One Lucky Dane Impresses in 3-Year-Old Debut

After a disappointing sixth-place performance in last year's Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I), One Lucky Dane made his return to the Santa Anita Park oval a memorable one March 19.



In a mile allowance/optional claiming event Thursday afternoon, the Bob Baffert-trained 3-year-old owned by Michael Lund Peterson blew away a field of four other horses to win by 9 3/4 lengths in gate-to-wire fashion .



One Lucky Dane finished the mile in 1:35.48, and it didn't take long afterward for Baffert to hint at bigger things for the Lookin At Lucky   colt, but he would not indicate when he might race next.



"We were hoping he'd do something like that," Baffert said. "We were disappointed after the Breeders' Cup, so we gave him that time off to freshen him up...I almost took him (to the Sunland Derby), but I just wanted to get him a race here first. I figured this would prep him for something pretty big."



With leading jockey Rafael Bejarano aboard, the Kentucky-bred left the gate at 2-5 odds, set the pace with fractions of :23.89 for the quarter-mile, :47.84 for the half, and 1:11.34 through six furlongs, then pulled away impressively.

"There was no competition for him today," Bejarano said. "He was just breezing the whole way and he was much the best."



Out of the Boston Harbor mare Echo Harbor, One Lucky Dane entered the Juvenile after breaking his maiden in his third try Oct. 4 at Santa Anita. The colt was bred by Woodford Thoroughbreds, who sold him as yearling for $490,000 out of the 2013 Keeneland September sale to Bernie Schiappa.

Baffert also drew attention four races later, when he won a mile maiden special weight race with first-time starter Whiskey Ticket at odds of 14-1 .



Hustled out of the gate immediately by jockey Martin Pedroza, the 3-year-old Ghostzapper   colt set fast fractions at :22.77 for the quarter-mile, :46.34 for the half, and 1:10.47 for six furlongs.



What was most impressive, however, was what happened in the stretch, when the colt owned by Karl Watson, Mike Pegram, and Paul Weitman lost the lead to 8-5 second choice Moe Candy, then battled back on the rail to win by a head, covering the mile in 1:36.13.



Bred in Kentucky by Springland Farm and Adena Springs out of Honey Grove, by Gilded Time, Whiskey Ticket was a $200,000 purchase at the Keenland 2013 September Yearling Sale.