IT was early on June 6, the morning after the Belmont Stakes, and trainer D. Wayne Lukas was standing outside his barn here talking to a group of reporters with a big smile on his face.
What, you might ask, could Lukas possibly be smiling about just hours after Charismatic broke down in the stretch, denying the trainer his first-ever shot at the Triple Crown?
“I just had three of the most beautiful works you ever saw,” he said. “That’s one of the plusses. We took some of the babies out this morning and it was unbelievable.
“I just worked a Gulch colt that gave me cold chills. Mark it down. Outrigger. He just went :47.3 for a half-mile like he wasn’t even into the ground.”
We did mark it down, and four weeks later we’ll head to the windows when Outrigger makes his career debut going five furlongs in today’s fourth race at Belmont.
The $550,000 yearling purchase faces some stiff competition in Gadir, who was beaten a head in his last start, and several well-bred firsters, including Tournament Play and Deception Island.
Still, Outrigger – who’s turned in three solid workouts since the drill Lukas was raving about, including four furlongs in :48.3 from the gate and five furlongs in 1:00 – figures to be a short price under Chris Antley, so we’re going to use him to anchor our early pick 3.
In the second race, also at five furlongs for 2-year-olds, we’ll use first-time starter Brocroad. A son of Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Brocco out of a Hold Your Peace mare, this colt is bred top and bottom to come out running in his debut, and it looks as if trainer Stanley Hough has him ready after two minute-flat breezes, one from the gate.
Bulling, who was cross-entered in Sunday’s Tremont Stakes by trainer Allen Jerkens; American Dot Com, third in his debut for Todd Pletcher; and another Lukas firster, Millencolin, who’s been working well at Santa Anita, also deserve consideration.
In the third race, Shug McGaughey’s Manoa, beaten a length as the even-money favorite in her last start, and Mark Hennig’s Rap and Dance, winner of her last by 7 3/4 lengths, are the ones to beat. Strolling Belle has speed to be dangerous.
We’ll play a $4 pick 3 ticket using Brocroad in the second race, with Rap and Dance and Manoa in the third, with Outrigger in the fourth. We’ll play a $1 pick 3 ticket using Brocroad, Bulling, Millencolin and American Dot Com in the second, with Manoa, Rap and Dance and Strolling Belle in the third, with Outrigger in the fourth. Total investment: $20.