Servis may have Derby prospect in Lucky Lee

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Trainer John Servis would appear to have his contender for the Kentucky Oaks in Jaywalk. He hopes to have a horse for the Kentucky Derby as well.

One of his Derby prospects could be Lucky Lee, who will make his next start in the Grade 3, $250,000 Withers Stakes on Feb. 2 at Aqueduct.

Lucky Lee, a son of Flatter out of the Medaglia d’Oro mare Rigoletta, has won two consecutive races going a two-turn mile at Parx Racing. On Oct. 14, he sat a stalking second before taking over 3 1/2 furlongs from home and scoring by 5 1/2 lengths. On Nov. 17, he went gate to wire to take a first-level allowance race by six lengths.

Lucky Lee is owned by Cash is King Stables, which owns part of Jaywalk as well as the undefeated 3-year-old Maximus Mischief, the latter trained by Butch Reid.

Servis said the Withers, at 1 1/8 miles, makes sense for Lucky Lee from a distance and timing perspective.

“He’s relished going two turns, I want to keep it that way,” Servis said. “Just timing-wise, I thought it would hit him right in the head.”

Lucky Lee finished sixth when he sprinted in his debut, also at Parx.

“Little immature, and it was a little too short, but it was a good starting point for him,” Servis said.

Lucky Lee is based at the Palm Meadows training center, where on Monday he worked six furlongs in 1:14.15 over the main track. Servis said Luis Saez was up for that move.

“Thought he went great, good splits the whole way, pretty much 12 [seconds] every eighth and galloped out super,” Servis said.

Servis said Lucky Lee would continue to train at Palm Meadows before being flown to New York a few days before the race.

In preparation for the Withers, Moretti, a maiden winner here Dec. 20, worked a half-mile in 50.22 seconds Thursday morning over Belmont’s training track. He worked in company with Call Me, and the two came home in 24.84.

Others being considered for the Withers include Jerome 1-2 finishers Mind Control and Our Braintrust, Remsen third-place finisher Tax, and Damon Runyon Stakes winner Not That Brady.