Lookin At Lucky retired
For the sixth time in the last seven years, the 3-year-old champion colt will not race as a 4-year-old after it was announced yesterday that Lookin At Lucky has been purchased by Coolmore Farm and retired next year to Ashford Stud in Kentucky.
Trained by Bob Baffert, Lookin At Lucky was the 2-year-old champ of 2009. This year, he won the Rebel, was a troubled third in the Santa Anita Derby, finished sixth after a nightmare trip in the Kentucky Derby, but rebounded to win the Preakness, Haskell and Indiana Derby before finishing fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. The voting for the Eclipse Award as top 3-year-old of 2010 hasn’t been conducted yet, but Lookin At Lucky is a slam dunk to win it.
That will make him the first 2-year-old champion to repeat at 3 since Spectacular Bid in 1979.
The son of Smart Strike retires with a record of nine wins in 13 starts and earnings of $3.3 million. He joins Smarty Jones (2004), Afleet Alex (2005), Bernardini (2006), Big Brown (2008) and Summer Bird (2009) as champions that were sent to stud after their 3-year-old campaigns. Only Curlin (2007) raced again as a 4-year-old.
