I'm a Looker stands out in Friday sprint feature

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Despite her solid record, I’m a Looker has never been favored in 11 career starts. Surely that will change when she drops into the allowance ranks in the Friday feature at Churchill Downs.

“I can’t see her getting beat if she runs the way she has been,” said Pat Dupuy, who trains I’m a Looker for Glenmare Farm. “She’s training great and tries every time, so we should be in good shape.”

Many bettors will be in agreement, as I’m a Looker, off a sharp third-place finish in the Grade 2 Raven Run at Keeneland, could be odds-on in a field of seven in the seventh of 10 Friday races, a $60,000, second-level allowance for 3-year-old fillies at six furlongs.

I’m a Looker, a Kentucky-bred by Henny Hughes, is the better half of Dupuy’s two-horse stable that consists entirely of 3-year-old fillies – Classy Corinthian, a winner here last week, is the other – and soon will head to his native New Orleans for the winter.

“I might claim another one before we go, but we’ll see,” said Dupuy, 58.

I’m a Looker will have Robby Albarado aboard when breaking from post 4 in the first of two allowances on a card that starts at the usual 12:40 p.m. Eastern. The ninth race is a $57,000, first-level turf marathon that drew an oversubscribed lineup of fillies and mares.

KEY CONTENDERS

I’m a Looker (Last 3 Beyers: 91-81-83)

◗ Beyer Speed Figure-wise and otherwise, she appears to tower over this group, especially if she comes anywhere close to duplicating her fast-closing Raven Run effort, in which she missed nailing the favored Bar of Gold by a couple of inches for second behind Sarah Sis.

Misleading Lady (Last 3 Beyers: 69-68-42)

◗ The layoff of nearly seven weeks and the rail draw might put her at a slight disadvantage, but few trainers on this circuit are enjoying a better year than Brad Cox, who won the Grade 2 Chilukki last weekend with Spelling Again and continues to set personal records.

Pleasant Tales (Last 3 Beyers: 53-48-75)

◗ You have to be a forgiving sort to overlook her last two races, but going back a little further, this Charles Fipke homebred has shown the ability to contend at this level, especially in view of the way she knocked out her first allowance condition here in the spring.

Rachel’s Ready (Last 3 Beyers: 72-53-62)

◗ The open-air outside box can afford jockey Julien Leparoux the kind of stalk-and-see trip to put this filly in the thick of things once the real running begins. Note the June 19 victory over this surface.