Luck Money ready for G3 Dowager at Keeneland
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Lael Stables’ Navy Goat, last seen scoring a neck maiden victory on September 14 at Kentucky Downs, could come under consideration for next Friday’s $120,000 Chelsey Flower, a 1 1/16-mile turf test for juvenile fillies, at the Belmont at the Big A fall meet.
Trained by Arnaud Delacour, the Florida-bred daughter of Army Mule rallied from fourth-of-12 after a troubled start in the one-mile maiden special weight over firm Kentucky Downs turf, taking a one-length advantage at the stretch call under Joel Rosario and holding off a late bid from Self Confident to graduate in a final time of 1:36.73. The effort came on the heels of a good third on debut sprinting five furlongs in August at Monmouth Park.
“She’s done very well and has good tactical speed,” said Delacour. “She was stretching [out] and she’ll need a mile or more. I’m very happy with her.”
Delacour said that he prefers to look at state-bred stakes at Gulfstream Park for Navy Goat’s next outing but will consider the Chelsey Flower as well.
“She’s Florida-bred, so there’s some restricted stakes next month,” said Delacour. “I’ll take a look at the Chelsey Flower though and see who is going and we’ll see.”
Delacour also provided an update on Catherine M. Wills’ consistent 5-year-old Luck Money, who will start in the Grade 3 Dowager on Sunday at Keeneland before she goes through the sales ring as a racing or broodmare prospect in the November sale at the Lexington oval.
A daughter of Lookin at Lucky, Luck Money finished second in the Dowager last year and will look to avenge her narrow half-length loss in what could be the final start of her career.
“She’s doing well, and she was second in this spot last year, so that’s right up her alley,” said Delacour. “It’s been great to have her; she’s been an overachiever. She was kind of a small yearling and then developed nicely through the years. She’s been very sound and ran at Kentucky Downs four years in a row. She’s consistent and always there, and we’ve been thrilled to have her. Those kinds of horses mean a lot.”
Luck Money found her best stride as a turf marathoner, hitting the board in her first 10 starts and earning her first stakes win in the 2020 Zagora traveling 1 1/2 miles over yielding turf at Belmont Park. She went on to earn five more stakes placings, including a runner-up finish in this year’s Grade 2 Sheepshead Bay going 1 3/8 miles at Belmont. Her record stands at 21-3-7-5 with earnings of $466,943.
Luck Money, who will sell as Hip 100 from the Timber Town consignment, is a half-sister to 2009 Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner Furthest Land. She is out of the unraced Rahy mare Flagrant, a half-sister multiple graded stakes winner and dual Group 1-placed Dynever.
NYRA Press Office
Photo: Luck Money just missed the win in the 2021 edition of the Dowager by 1/2 a length. Coady Photography
