Lucky Girl wins Lady of Shamrock Stakes

Joe Naiman

Village News Reporter

San Luis Rey Training Center filly Lucky Girl won the Lady of Shamrock Stakes race Jan. 30 at Santa Anita Park.

Lucky Girl, who is trained by Richard Baltas and was ridden by Joe Bravo, won the one-mile turf race for three-year-old fillies in 1:35.71. She finished 1 3/4 lengths ahead of second-place Island of Love.

"The whole idea was to get her to relax. She did that. She showed her talent," Baltas said.

Lucky Girl had not previously won a race. She was foaled in Ireland and made her racing debut at the Gowran Park track in Ireland July 24, 2021. She finished third in that race. Her American racing debut was at Santa Anita Oct. 9, and she finished seventh. She finished fifth in her other two races Nov. 27 at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club and Dec. 27 at Santa Anita. Her first timed workout at San Luis Rey was Dec. 12, and she had four subsequent timed workouts prior to the Lady of Shamrock Stakes.

Six fillies contested the Lady of Shamrock Stakes. Two of those are San Luis Rey horses; Travel Smart finished fourth in the race.

Shoppingforpharoah broke first and led both after a quarter of a mile and after half a mile. Bravo and Lucky Girl broke fourth. They were in the back a quarter of a mile into the race although only five lengths behind Shoppingforpharoah and half a length in back of fifth-place Travel Smart.

"She relaxed really well, and she finished up," Baltas said.

Half a mile into the race Lucky Girl was in fifth, trailing Shoppingforpharoah by two lengths and fourth-place Island of Love by half a length. Travel Smart and jockey Abel Cedillo dropped back to sixth, a length and a half behind Lucky Girl.

Bravo brought Lucky Girl into the lead during the next two furlongs. "He moved a little early," Baltas said.

"He did what he felt was right, and he did the right thing," Baltas said. "It was a good practical call by Joe. He took the lead and he kept going."

Baltas had anticipated Lucky Girl taking the lead later in the race but recognized that Bravo was more aware of the horse during the race. "I think she did really well because he got her to relax at the beginning. He knew he had horse underneath him," Baltas said.

The first three-quarters of a mile took Lucky Girl 1:11.35. She led second-place Shoppingforpharoah by half a length. Travel Smart was in fifth, 3 1/2 lengths behind Lucky Girl and a length in back of fourth-place Gold Dragon Queen.

Lucky Girl entered the stretch 1:23.39 after the start of the race. She had a 1 1/2-length lead over Island of Love, who had moved into second. Travel Smart was in fifth, six lengths in back of Lucky Girl and 1 1/2 lengths behind fourth-place Shoppingforpharoah.

Travel Smart overtook Shoppingforpharoah during the stretch and finished 2 1/4 lengths in front of Shoppingforpharoah. Travel Smart crossed the finish line 5 3/4 lengths behind Lucky Girl and 1 1/2 lengths in back of third-place Gold Dragon Queen, who is also trained by Baltas but not at San Luis Rey.

Lucky Girl was foaled April 5, 2019. She was sired by Exceed and Excel out of Abbey Angel. The total purse for the Lady of Shamrock Stakes was $80,300 inclu

The Santa Anita Park meet will close June 19. The 2022 Del Mar summer meet will begin July 22. Baltas plans to run Lucky Girl one or two more times during the Santa Anita meet but has not chosen her likely next race. "We'd like to have her ready for Del Mar," Baltas said. "I don't want to overrun her."