Bronzed Wins Battle With Sombeyay in Lookin At Lucky
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Photo: Taylor Ejdys/Equi-Photo
Bronzed (inside) gets a nose in front of Sombeyay to take the Lookin At Lucky Stakes at Monmouth Park
Racing for the first time as a gelding, Michael Dubb and Bethlehem Stables' Bronzed earned a hard-fought first stakes victory, battling through the stretch and to the wire to win the $75,000 Lookin At Lucky Stakes by a nose June 2 at Monmouth Park.
Bronzed has won three of four starts since being claimed in a Dec. 7 race at Gulfstream Park. The son of Fed Biz came into the Lookin At Lucky off a fifth-place finish in the Roar Stakes at Gulfstream.
"You'd have to think gelding him made a difference," trainer Jason Servis said. "He got the job done. He broke good. I left it to Nik (Juarez). He broke good and went on.
"This horse, if you look who he was running against (as a 2-year-old maiden)—Mind Control, Uncle Benny, Joevia—there were a couple of key horses that Michael Dubb said we should watch. That's why he claimed him."
Soon after the break in the six-furlong stakes for 3-year-olds, it was clear that a three-way battle for the lead would not end quickly as favored The Big S, Bronzed, and Sombeyay battled for contention. Bronzed led by a head through a quarter-mile in :22.20 as they raced three across down the backstretch. Sombeyay led by a head at the half-mile mark, timed in :44.98, as The Big S faltered slightly.
By the time the field was in the stretch, Sombeyay and jockey Joe Bravo still had a slight lead over Bronzed and Juarez. Finishing in a final time of 1:10.07 and just a nose apart, Bronzed and Sombeyay were 5 1/2 lengths ahead of The Big S, who held third by another 5 1/2 lengths.
"Being a first-time gelding, Jason did a terrific job making that call," Juarez said. "I was lucky I out-broke Sir Truebador. That horse goes :21.1 and :45 on the dirt. I told Jason if I can out-break him and squeeze him out early, I'll do so. Luckily, we were able to have the upper hand, and we were able to get the jump on him. Other than that, we still had to battle it out the whole way. At the wire, Joe Bravo turned and said, 'Great ride, Nik.' To be head and head for as long as we were down the stretch with Joe Bravo at Monmouth Park, it makes you really appreciate it when you win."
Bred in Kentucky by Lyn Burleson and Mike Burleson, Bronzed is the second stakes winner for his dam, Bronze Route.