Colt Proves Lucky for Arellano, Cortez

April 26, 2023

By Jessica Martini

Javier Arellano, who has been pinhooking for just three years and admits he buys only three or four yearlings a year while working on budget, hit a home run in the OBS sales ring Wednesday, selling a colt by Lookin At Lucky (hip 570) for $700,000 to Jacob West, bidding on behalf of Repole Stable. Arellano and Alex Cortez purchased the bay for $50,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton October sale.

“Dr. Gustavo Vautier helped me to look at horses,” Arellano, still basking in the glow of the sales success, said. “I liked the colt, I liked the pedigree. Lookin At Lucky is a nice stallion who was doing really well in Chile and I am from Chile. I liked him physically and I was looking at how I thought he would develop in a couple of years. I was looking to see if he would develop into what he looks like right now.”

The bay colt is out of stakes-winner Joffe's Run (Giant's Causeway) and worked a furlong last week in :10 flat.

“We are extremely happy to sell him for that much,” Arellano said. “We were expecting a good result, but not this much, to be honest with you. So we are extremely blessed.”

Arellano was first exposed to racing in his native Chile. Now an insurance inspector in South Florida, he has been involved in racing for just a few years.

“I started racing some and pinhooking seriously two or three years ago,” Arellano said. “And I've been blessed with some good horses, but this is my biggest score so far. It feels great. I can't put it into words. I am just extremely happy.”

He continued, “Alex Cortez is the consignor and my partner on the horse. He does really well. He's a horseman. We are a small operation. I normally try to pinhook three or four horses a year. But we just want to do the right amount–we don't want to pay too much on the pinhooking. It's kind of tough if you buy too expensive to do well down the line.”

Arellano concluded, “This is my passion. I race as well and I love both aspects of the business. Racing is a lot of fun, too, but you see me here, I got a good rush out of this.”

Source: Zedan Continues Buying Spree as OBS Spring Sale Marches On (thoroughbreddailynews.com)