J J's Lucky Train Prepares for Haskell

J J’s Lucky Train, a former claimer turned graded stakes winner, is set to give trainer Bill Anderson his first Resorts Haskell Invitational starter when the colt goes in the July 31 Grade 1 event at Monmouth Park.  In fact, it will be one year to the day when Anderson and Fresh Start Stable plunked down $40,000 (plus sales tax) to claim the son of Silver Train out of his debut.

“Obviously he’s turned out to be a good buy,” Anderson said.  “Right after we got him, I worked him on the turf and that almost turned out to be disastrous.  The dogs were out pretty far and he jumped one of them and almost tossed his rider.  Luckily nothing serious happened.”

Lucky indeed for his connections.  J J’s Lucky Train went on to win at Monmouth, Philly Park, Laurel and then took the Grade 3 Bay Shore Stakes at Aqueduct on April 9 – his last visit to the winner’s circle.

Since the Bay Shore score, J J was third in the Derby Trial (G3) at Churchill Downs and most recently second in the Woody Stephens (G2) at Belmont on June 11.

“He’s a very nice horse,” Anderson said.  “His mother was a stakes winner on turf and I always thought he’d be a nice turf horse, but after that one work on turf I was reluctant.”

That reluctance ended last Wednesday when Anderson shipped J J from his Parx headquarters in Bensalem, Pa., to Monmouth for a spin around the grass course.  He went the five furlongs in 1:03 4/5 with the dogs up.

“It was a real good work for him,” Anderson said.  “We’ll probably ship him over here on Monday and he’ll likely work again on the turf Wednesday.  He’ll train up to the race at Monmouth.”

From 10 lifetime starts, J J’s Lucky Train sports a record of 5-3-1 and earnings of $329,214.  He will have Paco Lopez, leading rider last year at Monmouth, in the irons for the mile and an eighth Resorts Haskell.