Another of the Pletcher platoon to strike Saturday afternoon, Madefromlucky endured a difficult trip, but managed to outstay New Jersey raider Souper Colossal to better than double his career earnings in the GII West Virginia Derby.
Trained to a 4 3/4-length maiden win by John Mazza for owner Mac Nichol at Gulfstream Dec. 23, Madefromlucky had a new partner in the form of Cheyenne Stables' Everett Dobson and a new trainer in Pletcher when proving a 1 1/2-length allowance winner in Hallandale Feb. 4. The distant runner–up to future Triple Crown hero American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile) in a sloppy renewal of the GII Rebel S. Mar. 14, the chestnut was a distant fourth to that one in the GI Arkansas Derby and connections opted to pass on a start in the GI Kentucky Derby. The colt rewarded that decision with a one-length success in the GII Peter Pan S. May 9 and he was having his first run since a sixth in the GI Belmont S. June 6.
Drawn just to the inside of Souper Colossal in gate 10, Madefromlucky had less zip from the stalls than his naturally speedier rival and raced in that one's wake from seventh position, about four wide into the first turn, as Alliseeisgold (Purge) took them through ordinary fractions of :24.19 for the opening quarter and :48.67 to the half-mile. Souper Colossal made the first serious move leaving the 3 1/2-furlong pole and loomed up four deep under a confident Paco Lopez, but Madefromlucky was just a few lengths behind and Iron Fist (Unbridled's Song) was coming with a dangerous run further down towards the inside. The California invader split horses decisively with a little more than a furlong to race, but Madefromlucky and Souper Colossal were doing better work down the center of the track, with the former coming away late to a hard-fought tally. War Story flashed home from the tail of the field for third.
Pletcher also won the Vanderbilt and the Bowling Green Saturday at Saratoga.
Saturday, Mountaineer
WEST VIRGINIA DERBY-GII, $750,000, MNR, 8-1, 3yo, 1 1/8m, 1:51.40, ft.
1–MADEFROMLUCKY, 122, c, 3, by Lookin At Lucky
1st Dam: Home From Oz, by Pulpit
2nd Dam: Tap Your Heels, by Unbridled
3rd Dam: Ruby Slippers, by Nijinsky II
($70,000 Ylg '13 KEESEP; $150,000 2yo '14
OBSMAR). O-Cheyenne Stables LLC & Mac Nichol;
B-RMF Thoroughbreds (KY); T-Todd A Pletcher; J-Joe
Bravo. $451,500. Lifetime Record: 10-4-2-1,
$875,200. *1/2 to A Shin Gold (Medaglia d'Oro), SP-
Jpn, $805,785. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple
Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Souper Colossal, 118, c, 3, War Front–Soaring
Emotions, by Kingmambo. ($100,000 Wlg '12
KEENOV; $350,000 Ylg '13 FTSAUG). O-Live Oak
Plantation; B-Moyglare Stud Farm Ltd (KY);
T-Edward Plesa, Jr.. $150,000.
3–War Story, 118, g, 3, Northern Afleet–Belle Watling,
by Pulpit. ($90,000 Ylg '13 KEESEP; $58,000 RNA
2yo '14 OBSMAR; $51,000 2yo '14 EASMAY;
$545,000 RNA 3yo '15 FTKHRA). O-Loooch Racing
Stables Inc & Glenn K Ellis; B-Jack Swain (KY);
T-Jeffrey A Radosevich. $75,000.
Margins: 1HF, HF, 3/4. Odds: 2.60, 8.70, 11.60.
Also Ran: Iron Fist, Thirtysilverpieces, Tale of Verve, Tommy Macho, Bent On Bourbon, Alliseeisgold. Scratched: Tekton, Stanford.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
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