D. Wayne Lukas has won the Derby, Preakness, and Belmont before. In matter of fact he's captured all three races in the same year with 2 different horses (Thunder Gulch and Timber County). However, this could be his best chance at returning to glory since last winning the Derby with Charismatic. With a flying second in the Rebel yesterday, Optimizer put himself in position to do well in the AR Derby. His pedigree suggests that he is better on turf, however his female family does their best running on dirt.
He's by English Channel, the 2007 BC Turf winner and Eclipse Turf Male champion. EC (who was trained by a former Lukas asst. Todd Pletcher), had the tendency to fight with his jockeys and the heart to squeeze into tight places. Just watch his Joe Hirsch win.
His dam Indy Pick was 8th in her lone stakes try, the 2001 Gazelle Handicap behind Exogenous. It also turned out to be her final race. She has some royal stock though behind her. Her dam Fantastic Find was a G1 winner herself (winning the Hempstead which is now named the Ogden Phipps) and is the dam to G1 winner Finder's Fee (who sadly passed away from colic) and G1 winning steeplechaser Tax Ruling. Fantastic Find herself is a 1/2 to BC Sprint winner Dancing Spree, and Oh What a Dance (the dam to Heavenly Prize (a champion in her own right, and the granddam to Persistencey who handed Rachel Alexandra her final loss) and Dancinginmydreams (dam to Dancing Forever)).
Optimizer has only won 1 race. However, he has also finished second twice in stakes races (once on turf and in the Rebel). He also has improved his finish the more times he's run over a particular track (finished 6th in the Smarty Jones in January). Then there is the downside, in that he will now more then likely be run into the ground and might not be the same horse that he is currently in the future.
However, for now, I think he is an under the radar horse. I would not be suprised if he wins the AR Derby and does well in Kentucky. We'll see what happens.
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