BY BROCK SHERIDAN

I Feel Lucky, who was second in his only race, tries stakes company in the $100,000 Hickory Tree at Colonial Downs Sunday. Owned and trained by Mary Lightner of Williston and bred in Florida in the name of her Shooting Star Thoroughbreds with Billy Ballard, I Feel Lucky has post four in the field of nine 2-year-olds who will race five-and-a-half furlongs.

In his first race going five-and-a-half furlongs on the inner turn at Colonial on July 12, I Feel Lucky was in second flight initially, about three lengths behind front-running Fission. Fission remained on the lead around the turn as I Feel Lucky was caught four-wide. I Feel Lucky was a bit green but took second in the stretch but could not get at a free-running Fission, finishing just less than three lengths off the winner.

I Feel Lucky is a bay gelding by Chance It out of multiple stakes-winning Florida-bred mare Lirica, by Kantharos and earned $17,500 in his lone start.

Rajiv Maragh gets the return mount on I Feel Lucky and they are 8-1 on the morning line.

I Feel Lucky will have another chance at Fission Sunday as the Michael Trombetta trainee has post nine and is the 5-2 morning line favorite.

This will be the third start for the gelded son of Great Notion having finished second to Alapocas in his first race, a five-and-a-half-furlong maiden special weight on the main track at Colonial on June 25.

Mychel Sanchez was aboard for both starts and will ride Fission again Sunday.

Alapocas races for the first time since the June 25 debut and will break from post five with jockey Kevin Gomez.

Also set to line up for the Hickory Tree are Island Bandit with Xavier Perez named to ride, Remembertheword will have Raul Mena in the irons, Good Lookerness will have Martin Chuan in the saddle, Carlos Lopez has the assignment on Prince of Peace, Call Me Micky J. and jockey Joe Rocco Jr., and Carol Cedeno will take the reins on Midnight Ride.

Return to the August 1 issue of Wire to Wire