Castellano learns how to make Luck Money winner in Zagora

ELMONT, N.Y. - Javier Castellano finished third on Luck Money when he rode her in the Dueling Grounds Oaks seven weeks ago at Kentucky Downs. While he didn’t win on her that day, Castellano felt he learned how to ride the filly and it paid off when he rode her for a second time in Saturday’s $80,000 Zagora Stakes at Belmont Park.

Sitting an up-close fourth early on, Luck Money inherited the lead at the three-sixteenths pole, then fended off a late run from Hungry Kitten to win the Zagora by a neck. It was another neck back to favored Mutamakina in third. She was followed, in order, by Lucky Stride, Cap de Creus, Lemon Zip, Olympic Games, and Beau Belle.

The win was the third from 10 starts for Luck Money, a 3-year-old daughter of Lookin At Lucky owned and bred by Catherine Willis and trained by Arnaud Delacour.

In the Dueling Grounds Oaks, Castellano had Luck Money in seventh place early, though only four lengths off the lead. She made a mid-race challenge toward the leaders, but ultimately finished third, beaten 1 1/4 lengths by Micheline.

“She doesn’t have to be far back, she doesn’t have to be too close, she has to get in a nice good rhythm and that’s what I was looking for today,” Castellano said.

Castellano had Luck Money within three lengths of the pacesetting Beau Belle while three wide and in the clear. At the three-eighths pole, Beau Belle abruptly stopped and Lemon Zip became the new leader while Luck Money moved into second. Lemon Zip tired turning for home and Luck Money was in front with three-sixteenths of a mile to run. Castellano had to stay busy on the filly, who dug back in when Hungry Kitten far behind made a five-wide rally in the lane under Jose Ortiz.

Luck Money covered the 1 1/2 miles over a yielding Widener turf course in 2:36.42 and returned $17.80 as the fifth choice in the nine-horse field.

Castellano said when Luck Money made the lead “she got a little lonely. When she felt that horse on the outside of her, she kept digging in to the wire.”

Delacour, who watched the race from Maryland, where he is based, said his biggest concern was the yielding turf, “but it didn’t seem to bother her today,” he told the NYRA publicity staff. “I was hoping she could get there. The mile-and-a-half was an unknown, but she was determined.”