Lookin At Lucky won't be looking at much in Saturday's Rebel Stakes, and that's exactly how his trainer wants it.
The Kentucky Derby hopeful will wear blinkers for the first time when he makes his 2010 debut in the second of Oaklawn Park's three big 3-year-old prep races. Lookin At Lucky headlines a seven-horse field for the Rebel in Hot Springs, Ark., which will be his first race since December.
Although his horse has won five of six career starts, trainer Bob Baffert is willing to tinker a bit since the Derby is still a little while off. Blinkers can restrict a horse's vision a bit, reducing distractions and helping him stay focused on running straight.
``When he makes the lead, he sort of shuts it down. So far he's been working with blinkers, and he's been working very well with it,'' Baffert said. ``We're running on dirt, blinkers. We're going to find out a lot about him. If you're going to do an experiment, it's important to do it in this race and not the race next. The final prep is important.''
Oaklawn's preps have included several successful horses in recent years, including Smarty Jones, Afleet Alex and Curlin. This year's series started with the Southwest last month and concludes with the Arkansas Derby on April 10.
Conveyance, another Baffert-trained horse, won the Southwest, but he's not in the Rebel. Dublin and Cardiff Giant, second and third in the Southwest, will be in the race Saturday. Dublin was second by less than a length after a difficult start.
``That stumble, on the second stride, cost him the race,'' trainer D. Wayne Lukas said after the Southwest. ``But, he's a good one.''
Cardiff Giant, trained by Jorge Periban, was 2 1/4 lengths behind the winner in what was his first start on a non-synthetic surface.
``He likes this track,'' said Ricardo Contreras, Periban's assistant. ``It's hard to find fault. ... He's a little horse with a strong heart.''
Lookin At Lucky is in a similar spot now, making his first start on a non-synthetic track. Baffert said Oaklawn's surface is similar to Churchill Downs.
``I want to see what he can do on dirt,'' he said. ``A lot of questions will be answered.''
Lookin At Lucky's only loss last year was a close second at the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, and he was voted the year's top 2-year-old male. Despite not racing yet this year, Lookin At Lucky is the leader in graded stakes earnings for the Kentucky Derby.
Dublin is ninth, and the Rebel field also includes fourth-place Noble's Promise, trained by Ken McPeek. Noble's Promise won three straight races last year, including the Grade 1 Breeders' Futurity. He hasn't raced since December, when he was a close second to Lookin At Lucky in the Cashcall Futurity.
The Rebel field, from the rail out, is: Cardiff Giant, Lookin At Lucky, Royal Express, Uh Oh Bango, Pleasant Storm, Noble's Promise and Dublin.
Although the field isn't all that big, the race should be a good test for Lookin At Lucky.
``It's going to be very competitive,'' Baffert said. ``I want a competitive race for him. He needs to run. He's going to get into a fight. Dublin ran well last time. Noble Promise is tough. It depends on what kind of trip, how they break.''
