OCEANPORT, N.J.
Trainer Bob Baffert has been psyched all week, confident his Preakness winner Lookin At Lucky is ready to run another big race in the $1 million Haskell Invitational on Sunday.
Then came the post-position draw.
"Bob, he drew No. 1," Monmouth Park track announcer Larry Colmus told Baffert during a conference call yesterday.
"I think his name jinxed him all his life," Baffert said. "Thanks for the call ... you guys just ruined my morning."
It's easy to see why Baffert's confidence might be shaken. The last time Lookin At Lucky left from the No. 1 post was in the Kentucky Derby, where he was promptly roughed up by other horses twice, nearly went down once, but managed to finish sixth.
In the Preakness, the 3-year-old colt drew lucky No. 7, had a new rider in Martin Garcia replacing Garrett Gomez, and enjoyed a perfect trip in his three-quarter length victory.
"His biggest problem in races is the draw," Baffert said of his bay colt who has won twice from the rail and once from the No. 2 post. "He's the most poorly drawn horse I've ever had. Sometimes he overcomes it and sometimes he doesn't, but he's a really good horse."
Despite the unfavorable post, Lookin At Lucky is the 5-2 morning-line favorite over Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver and rising star Trappe Shot. Both are 3-1 in what shapes up as a deep Haskell fields.
Rounding out the field of eight 3-year-olds are Derby runner-up Ice Box (9-2), Preakness runner-up First Dude (6-1), Pegasus winner Afleet Again (12-1) and 15-1 long shots Uptowncharlybrown and Our Dark Knight.
"It's really a blend of all the horses that had been running great in the classics, plus the new shooters," said Todd Pletcher, Super Saver's trainer.
Hall of Fame trainer Nick Zito sends out Ice Box and Our Dark Knight.
"This is the toughest Haskell I've seen," he said.
Trappe Shot, trained by Kiaran McLaughlin, comes into the 1 1/8-mile Haskell with a four-race winning streak, including the Long Branch at Monmouth, but is running in his first graded stake.
"He's the ‘now' horse," McLaughlin said, "but he's never run against Grade 1 horses. We do know he likes the track, and he should handle the distance."
Super Saver comes in after a lackluster eighth-place finish in the Preakness. Pletcher said his colt has been training extremely well, has put on weight, and looks "in great form."
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