Pimlico: Jane's Luck leads wire to wire

Jane's Luck remained unbeaten in three lifetime starts when he wired five Maryland-bred 3-year-old rivals in the $75,000 Deputed Testamony Stakes at Pimlico.

Ridden by Jozbin Santana for trainer James Lawrence, Jane's Luck was comfortably in front through fractions of 47.79 seconds for a half-mile and 1:12.66 for six furlongs. His task was made easier when the saddle slipped on Water Cannon, the 4-5 favorite, early in the race, just as he was about to go after Jane's Luck on the backstretch.

Jockey Ryan Fogelsonger managed to hang on and launched a rally with Water Cannon to cut into Jane's Luck's four-length lead inside the eighth pole. But at the wire, Jane's Luck held on by a half-length and Andiamo rallied to edge Water Cannon by a head for second. The time for 1 1/16 miles over a sloppy track was 1:46.73.

Water Cannon's trainer, Linda Albert, said it was difficult to tell how much the incident with the slipped saddle hurt Water Cannon's chances.

"After the saddle slipped, Ryan could not get him to relax and settle down. I don't know if that was the biggest problem," Albert said.

Lawrence, who trains Jane's Luck at Fair Hill Training Center in North East, Md., said the 3-year-old could be headed to Colonial Downs for the Virginia Derby.

"The first time I worked this horse I told the owner that we had a derby horse," Lawrence said. "We're hoping the Virginia Derby is going to be our derby. We're a little behind schedule, but he's just a beautiful horse."