It's not very often you'll see a horse basically blow the start, immediately spotting the leaders 8 to 10 lengths, and still jog home an easy winner, but that's what COUNTRY HOUSE just did here in race 3.

Granted, the 3yo Lookin At Lucky colt probably didn't beat much, given that he was the 3-5 favorite in a field of just 6, but spotting your competition a big head-start is almost always very difficult to overcome.

"That was nice of him, wasn't it?" said a smiling Kenny McCarthy, the GP-based assistant to trainer Bill Mott.

Making his third start for his owners, Mrs. J.V. Shields Jr. and E.J.M. McFadden Jr., Country House was coming off an Aqueduct MSW mile in which he earned an 85 BSF as the runner-up. His win margin today under Luis Saez was 3 1/2 lengths and his winning time for 1 1/16 miles was 1:44.99 over a fast track. Mott wasn't here from his Payson Park base, but you'd have to think he'll be inclined to give the colt a shot on the Ky. Derby trail by running him next in something like the Fountain of Youth here on March 2.