Walking Around ‘Lucky’

After turning the tables on Moreno (Ghostzapper) in dramatic fashion in Saratoga’s GI Woodward S. Aug. 30, Trilogy Stable and Laurie Plesa’s Itsmyluckyday (Lawyer Ron) will somewhat surprisingly cut back in distance for today’s GII Kelso H. at Belmont Park. The versatile dark bay, second in the GI Whitney H. Aug. 2, has two wins at the Kelso’s mile distance, including a 1 1/2-length decision over Bradester (Lion Heart) in Monmouth’s GIII Salvator Mile S. July 6. 

“We know he can go a mile, and last year he finished second [in the GI Preakness S.] at 1 3/16 miles and he’s a lot bigger and stronger than he was in the Preakness,” trainer Eddie Plesa Jr. said of the 4-5 morning-line favorite. “We have options, and after the race we’ll make some decisions. The [GI Breeders’ Cup] Classic is definitely on the radar.” 

Other possible future targets for Itsmyluckyday include the GI Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile or GI Cigar Mile at Aqueduct. Itsmyluckyday would have to be supplemented to compete in the Breeders’ Cup–$120,000 for the Dirt Mile or $200,000 for the Classic. 

The streaking River Rocks (Western Pride) looks to make it a perfect four-for-four since transferring to trainer John Terranova this season. The dark bay was last seen posting a sharp wire-to-wire victory in an $80,000 optional claimer going 6 1/2 furlongs at Saratoga Aug. 31, good for a career-high Beyer of 110. 

Golden Ticket (Speightstown), second in the 2013 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Santa Anita, ended a nine-race losing streak with a well-timed win over track and trip in the Left Bank S. Sept. 5. 

The aforementioned Bradester enters off a popular win in Churchill’s GIII Ack Ack H. Sept. 6.