Lucky Hero

What stands out about Lucky Hero is its absolute love of fast, dry ground. Racing on such conditions, it has won three of four races — a 75 percent win rate that is genuinely rare and worth noting. By contrast, when the ground turns wet or muddy, the numbers drop off sharply. This is the kind of preference that makes a racing calendar, and knowing when to run this horse could be everything. It also explains why a trainer like David O'Meara, who runs a competitive yard sending out winners regularly this season from Upper Helmsley, will be watching the weather forecast carefully before committing to entries.

The one weakness in the record is Class 4 company — the higher-level races on the calendar. Lucky Hero has run four times at that level and hasn't won yet, staying in the lower divisions instead. That is a ceiling, at least for now. But the wins it does have are recent and repeated, and a 3-year-old that is hitting form as summer turns to autumn is exactly the sort to keep an eye on. If the ground stays dry and the yard sticks to its strengths, this horse could easily add to its tally before the year is out.