Bookies Luck wins the Golden State Juvenile Stakes © Horsephotos.com
Under a typically vigorous ride by Hall of Famer Kent Desormeaux, Bookies Luck held on tenaciously in the final strides to nose out the hard-charging Smokem in the $200,000 Golden State Juvenile Stakes Saturday, the second of 12 races on the second day of the Breeders’ Cup Championships at Del Mar.
Bookies Luck, the narrow 8-5 favorite over Smokem, who also went to the post at 8-5, scored his third win in six starts in a game performance for owners Mr. and Mrs. Larry D. Williams and trainer Jeff Bonde.
Smokem, who was piloted by Evin Roman, finished four and one-half lengths in front of third-place Lucky Romano, with Campaigner fourth in the field of seven California-bred two-year-olds. Schulace was withdrawn from the original line-up.
Bookies Luck, a son of Lucky Pulpit, ran the seven furlongs in 1:24 flat and rewarded his backers with an across-the-board payoff of $5.20, $3 and $2.40. Smokem paid $2.60 and $2.20, while Lucky Romano returned $3.80 to show.
First money of $120,000 increased the colt’s career earnings to $224,649.
KENT DESORMEAUX (Bookies Luck, winner) – “Compliment to the trainer he was a different horse today than last time. He really settled very nicely. The extra furlong might be a lot for him, but Mr. Bonde had him nice and calm for five-eighths. He had plenty to finish the last eighth of a mile. He was running through the lane.”
JEFF BONDE (Bookies Luck, winner) -- “The outside post helped us a lot. This is a really deep track and you’ve got to have something left at the end. I think Kent (Desormeaux) did a really good job of rationing his speed and it was really close at the end.”
FRACTIONS: :22.30 :45.24 1:10.73 1:24.00
The stakes win was the first of the meet for rider Desormeaux. It is his 80th stakes win overall at Del Mar, ninth most of all.
The stakes win was the first of the meet for trainer Bonde. He now has 13 stakes wins at Del Mar.
Mr. and Mrs. Larry D. Williams, the horse’s owners and breeders, are from Midvale, ID.