Got Lucky Wins the Juddmonte Spinster Stakes

Representing the last “Win and You’re In” for the Breeders' Cup Distaff, the Grade 1 Juddmonte Spinster Stakes proved to be an elite prelude to the World Championships at Keeneland Racecourse. After a thrilling stretch drive it was Got Lucky who made the most of the opportunity with a narrow victory over Untapable and Yahilwa.

Rain and cold temperatures created off tracks for both of the first two days of the meet, and symbolized the gloom of three horrible tragedies that struck the track Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning. Entering Sunday’s card, the racing community was still in mourning, but the skies broke, the temperatures raised, and like a great omen the bluegrass hills of Lexington, Kentucky, soaked up the sunshine of the autumn day. By the time the horses were racing again, the dirt was fast, with fans and horsemen alike were looking forward to the fall season of the Breeders' Cup.

Defending Distaff champion Untapable entered the race as the morning line favorite in a field of nine very solid fillies and mares. Other possible Distaff contenders entered were the Kentucky Oaks winner Lovely Maria, the very talented Got Lucky, and the very diverse Fleur De Lis winner, Frivolous. The latter was coming in off a summer layoff with a crushing eight length win in the Locust Grove to begin her fall campaign.

The field of nine broke alertly and fairly as they travelled down the stretch the first time for the nine furlong contest. Lovely Maria broke the quickest of all, and settled into a half length lead with a bunched pack on her flank. Pressed to opening fractions of 23.62 for the quarter mile, and 46.89 in the half, Lovely Maria continued to lead heading into the far turn.

Lovely Maria’s class kept her battling through the turn as Untapable and longshot Yahilwa eventually drew past the pace setter to make their moves toward the finish. Back and forth these two would go, unaware of the move coming from behind. Sent on their runs together, Frivolous and Got Lucky began moving in unison through the tiring field around the turn and into the stretch. Under heavy urging from Jon Court, Frivolous gave a fine effort in chase, but did not show the explosiveness she did in the Locust Grove. Got Lucky, however, seemed to have built off her second place finish in the Personal Ensign, and under a quick left handed whip from Irad Ortiz, Jr., she surged and set sights on Untapable and Yahilwa.

“I could tell she [Got Lucky] was running,” said trainer Todd Pletcher, “and I was just hoping she wasn’t going to run out of ground.”

Taking all nine furlongs to get the job done, Got Lucky got up just in time to get a head in front of the dueling duo at the wire with all three horses separated by less than half of a length.

Stopping the clock in 1:49.44 and paying $9.20 to win, the Spinster brought the 2015 record of A.P. Indy’s 4-year-old daughter to 7: 4-2-0, and stamped her ticket to the Distaff on the same course and distance in less than 4 weeks time.

When asked about why Got Lucky’s 4-year-old season has proven to be so much more successful than last year, Pletcher said, “She’s a stronger filly and she’s carried her weight so well. She’s just a bigger stronger filly than she was last year.” The Juddmonte Spinster was Got Lucky’s first Grade 1 win and will go a long way to making her one of the favorites in what looks to be a very competitive Breeders' Cup Distaff field. Some of the other horses expected to start in the Breeders’ Cup include I’m a Chatterbox, Sheer Drama, Wedding Toast, My Sweet Addiction, Stellar Wind, Peace and War, Stopchargingmaria, and Curalina.