Lookin At Lucky Targeting Indiana Derby

Lookin At Lucky will run in the Oct. 2 Indiana Derby if he works well next week

Lookin At Lucky , who has not run since suffering an illness following his victory in the Haskell Invitational (gr. I) Aug. 1, will make his next start in the $500,000 Indiana Derby (gr. III) at Hoosier Park Oct. 2 if he turns in a big work next week, trainer Bob Baffert said.

“If Lucky works very well he will start in Indiana Derby,” Baffert said. “He looks really well now and is back on track. That should set him up for the (Breeders' Cup) Classic (gr. I, Nov. 6).”

Lookin At Lucky has had his share of bad racing luck this year, but under new jockey Martin Garcia the son of Smart Strike has scored back-to-back victories in the Preakness (gr. I) and Haskell.

In the latter, he demonstrated a powerful turn of foot to defeat a deep, talented field by four lengths. Last year’s 2-year-old champion captured the Rebel Stakes (gr. II) earlier this year, despite having to take up sharply on the backstretch, and was third in the Santa Anita Derby (gr. I) after another troubled trip.