Lucy N Ethel Seeks Stakes Success in Old Hat

You might hear people saying, “I Love Lucy,” a lot around Ramon Preciado’s stable, but the words of endearment won’t have anything to do with the iconic situation comedy starring Lucille Ball and Vivian Vance.

Unlike her namesakes, Lucy N Ethel avoids becoming involved in scatter-brain high jinks, winning the hearts of Preciado and his staff by conducting herself with poise and keeping her mind on the business of winning races.

J A G Racing and Jettany Thoroughbred Corp.’s Lucy N Ethel, who has won her only two races impressively, is entered to seek success in her stakes debut in Saturday’s $100,000 Old Hat (G3) at Gulfstream Park. The Pennsylvania-bred filly is slated to clash with five newly turned 3-year-olds fillies in the six-furlong sprint.

“I had two sisters and one brother, and they were very good,” Preciado said. “She showed me from the beginning she was fast. She has a really nice attitude and nice to work with. When she started breezing, she showed she was fast.”

Lucy N Ethel debuted at Parx Racing with a front-running length triumph in 6 ½-furlong maiden race for Pennsylvania-bred fillies Nov. 16. The homebred filly joined open company in a first-level six-furlong allowance at the Philadelphia-area track Dec. 8, cavorting to a 13 ¼-length score.

“The first time she ran, she showed she could run, but I never thought she was ready for 6 ½ furlongs. The second time she ran three-quarters, I thought she would run good but I never expected her to run that great.”

In addition to her high cruising speed, one of Lucy N Ethel’s best attributes is her professionalism.

“She always showed she was going to be a nice filly, but I never push them too much. She’s got such a good attitude,” Preciado said. “This is a horse you don’t have to do too much with. She trains herself. I always say, ‘Nice horses train themselves.’”

Preciado, the leading trainer at Parx in 2015 with 149 winners, awarded the return mount on Lucy N Ethel to Parx-based Joshua Navarro

“They’re shutting down Parx for a few weeks, so I want to bring him down here. He wants to try it here. I hope he does good… but not that good, because I don’t want to lose him back home,” Preciado said with a chuckle.

Jacks or Better Farm’s Ballet Diva is set to make her graded-staked debut in the Old Hat after cruising to a two-length front-running victory in the six-furlong House Party Stakes at Gulfstream Park West Nov. 28. The daughter of Hear No Evil has won four times, including three stakes, from seven career starts.

Trained by Stanley Gold, Ballet Diva captured her debut last May by more than a dozen lengths at Gulfstream before winning the Cassidy Stakes by 4 ½ lengths. The Florida-bred filly won the seven-furlong $300,000 Florida Sire Stakes Susan’s Girl and the House Party.

PTK LLC’s Dad’s Kiddo, who finished second behind Ballet Diva in the House Party, enters the Old Hat off a second-place finish behind Island Saint in an optional claiming allowance for trainer Dane Kobiskie.