Showtime for groom Lalo Luna

Springtime is showtime for Eduardo “Lalo” Luna.

The groom behind two Triple Crown winners – American Pharoah in 2015 and Justify in 2018 – Luna could again leave his mark on the upcoming classics.

Luna, who is employed by trainer Bob Baffert, has one of his top prospects in action Sunday. Chasing Yesterday, a Grade 1-winning half-sister to American Pharoah, will start in the $200,000 Sunland Park Oaks. The race is a stepping-stone to the Kentucky Oaks.

Luna also is the groom for champion Game Winner and Improbable – both leading Kentucky Derby contenders who launched their 3-year-old seasons last week with runner-up finishes in split divisions of the Grade 2 Rebel at Oaklawn.

Luna’s approach with the promising young horses is the same philosophy he used with American Pharoah and Justify.

“When he’s bonding with a horse and interacting with a horse, he makes them happy,” said Humberto Gomez, the regular exercise rider for Justify who regularly gallops horses groomed by Luna. “That’s what he likes to do.”

Luna is a native of Colima, Mexico. He said growing up his family had a small farm with cattle. Luna followed his brother to Santa Anita in 2001 and started his racing career as a hotwalker for trainer Frank Monteleone. He advanced to the position of groom, working for trainers Ben Cecil and Josie Carroll before joining Baffert in April 2006.

American Pharoah took Luna on a magical racing ride and his eyes light up when he’s asked to talk about the horse’s personality.

“Oh – very, very happy,” Luna said. “When I would come inside the stall to put on bandages, I didn’t need to tie him up, put him on the wall. Easy horse.”

Luna said one of his favorite races from American Pharoah was the Rebel at Oaklawn. A downpour hit right before American Pharoah ran, and he overcame an awkward start to win by more than six lengths on a sprung, or displaced, shoe.

“I have one picture,” Luna said. “The leg’s up and the shoe’s out.”

Luna said Justify was a strong personality, and his favorite race from the horse was the Kentucky Derby, in part because of the history Justify made by being the first horse since 1882 to win the classic without racing at 2.

Luna lives in Southern California with his wife and children.