Derby Champ Mystik Dan in a sloppy morning work at historic Pimlico before the Preakness. (Anika Miskar/Past The Wire)
Preparing for Lukas Classic on Saturday at Churchill Downs
• Most Wanted Made 6-5 Favorite in Ack Ack
• Thursday Maiden Race Features Full-Sister to Life Is Good
Darren Rogers/Churchill Downs
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Kentucky Derby 150 winner Mystik Dan and defending Lukas Classic (Grade II) champion Hit Show continued their preparations for Saturday’s $500,000 Lukas Classic by training over a sloppy, sealed surface Wednesday morning at Churchill Downs.
Mystik Dan was out shortly after 6 a.m. (all times Eastern) with retired jockey Robby Albarado in the irons and galloped in the rain for trainer Kenny McPeek. Regular jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. sustained seven broken ribs, a punctured lung and a lacerated liver Sunday when his mount Sgt. Garcia had a catastrophic injury in the third race. Hernandez, who underwent surgery Tuesday to stabilize his ribs, is expected to return home from University of Louisville Hospital Trauma Center in the coming days. As of Wednesday morning, a replacement rider for Mystik Dan in the Lukas Classic was not confirmed.
Mystik Dan is the 5-2 morning line favorite in Saturday’s race and will break from post No. 5.
Hit Show, who captured last year’s Lukas Classic and the $12 million Dubai World Cup (GI) earlier this spring, also made an appearance early Wednesday and galloped for trainer Brad Cox.
“He’s always been a horse who gets a lot out of his training and works well over this surface,” Cox said. “His works into this race have been very good. He moves well over this track, and he gets to run out of his own stall on Saturday. Our long-term goal is to try to get him back to Dubai. We’re not exactly sure what path it will take this year, but Saturday’s race is a good steppingstone to start him on that road again.”
The Lukas Classic, the centerpiece of Churchill Downs’ September Meet, will be run Saturday as Race 10 of 11 at 5:29 p.m. First post is 12:45 p.m.
In the Lukas Classic field, Paradise Farms Corp. and Case Chambers’ Charles Town Classic (GII) runner-up Willy D’s was cross-entered in Saturday’s $300,000 Woodward Stakes (GII) at Belmont At the Big A. Trainer Mike Maker reported Wednesday that the 4-year-old gelding will run Saturday at Churchill Downs.
The lineup for the Lukas Classic
The Lukas Classic honors the iconic Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, who passed away in late June at the age of 89. Lukas was a four-time winner of the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks and conditioner of 26 Eclipse Award-winning champions.
His widow, Laurie Lukas, will be on hand to present the trophy to the victor.
Saturday also is Thoroughbred Aftercare Day at Churchill Downs. Several leading aftercare organizations will be on-site to showcase their work in re-training and re-homing retired racehorses.
Most Wanted Made 6-5 Favorite In Ack Ack
Gary and Mary West’s Grade III winner Most Wanted was tabbed as the heavy 6-5 morning line favorite in Saturday’s $400,000 Ack Ack (Grade III), the co-feature on the 11-race program at Churchill Downs.
Trained by Brad Cox, Most Wanted entered the Ack Ack following a fifth-place finish in last month’s Forego Stakes (GI) at Saratoga, where he was defeated by 3 ¼ lengths to Book’em Danno. Prior to that start, Most Wanted scored a dominant four-length win in an allowance contest during the Spring Meet at Churchill Downs. Irad Ortiz Jr. has the mount in the Ack Ack from the rail.
The field for the Ack Ack Stakes
The Ack Ack goes as Race 8 with a post time of 4:26 p.m. (all times Eastern). Two races later, seven older horses will take centerstage for the $500,000 Lukas Classic (GII).
Thursday Maiden Race Features Full-Sister To Life Is Good
Thursday’s fifth race at Churchill Downs, a six-furlong maiden special weight for 2-year-old fillies, drew an overflow field highlighted by the second start for Fashion Designer, a full sister to multiple Grade I winner Life Is Good, and the debut of Soaring High, a daughter of Hall of Fame mare Songbird.
Gary and Mary West’s Fashion Designer, eighth in her Ellis Park debut, is out of the Distorted Humor mare Beach Walk. Along with Life Is Good, Beach Walk also produced Grade III winner Most Wanted. Trained by Brad Cox, Fashion Designer is the 4-1 second choice on the morning line in the field of 12 with four also-eligibles. Florent Geroux will ride.
Whisper Hill Farm’s Soaring High, trained by Cherie DeVaux, has been preparing at Keeneland for her first start. By Curlin, she is out of 2023 Hall of Fame inductee Songbird, whose progeny includes four other foals of racing age with one winner. Soaring High was tabbed at 6-1 on the morning line with her rider to be announced.
Post time for Race 5 is 6:59 p.m.
DOWN THE STRETCH … … …. ……
Five days of racing remained at the Churchill Downs September Meet with Wednesday’s program getting underway at 12:45 p.m. There was a $91,853 carryover in the 20-cent Derby City 6 Jackpot spanning Races 4-9. The $3 Late Pick 3 got underway in Race 7. Following early morning rain, the track was sealed for the duration of training. After training hours, the track was sealed, back raked and listed as “muddy.” Wednesday’s lone turf race (Race 8) was moved to the main track. …
Jockey Jaime Torres will be off mounts Wednesday-Saturday while serving a HISA whip suspension. He was named aboard six horses Sunday. …
At the start of Wednesday’s card, jockey Tyler Gaffalione led the standings with 15 wins, four more than Jose Ortiz. Irad Ortiz Jr. was in third with 10 wins. …
Brad Cox led the trainer standings with seven victories from 21 starts. David Jacobson trailed by one win. Jacobson also led the owner standings with four wins. …
Trainer Greg Foley needs two wins to reach 500-career Churchill Downs victories. On Wednesday, he had horses entered in Races 4, 6 and 8. …
“Inside Churchill Downs” returns Friday at 6 p.m. to preview closing weekend of the Churchill Downs September Meet. Fans can listen live on www.espnlouisville.com or on ESPN 680/105.7 in the Louisville area. …
Thursday is the final Twilight Thursday of the year with $2 domestic beer, live music on the Plaza Stage by Kevin Neihoff and local food trucks All Thai’d Up, Bamba Egg Rolls, Con Aji y Café, Drakes and Gringos. First post is 5 p.m. …
For more information about the Churchill Downs September Meet, visit www.churchilldowns.com.
