Madefromlucky goes for third graded win of the year in Discovery

Madefromlucky will seek to notch his third graded stakes win of the year on Wednesday when he breaks from post 1 in the $150,000 Discovery H. (G3). The nine-furlong fixture for three-year-olds is the Veterans Day feature at Aqueduct.

A son of 2010 three-year-old champ Lookin at Lucky, Madefromlucky captured the Peter Pan (G2) in May and the West Virginia Derby (G2) in August, but has been found wanting in tougher spots. Well beaten by American Pharoah in the Rebel (G2), Arkansas Derby (G1) and Belmont (G1), the Todd Pletcher charge was also below form last out in the Pennsylvania Derby (G2) when a distant seventh behind Frosted.

Joining Madefromlucky in the Discovery is stablemate Tommy Macho. Winner in two of his first three outings, the Macho Uno colt has subsequently placed in two of three stakes attempts but lost all of them by significant margins. Third by five lengths in the Dwyer (G3), he was then seventh in the West Virginia Derby and third in the Pennsylvania Derby by margins of 10 lengths each.

Vying for favoritism with Madefromlucky will be Ocean Knight, who captured the Sam F. Davis (G3) last January in his second career start but left the classic trail after finishing seventh in the Tampa Bay Derby (G2). The Curlin colt has had two allowance runs since late August, finishing a close second in a Saratoga sprint and then winning against second-level company by a head going a mile at Belmont.

"He had a good comeback race after [running] second in Saratoga," trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said. "Last time he showed a little more pace and we thought that might be good to have a little speed here going two turns. We didn't plan on it last time, but the horse on the outside pressed him and he was really game to win."

Smart Transition captured the restricted $100,000 Curlin at Saratoga in late July, a performance book-ended by unplaced efforts in the Dwyer and Travers (G1). The Smart Strike colt has form to find against Tommy Macho, against whom he finished behind twice earlier this term.

Longer shots in the Discovery are First Spark, an allowance winner at Parx and Monmouth in his last two starts; Made in Detroit, who's spent most of his career on turf but perked up winning an off-the-turf allowance in the slop last month; and Total Joint, whose two previous wins came in maiden claiming and starter allowance company.

(Madefromlucky photo: Coady Photography)