Santa Anita Derby among One Lucky Dane’s options

ARCADIA, Calif. – One Lucky Dane may have earned a start in the $1 million Santa Anita Derby on April 4 after winning his 3-year-old debut in a first-level optional $80,000 claimer at Santa Anita on Thursday.

Ridden by Rafael Bejarano, One Lucky Dane ($2.80) led throughout and pulled away from four rivals to win by 9 3/4 lengths over Harmonic in 1:35.48. He earned a career-best 96 Beyer Speed Figure.

On Friday, trainer Bob Baffert said the Santa Anita Derby is one of three options for One Lucky Dane, along with the $1 million Wood Memorial at Aqueduct on April 4 and the $250,000 Lexington Stakes at Keeneland on April 11.

“I’ll wait a week or so and see how he comes out of it,” Baffert said.

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One Lucky Dane was sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile here last November and did not start again until Thursday.

“We gave him time off after the Breeders’ Cup,” Baffert said. “He had little things, nothing major. I just backed off and left him here.”

Owned by Michael Lund Petersen, One Lucky Dane has won 2 of 5 starts and $92,400.