Letsgetlucky has questions to answer – but speed and talent aren't among them

ARCADIA, Calif. – Speed sometimes needs to be rationed, other times exploited. A pair of front-runners will aim for the sweet spot in separate races Friday at Santa Anita.

Letsgetlucky could be tough in the featured seventh race, an allowance for California-bred 3-year-olds at six furlongs on turf. His chance depends on how he handles the new footing and his ability to slow down after having set fast fractions his first two starts – a maiden win and a stakes third.

“Both times we didn’t do what we wanted to do,” trainer Brian Koriner said. He wanted the colt to stalk and pounce, but both times he shot to the lead. “He drew the inside, so we had to send him. We knew he was fast, but nobody really wants to send.”

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After twice drawing post 2, Letsgetlucky moves to post 7 on Friday as likely favorite in the eight-runner field. His rivals include better-than-looked maiden winner Cibertruck and front-runner/pace-presser Jazz Hands.

Royal O’Haigain should be tough in her career debut in the second race, for maiden 2-year-old fillies at 4 1/2 furlongs. Her works are fast, she has speed, and trainer Luis Mendez can crank them up. Mendez also starts well-regarded Ko Olina.

“Royal O’Haigain is ahead of her,” Mendez said, comparing the two. “Ko Olina is a couple works behind. She’s nice, maybe even better, but later on. I don’t think she’s going to be able to keep up with” Royal O’Haigain.

A team gate work Monday supports his opinion. Ko Olina broke first, but Royal O’Haigain sped to the lead and blazed three furlongs in 34 seconds. Ko Olina was timed in 34.80. Rivals for the Mendez duo include fast worker Harddiane, Miss Bellatrix and Infinite Love. Seven entered.

The richest race Friday is the California-bred turf allowance, and Letsgetlucky changes surface following a third in the productive Echo Eddie Stakes. Winner The Chosen Vron won an age-restricted Grade 3 next out; runner-up Good With People returned to defeat older allowance horses; seventh-place None Above the Law won an age-restricted California-bred stakes next out.

Letsgetlucky drops in class Friday, with a pedigree that supports turf. Sired by Munnings, Letsgetlucky was produced by My Cinsation, who won all three of her turf sprints in an abbreviated four-start career. However, Letsgetlucky could be vulnerable Friday.

“He’s a heavy horse, and horses like him are not necessarily grass horses,” Koriner acknowledged. “Big, heavy horses that run on grass, there’s only a handful of them.”

Furthermore, the recent work pattern for Letsgetlucky is noticeably different. Following his Feb. 26 debut victory, Letsgetlucky resumed workouts nine days later. Following his April 3 third in the Echo Eddie, Letsgetlucky did not work for four weeks.

“I had to give him a little time after his last race,” Koriner said. “He’s had just three so-so works coming into this.”

Umberto Rispoli rides Letsgetlucky, whose outside post provides an option other than the pedal-to-the-metal strategy in his first two starts.

“He’s probably going to lay off,” Koriner said. “He has enough natural speed to lay right where he needs to be.”

Otherwise, the pace scenario in race 7 is muddled.

Jazz Hands has speed and should like turf; he is by Square Eddie. Cibertruck rallied from behind in both his starts, a debut fourth and a better-than-looked maiden win last out in which he overcame an uncomfortable trip. Rocktillyoudrop wheels back six days after finishing third in a starter-allowance turf sprint.

The California-bred allowance could produce starters for the $175,000 Real Good Deal Stakes on July 30 at Del Mar, a California-bred 3-year-old sprint being targeted by The Chosen Vron.

The 2-year-old maiden race Friday could produce runners for the $75,000 Fasig-Tipton Debutante Stakes on June 20, closing day at Santa Anita. While Mendez-trained Royal O’Haigain might be the horse to beat in the maiden race, Mendez-trained Big City Lights is the presumptive favorite for the Fasig-Tipton Debutante.

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Big City Lights won her debut by more than 12 lengths on May 2, running 4 1/2 furlongs in a blazing 51.63 seconds. The next start for Big City Lights will be finalized after a discussion with owner William Peeples, but Mendez said, “I’m pretty sure we’re going to stay here.”

Mendez is the circuit’s most active trainer of early 2-year-olds, having started six already, including Big City Lights, three runners-up, and a third-place finisher. Mendez trains 20 2-year-olds.

Rivals for the Mendez fillies Friday include Harddiane, a filly by Hard Spun who showed gate speed in a three-way team drill May 9. Ryan Hanson trains Harddiane, whose rider is Emily Ellingwood. Hanson and Ellingwood teamed to win the season’s first 2-year-old race on April 30 with the filly Big Treat.