Spendthrift acquires breeding interest in Itsmyluckyday

B. Wayne Hughes’ Spendthrift Farm has acquired the breeding interest in Itsmyluckyday, who was most recently a close runner-up in the Whitney H. (G1) at Saratoga. The multiple graded stakes-winning son of Lawyer Ron will continue racing throughout the remainder of 2014, starting with this Saturday’s $600,000 Woodward S. (G1) at Saratoga, before he takes up stud duty at the Lexington-based farm in 2015.

Itsmyluckyday is being offered immediately to breeders through Spendthrift’s Share The Upside Program. The farm is honoring a lock-in fee of $7,500 stands and nurses, but his fee is subject to change depending on future race results.

“Spendthrift remains committed to offering breeders exciting young stallion prospects in our Share The Upside program, and we’re thrilled to be able to add a colt of Itsmyluckyday’s quality to our future stallion ranks,” said Ned Toffey, Spendthrift Farm general manager. “We saw that quality in the Whitney against maybe the best field of older horses assembled so far in 2014, and we believe that performance is a sign of great things to come.”

In the Whitney, Itsmyluckyday was the only horse in the star-studded field that was running late at loose frontrunner Moreno. He earned a 107 Beyer for the runner-up performance, which marked him as one of the leading handicap horses in North America. Prior to the Whitney, Itsmyluckyday had won three straight stakes at Gulfstream and Monmouth, including the Salvator Mile (G3), in easy fashion.

Last year as a 3-year-old, Itsmyluckyday had success on the Triple Crown trail. He was a game runner-up to Oxbow in the Preakness S. (G1) after enjoying a tremendous start to the season. The dark bay colt won the Gulfstream Park Derby, and then handed 2-year-old champion Shanghai Bobby his first defeat when winning the Holy Bull S. (G3). Itsmyluckyday established a new track record in the Holy Bull, running 1 1/16 miles in 1:41.81 and earning a 104 Beyer.

As a 2-year-old, Itsmyluckyday was a multiple stakes winner. He followed up an impressive maiden win with open-lengths scores in the Fasig-Tipton Turf Dash S. at Monmouth and Foolish Pleasure S. Calder. His record now stands at 8-4-1 from 18 starts with earnings of $1,302,600 to date.

Trained by Eddie Plesa for owners Trilogy Stable, Itsmyluckyday will continue to race for his current connections. The colt is out of the stakes-placed Doneraile Court mare Viva La Slew.