Luck Be Withyou overcomes post nine in Franklin triumph
July 4, 2015,by T.J. Burkett, Executive Editor, Hoof Beats
Wilkes-Barre, PA — The $500,000 Ben Franklin free for all pace turned out to be as thrilling as a front-end win can be as Luck Be Withyou held on by the shortest of noses over Domethatagain in 1:49 on Saturday (July 4) at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.
Domethatagain, driven by Simon Allard, left from the rail off the gate, but Luck Be Withyou and George Napolitano Jr. took command before the turn from post nine.
Luck Be Withyou led through a quarter in :26.2 and the half in :55, which were favorable fractions in the eyes of the 4-year-old horse’s owner, John Craig.
“I didn’t think it was so bad when it was :26.2, because he got the lead in :26 last week in the slop, with a half in :53 and change,” he said. “When I saw :55 at the half, I said ‘There are good horses back there like Foiled Again and State Treasurer and they are going to come at him. I hope he has enough.’”
Luck Be Withyou kept on chugging through three-quarters in 1:21.4. He was a length clear at the top of the stretch, with only Domethatagain coming at him up the rail. It took a long look at the photo before Luck Be Withyou was declared the winner, with favored State Treasurer third. Luck Be Withyou paid $10 to win as the public’s second choice.
“He had just enough,” Craig said with a grin. “It’s hard to explain to people the adrenaline rush you get when you see a race like that.”
Luck Be Withyou, by Western Ideal–Trim Hanover, is trained by Chris Oakes, who got some credit from his owner.
“All the credit goes to those who work on the horse,” he said. “I just watch and pay the bills.”