you get in this business, to go all around the country and show him off. Even going to Hoosier Park for his last win was so much fun for all of us. We will have a lot of great memories."
Coolmore’s Demi O’Byrne called Lookin At Lucky "the most striking of individuals and he is without doubt the best stallion prospect I saw in America all year."
| 2009 Preakness Slideshow | |||
 Lookin At Lucky's Preakness. |
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His sire Smart Strike was the champion sire of 2007 and 2008 and Lookin At Lucky represents the Mr. Prospector/Danzig cross, as does Distorted Humor, one of the most accomplished stallions of the past decade. Lookin At Lucky’s dam Private Feeling also produced dual grade II winner Kensei. Private Feeling’s half sister Grand Charmer, winner of the grade III Pucker Up Stakes, is the second dam of another Eclipse Award winner in Wait A While. Lookin At Lucky’s third dam, Sharp Belle, was another grade I winner, successful in the Monmouth Oaks.
"The purchase of Lookin At Lucky underlines Coolmore's commitment to stay at the forefront of American breeding, and we couldn't be more delighted to add him to the team," said Dermot Ryan, Ashford Stud's mananger. "His race record is outstanding and his pedigree contains Mr. Prospector and Danzig, two of the most potent forces of the last 30 years or so."