NYRA/Chelsea Durand
By Sarah Mace
Owner Michael Dubb, trainer Rudy Rodriguez and jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. were having a good day at Aqueduct on Sunday by any measure when they sent out Court Dancer to victory the Broadway Stakes in the fifth race.
Three races later the day became twice as nice when the trio’s 4-year-old Good Luck Gus (Lookin At Lucky) got up just in time to win the inaugural running of the co-featured $100,000 Haynesfield Stakes at 1 1/16 miles. As icing on the cake, Royal Posse, also going out for Dubb and Rodriguez, ran second in the race under Junior Alvarado.
Good Luck Gus came into the Haynesfield no stranger to black type victories. Fed on a steady diet of stakes races ever since he broke his maiden at Saratoga in the slop second out on July 28, 2014, the colt won the New York Breeders’ Futurity at Finger Lakes and Damon Runyon Stakes as a juvenile, and the Albany Stakes at Saratoga as a sophomore.
After breaking cleanly from the outside post of six, Good Luck Gus settled in at the rail and saved ground through the first turn at the rear of the field, while Fox Rules set the pace, clocking the first half mile in 47.88. Eye Luv Lulu pressed in second.
Coming under encouragement entering the far turn and coming off the rail, Good Luck Gus advanced into fourth rounding the bend and launched his bid on the grandstand side.
In upper stretch the early frontrunners began to throw in the towel and Royal Posse, who had traveled in fourth, then third along the backstretch, advanced to poke a head in front of Fox Rules with three-sixteenths to go. Meanwhile Good Luck Gus continued his four wide charge and Ostrolenka launched a strong bid at the rail.
Still with a neck to make up on Royal Posse in the final sixteenth, Good Luck Gus lengthened his stride and overhauled his stablemate to garner the victory by a neck.
Ostrolenka finished third 1 1/4 lengths behind Royal Posse. They were followed across the line by Full of Mine, Fox Rules and Eye Luv Lulu. After a mile in 1:37.24, the final time for race was 1:43.76. Second choice in the betting, Good Luck Gus paid $7.90 to win. [VIDEO]
Ortiz said, “Both Royal Posse and [Good Luck Gus] were doing really well. In these kinds of races, anyone can win. My horse showed up at the end. Both of them ran a good race. They fought, and thank God, my horse won the race.”
Rudy Rodriguez said, “I told Irad after the last time he ran to warm him [Good Luck Gus] up good and hopefully we can be closer to the pace. The last time he ran we were a little bit more far back, but both of our horses ran big races so we’re very proud of both of them.”
The conditioner added, “Today’s win is extra special because Good Luck Gus is named after my brother and assistant [Gustavo]. We told Mr. Dubb we liked him when he first came to us and he picked out the name so I guess it’s worked and it’s a good name for him.
Michael Dubb who is the sole owner of Court Dancer, owns Good Luck Gus in partnership with Bethlehem Stables LLC and The Elkstone Group LLC. Dubb purchased the colt for $97,000 at the 2013 Fasig-Tipton preferred yearling sale from the Taylor Made consignment.
Bred by Fred W. Hertrich III and foaled at Majestic View Farms in Gardiner, Good Luck Gus is one of two winners out of Tacticmove, a daughter of Deputy Minister out of multiple Grade 1 winner Strategic Maneuver. The mare, who also is a half-sister to Group 3 turf winner Ishiguru (Ireland) and Grade 2 dirt route winner Cat Fighter, was purchased by Hertrich at the 2011 Keeneland November sale for $35,000 and has since been resold.
