Churchill: Cox, Géroux have Hit Show, Saudi Crown on Saturday
Photo:
Eclipse Sportswire – edited
Gary and Mary West’s homebred Hit Show headlines a field of
eight older horses entered in Saturday’s 11th running of the Grade 2, $500,000
Lukas Classic, part of a Churchill Downs stakes doubleheader that includes the $400,000
Ack Ack (G3).
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. EDT. The 11-race program begins at 6 p.m.
Click here for Churchill Downs entries and results.
Hit Show, trained by Brad Cox, finished fifth in the 2023 Kentucky
Derby, beaten by 6 1/4 lengths by Mage. Earlier, Hit Show posted a commanding 5
1/2-length victory in the Withers Stakes (G3) to begin his road to the Kentucky
Derby. After the Triple Crown season, Hit Show finished fifth in the Jim Dandy
(G2) and sixth in the Oklahoma Derby (G3).
After those last 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 1/4-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 (G3) at Mountaineer.
Florent Géroux will ride Hit Show from post 6.
Grade 3 winner and 2023 Travers (G1) runner-up Disarm and eight-time
winner and 2023 Stephen Foster (G1) runner-up Rattle N Roll are among Hit
Show’s main rivals in the Lukas Classic.
| Post | Silks | Horse / Sire | Rating | Trainer / Jockey | Last Start / Next Start | HRN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Stilleto Boy Shackleford |
6.75 |
7th, KD ALW (08/31/2024-R3) |
Entered | |
|
Last Race Next Race |
7th, KD ALW (08/31/2024-R3) |
|||||
| 2 |
|
Rattle N Roll Connect |
6.26 | Entered | ||
|
Last Race Next Race |
||||||
| 3 |
|
Happy American Runhappy |
4.47 | Entered | ||
|
Last Race Next Race |
||||||
| 4 |
|
Cooke Creek Uncle Mo |
5.42 | Entered | ||
|
Last Race Next Race |
||||||
| 5 |
|
Disarm Gun Runner |
7.64 | Entered | ||
|
Last Race Next Race |
||||||
| 6 |
|
Hit Show Candy Ride |
7.16 | Entered | ||
|
Last Race Next Race |
||||||
| 7 |
|
Bolzy Gun Runner |
4.79 | Entered | ||
|
Last Race Next Race |
||||||
| 8 |
|
Warrior Johny Cairo Prince |
4.12 | Entered | ||
|
Last Race Next Race |
||||||
Saudi Crown headlines Ack Ack
Talented 4-year-old colt Saudi Crown leads a field of seven
older horses entered in the Ack Ack, a win-and-you’re-in race for the Breeders’
Cup Dirt Mile.
Run as a one-turn mile, the Ack Ack will be run under the
lights as race 8 on Saturday at 9:39 p.m. EDT.
Owned by FMQ Stables and Trained by Cox, Saudi Crown had a
strong 2023 season, winning the Pennsylvania Derby (G1) and finishing a close
second in both the Jim Dandy (G2) and the Dwyer.
After a 10th-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, he
returned victorious as a 4-year-old in the Louisiana Stakes (G3) at Fair
Grounds followed by a third in the Saudi Cup (G1) and a 12th in the Godolphin
Mile (G2) at Dubai.
Saudi Crown returned to North America racing in mid-August,
leading the field from gate to wire in the R.A. Cowboy Jones Stakes as the 3-5
favorite.
Géroux will ride Saudi Crown in the Ack Ack from post 7.
Cagliostro and Tumbarumba, the top two finishers for Wathnan
Racing in the Hanshin Stakes at Churchill Downs, are among Saudi Crown’s rivals
Saturday.
Trained by Cherie DeVaux, Cagliostro held off Tumbarumba by
a length in the June 30 Hanshin. He enters the Ack Ack after a troubled
fourth-place finish in the Forego (G1) at Saratoga.
José Ortiz will ride Cagliostro from post 3.
Speedy Tumbarumba, trained by Brian Lynch, has been
consistent throughout his 15-race career with five wins, five seconds and two
thirds. A Louisiana-bred son of Oscar Performance, Tumbarumba finished just one
length behind Cagliostro in the Hanshin. Before that he finished a scant nose
behind Steal Sunshine in the Gulfstream Park Mile (G2) and was beaten by a long
neck by Il Miracolo in the Ghostzapper Stakes (G3).
Luis Sáez has the call on Tumbarumba from the rail.
| Post | Silks | Horse / Sire | Rating | Trainer / Jockey | Last Start / Next Start | HRN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Tumbarumba Oscar Performance |
6.40 |
2nd, Hanshin S. Presented by JRA |
Entered | |
|
Last Race Next Race |
2nd, Hanshin S. Presented by JRA |
|||||
| 2 |
|
Stage Raider Pioneerof the Nile |
4.84 | Entered | ||
|
Last Race Next Race |
||||||
| 3 |
|
Cagliostro Upstart |
6.37 | Entered | ||
|
Last Race Next Race |
||||||
| 4 |
|
Mufasa Practical Joke |
0.00 |
1st, CNL AOC (08/12/2024-R6) |
Entered | |
|
Last Race Next Race |
1st, CNL AOC (08/12/2024-R6) |
|||||
| 5 |
|
Three Technique Mr Speaker |
6.08 | Entered | ||
|
Last Race Next Race |
||||||
| 6 |
|
Big Blue Line Atreides |
4.27 | Entered | ||
|
Last Race Next Race |
||||||
| 7 |
|
Saudi Crown Always Dreaming |
7.17 | Entered | ||
|
Last Race Next Race |
||||||
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