Written April 2011
An Eclipse winner at both two and three years, Lookin At Lucky is one of three Gr 1 winners by Smart Strike out of DANZIG line mares. Breeders may like to throw more Danzig into the mix via daughters and granddaughters of DANEHILL, ANABAA, GRAND LODGE, DESERT SUN and others.
Champion racehorse and seven-time Gr 1 winner Curlin is by Smart Strike out of a DEPUTY MINISTER mare. Smart Strike has also produced a further 4 stakes winners out of Deputy Minister mares or other sons of his sire VICE REGENT. Sources of this line include DEHERE, FRENCH DEPUTY, REGAL CLASSIC, SALT LAKE, SILVER DEPUTY, GALLO DI FERRO, CARRY THE CROWN and ARCHREGENT.
Mares by NIJINSKY II and his son GENEROUS have produced Gr 1 and Gr 2 winners with Smart Strike. In addition, Lookin At Lucky’s damsire Belong To Me has produced a Group 1 winner out of a granddaughter of Nijinsky II. Mares by sires such as BEL ESPRIT, TIGHTS, GENEROUS, YEATS, CAERLEON, ROYAL ACADEMY, WESTERN SYMPHONY, WHISKEY ROAD, SERHEED and BLETCHLEY PARK create this pattern. Nijinsky II is also prominent in dam sires such as HURRICANE SKY and SUCCESS EXPRESS.
Similarly bred to Nijinsky II is EL GRAN SENOR, who has also produced a Gr 1 winner by Smart Strike. El Gran Senor is a brother to TRY MY BEST, sire of LAST TYCOON, CELESTIAL BOUNTY and WAAJIB.
This is also the family of SPINNING WORLD, THE MINSTREL (sire of PALACE MUSIC), MASTERCLASS, GIELGUD, DENON, GOOD JOURNEY, HURRICANE SKY, UMATILLA, AL MAHER, REDOUTE’S CHOICE, XAAR and DOMESDAY.
The BLUSHING GROOM line is also appealing with Lookin At Lucky. Smart Strike’s Gr 1 Breeder’s Cup Dirt Mile winner Furthest Land is by RAHY (damsire of GIANT’S CAUSEWAY). Adding more credibility to this cross is that the best runner of Lookin At Lucky’s damsire Belong To Me’s is dual Gr 1 winner Forever Together, who has Blushing Groom as her second dam sire.
Other sources of Blushing Groom include ARAZI, MT. LIVERMORE, GROOM DANCER, NASHWAN, NASSIPOUR, PRE-EMPTIVE STRIKE, RAINBOW QUEST (sire of QUEST FOR FAME), TAWFIQ, JALMOOD and LOVE THE GROOM. Blushing Groom is also prominent in the pedigree of STRAVINSKY.
Smart Strike carries NOHOLME II, a brother to TODMAN (present in RUBITON and STRATEGIC). A sex balanced duplication of Noholme II can be achieved by using mares carrying SEMIPALATINSK.
Lookin At Lucky’s grandsire Mr. Prospector works well with STORM CAT. Smart Strike has produced 2 stakes winners from mares by Storm Cat or his sire STORM BIRD (sire of BLUEBIRD). Mares by TALE OF THE CAT not only provide Storm Cat, but also provide a daughter of Mr. Prospector to sex balance the son (Smart Strike) in Lookin At Lucky.
