Lukas down to 40 horses

[blackthroatedwind]

Actually Lukas did make Azeri a champion in the minds of many fans. Before he got her she ran two very similar campaigns and pretty much beat up on the same mediocre horses in one slow race after another. Lukas, on the other hand, ran her in tougher spots and brought her act to NY where she showed what she was really made of. She is another horse who's true mettle was defined in defeat with her exceptionally valiant effort in the 1 1/4 mile Personal Ensign.

I'm not Lukas's biggest fan by any stretch of the imagination but he was a trailblazer in this game and to deny that is lunacy.

[Sightseek]

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

Actually Lukas did make Azeri a champion in the minds of many fans. Before he got her she ran two very similar campaigns and pretty much beat up on the same mediocre horses in one slow race after another. Lukas, on the other hand, ran her in tougher spots and brought her act to NY where she showed what she was really made of. She is another horse who's true mettle was defined in defeat with her exceptionally valiant effort in the 1 1/4 mile Personal Ensign.

I'm not Lukas's biggest fan by any stretch of the imagination but he was a trailblazer in this game and to deny that is lunacy.

I personally liked the fact that he sent her to the BCC too. She made a good showing that day in my opinion, there were some good (and one excellent) colts in that race. Day made a really smart move at the start of the race coming out of the gate and got a great position with her.

[blackthroatedwind]

Originally Posted by Sightseek

I personally liked the fact that he sent her to the BCC too. She made a good showing that day in my opinion, there were some good (and one excellent) colts in that race. Day made a really smart move at the start of the race coming out of the gate and got a great position with her.

She did run well that race but it is hard for me to defend a trainer who runs any horse in a race it has no chance in. Plus, personally, I wish she had run in the Distaff, which she would have dominated, as I never liked Ashado and wish she had denied her a BC win.

But, Lukas ran her in the tough campaign that had previously eluded her, and absolutely did her reputation an enormous amount of good. It seems to me a win in the Apple Blossom, Go For Wand and Spinster, along with her terrific second in the Personal Ensign, shaped her best campaign ever. And, as was previously pointed out, after her previous trainer claimed she had bowed.