Three Technique winning The John A. Nerud at Belmont Park July 1. (Adam Coglianese)
Darren Rogers/Churchill Downs
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – David Miler, Eric Grindley and John Werner’s Grade II winner Three Technique will attempt to garner an all-entry-fees-paid berth into the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (GI) as the headliner of Saturday’s 31st running of the $400,000 Ack Ack (GIII) at Churchill Downs.
The one-mile Ack Ack Stakes is a Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” contest for the Nov. 4 Dirt Mile at Santa Anita. The Ack Ack will go as Race 9 of 11 Saturday with a post time of 4:55 p.m. (all times Eastern). First post is 12:45 p.m. The stellar program also features the 10th running of the $500,000 Lukas Classic (GII) and 43rd running of the $200,000 Jefferson Cup.
In the Ack Ack, Three Technique will attempt to win his seventh overall race when he breaks from post No. 3 under Rafael Bejarano. Trained by Jason Cook, Three Technique hasn’t competed since his 3 ¾-length score in the July 1 John A. Nerud (GII) at Belmont but has remained in steady training at Trackside Louisville, located about five miles from Churchill Downs. A son of Mr Speaker, Three Technique ran in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile but only managed a sixth-place finish.
There are several other accomplished horses entered in the Ack Ack, including John Gunther’s R A Cowboy Jones winner Stage Raider; Barry and Joni Butzow’s two-time stakes winner Zozos; and Bernard Racing, Tagg Team Racing, West Point Thoroughbreds and Terry Stephens’ four-time winner O Besos.
Here is the complete Ack Ack field
1. Seize the Night (Jon Court, Jade Cunningham)
2. O Besos (Tyler Gaffalione, Greg Foley)
3. Three Technique (Bejarano, Cook)
4. Stage Raider (Brian Hernandez Jr., Cherie DeVaux)
5. Zozos (Florent Geroux, Brad Cox)
6. Skyro (James Graham, Brian Lynch)
7. Caddo River (Declan Cannon, Wayne Lukas)
Fans can wager on all the action from Churchill Downs on www.TwinSpires.com, the official wagering provider of Churchill Downs Incorporated. The Ack Ack, along with every race from Churchill Downs, will be broadcast on FanDuel TV or the FanDuel TV+ app.
