Lucky Move turns tables on Mrs. Orb in Bay Ridge

By Melissa Bauer-Herzog

Vengeance was sweet for Lucky Move when she turned the tables on Mrs. Orb to win Sunday’s $100,000 Bay Ridge Stakes, defeating that rival a year on from losing by a nose to the same horse in the same New York-bred stakes.

The 9-furlong Bay Ridge was the second straight stakes victory for the 6-year-old Lookin At Lucky mare, who was last seen winning the $175,000 Empire Distaff Handicap on Empire Showcase Day Oct. 24 at Belmont Park.

Breaking from the inside post, Lucky Move raced a few lengths off the leading Singular Sensation in the four-horse field. Only a few lengths covered the lot as Lucky Move raced alongside Firenze Freedom down the backstretch. As they turned into the stretch Lucky Move was searching for a hole behind the dueling duo of Singular Sensation and Mrs. Orb. As Firenze Freedom came back from her own challenge to the leaders, Kendrick Carmouche piloted her through the gap that was created to make her own move.

In what must have been deja vu for Lucky Move’s connections, she was given the task of chasing down Mrs. Orb again as Singular Sensation started to fade. Time was running out for Lucky Move as they approached the line but she was able to get up in the final strides to win by half-length. Singular Sensation finished 1 1/2 lengths back in third and three-quarters in front of Firenze Freedom. Lucky Move won in 1:56.54 over the fast track.

“It was a different result this year,” Carmouche said after being aboard for last year’s loss. “I had that nose in mind from last year when I lost this race. I knew it was going to be slow up front. I just had to sit, wait and bide my time. My horse ran very well. [Trainer] Juan Carlos Guerrero had this horse ready to run.”

Claimed by Ten Strike Racing’s Marshall Gramm in late April 2019, Lucky Move has thrived in the New York-bred program. Finishing third in her first stakes attempt in August 2019, she’s been a consistent runner in the stakes program, finishing first or second in all her attempts at the level since that run in the Saratoga Dew Stakes.

Lucky Move, a $57,000 purchase at the 2015 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October yearling sale, boosted her earnings to $429,759 Sunday. Lucky Move also posted her third stakes victory in six months, along with the listed Obeah Stakes in June at Delaware Park.

Bred by Maltese Cross Stables and Stonegate Stables LLC and foaled at Stonegate Stables in Fort Edward, Lucky Move is out of the winning Quiet American mare Quiet Mover. Quiet Mover has spent her whole broodmare career foaling New York-breds. That mare’s youngest is a Tapiture 2-year-old named Double David, who made his debut only 15 minutes before his half-sister won the Bay Ridge Stakes.

Lucky Move could be out to get more revenge next month with Gramm saying after the Empire Distaff that she would also be pointed to the Ladies Handicap this winter.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2020/12/13/lucky-move-turns-tables-on-mrs-orb-in-bay-ridge/

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