Lucci tries to continue living up to namesake
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Mike Lucci was not only an All-Pro middle linebacker who played a dozen seasons in the National Football League, he also was well respected and known for helping those less fortunate than himself as well as being a regular guy who loved nothing more than spending a day at the racetrack. Unfortunately, Lucci died at 81 in October, but not before getting to see the horse named in his honor register an impressive debut victory last spring at Belmont Park.
Lucci, who is trained by Wesley Ward, will launch his 3-year-old campaign Wednesday at Gulfstream Park, taking on six rivals in a highly competitive $61,000 allowance dash carded at five furlongs on turf. The card also includes a $54,000 allowance test for Florida-bred fillies and mares, to be run at seven furlongs over the main track, and a $61,000 allowance race for 3-year-old fillies going five furlongs on Tapeta.
:: Access morning workout reports straight from the tracks and get an edge with DRF Clocker Reports
Lucci is owned in part by Andrew Farm, whose principal partner, Dick Brodie, was one of Mike Lucci’s closest friends.
“They had another name picked out for this colt, but I felt so highly about him when he was training last winter at Palm Meadows, I suggested to Dick that he name him after Mike, and he thought it was a great idea,” Ward recalled. “Mike was a total gentleman, a great guy, and he made several trips to the barn in the morning to watch his namesake train.”
Lucci was a three-length wire-to-wire winner launching his career last May at Belmont Park. The performance earned him a trip to Ascot for the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes, which he led until deep stretch before finishing fifth in a field of 15, beaten a length by winner Perfect Power.
“He was a winner until the last 10 jumps and then got swallowed up,” Ward said. “I was getting him ready for a race at Saratoga once he returned from Ascot, but he seemed a little stiff one morning after training so we just kicked him out for a break. He’s trained great since coming back, I love the post on Wednesday and expect him to run very well.”
Lucci breaks from the outside post on Wednesday with Tyler Gaffalione riding. Ward will take the blinkers off Lucci for his 3-year-old bow, as he does with the majority of his 2-year-olds turning 3 each season.
There is plenty of speed signed on for the headliner, including last-out maiden winners Pure Speight, Mogalu, and Classicstateofmind. The field also includes the stakes-tested trio of Hope in Him, Barone Cesco, and Tops the Chart.
All seven starters will race with Lasix for the first time. The fleet Hope in Him, an impressive winner of his career debut last spring, puts blinkers on for the first time while coming into the race off a bullet half-mile work in 46 seconds over the Tapeta surface here on Jan. 2 for trainer Joe Orseno. Neither Hope in Him nor Tops the Chart have any experience on turf.