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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Lukas returns to old haunts

Associated Press

ARCADIA, Calif. – D. Wayne Lukas is back, and feeling good about his chances in the Breeders’ Cup after a one-year absence.

Lukas, the all-time leading trainer in the season-ending championships, did not have a runner last year for the first time since the event started in 1984.

With a record 18 victories and $19.6 million in purses in the Breeders’ Cup, Lukas returns with Be Smart in the $2 million Juvenile Fillies on Friday and Ninth Client in the $1 million Juvenile Turf on Saturday.

Missing out last year was a blow.

“I want to play at the top, especially at this point in my career,” said the 73-year-old Hall of Famer. “We all want to be in this arena, if we can.”

Bob Lewis and Bill Young, two of Lukas’ biggest owners, died in recent years, forcing Lukas to downsize his once dominant coast-to-coast stable. He pulled out of California six years ago, consolidating in New York, Kentucky and Arkansas.

Tuesday was a homecoming as Lukas returned to Santa Anita, once the base of his operation and the site of this year’s Breeders’ Cup. He spent much of the morning greeting old friends he had not seen in a long time.

“Walking through here this morning has been gratifying to see a lot of people I haven’t seen in years,” Lukas said. “Driving here from the airport in the traffic and the smog, I don’t miss that part.”

As for the Breeders’ Cup, Lukas is high on Be Smart in the Juvenile Fillies, a race he has won five times.

After winning her debut race, Be Smart stepped up to finish second in Alcibiades Stakes at Keeneland.

“We jumped her from the shallow to the deep end of the pool,” Lukas said. “She’s a very talented filly. I’ve had some good fillies in the past and I’ve been able to get lucky in this series.”

Ninth Client has one win in four starts.

“I couldn’t be more pleased with where I am with these horses at this point,” Lukas said.

Curlin installed as favorite

Curlin was made the early 7-5 favorite in a field of 12 for the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Curlin would likely earn Horse of the Year honors for the second consecutive year if he defends his title Saturday at Santa Anita in his first race on a synthetic track.

“The synthetic is a huge question,” trainer Steve Asmussen said. “A higher percentage of horses train better over it than run well over it.”

Without retired Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Big Brown in the field, Raven’s Pass, winner of the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes in his last start, was made the 6-1 second choice. Like Curlin, Raven’s Pass will be trying a synthetic surface for the first time.

Curlin will break from the No. 9 post.

“Nine is a fine draw,” Asmussen said. “It’ll be the perfect spot for him.”

Go Between, the Pacific Classic winner, was the third choice at 8-1.

This year’s Breeders’ Cup features an all-female, five-race card Friday, capped by the $2 million Ladies’ Classic, previously known as the Distaff.

Zenyatta is the star of that show, with an 8-0 record that made her the 3-5 early favorite. Her owner Jerry Moss, who co-founded A&M Records, named the 4-year-old filly for the 1980 album “Zenyatta Mondatta” by The Police.