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Hit Show wins an allowance May 11 at Churchill Downs (Coady Media)
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Churchill Downs Press Release
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Gary and Mary West’s homebred Hit Show headlines a field of eight older horses entered in next Saturday’s 11th running of the $500,000 Lukas Classic (Grade II), part of a stakes doubleheader on the Downs After Dark program at Churchill Downs.
The Lukas Classic, named for Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, will be run at 1 1/8 miles as Race 10 at 10:40 p.m. (all times Eastern). The 11-race program begins at 6 p.m. and also features the $400,000 Ack Ack (GIII) in Race 8.
Hit Show, trained by Brad Cox, finished fifth in Kentucky Derby 149, beaten 6 ¼ lengths to Mage. Earlier in the season, Hit Show posted a commanding 5 ½-length victory in the Withers Stakes (GIII) to begin his Road to the Kentucky Derby. Following the Triple Crown season, Hit Show finished fifth in the Jim Dandy (GII) and sixth in the Oklahoma Derby (GIII). After those two disappointing finishes, Hit Show went to the sidelines for the remainder of the year but returned as a 4-year-old in early May when he scored a 2 ¼-length victory in an allowance race at Churchill Downs. He enters the Lukas Classic following a determined half-length win in the West Virginia Governor’s Cup (GIII) at Mountaineer. Florent Geroux will ride Hit Show from post No. 6.
Among Hit Show’s main rivals in the Lukas Classic are Grade III winner and 2023 Travers (GI) runner-up Disarm, as well as eight-time winner and 2023 Stephen Foster (GI) runner-up Rattle N Roll.
Here’s the field for the Lukas Classic in post-position order (with jockey and trainer):
- Stilleto Boy (Evin Roman, Ed Moger Jr.)
- Rattle N Roll (Brian Hernandez Jr., Kenny McPeek)
- Happy American (Corey Lanerie, Neil Pessin)
- Cooke Creek (Luis Saez, Mike Maker)
- Disarm (Tyler Gaffalione, Steve Asmussen)
- Hit Show (Geroux, Cox)
- Bolzy (Francisco Arrieta, Donnie K. Von Hemel)
- Warrior Johny (Jose Ortiz, Phil Bauer)
