Edited Churchill Staff Release – Lucky Seven Stable’s five-time graded stakes winner Rattle N Roll leads a competitive field of nine older horses that entered Saturday’s 10th running of the $500,000 Lukas Classic (Grade II) at Churchill Downs.
Run at 1 1/8 miles, the Lukas Classic will go as Race 10 of 11 with a post time of 5:26 p.m. (all times Eastern). Saturday’s stellar program from Churchill Downs also will feature the $400,000 Ack Ack (GIII) – a Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” event for the Dirt Mile (GI) and the $200,000 Jefferson Cup. First post is 12:45 p.m.
In the Lukas Classic, Rattle N Roll will attempt to rebound from his sixth-place finish in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (GI) as the 8-5 favorite. Prior to that race, Rattle N Roll finished just a half-length behind West Will Power in the Stephen Foster (GI). As a 3-year-old, Rattle N Roll tallied victories in the American Derby, St. Louis Derby and Oklahoma Derby (GIII). Now age 4, the Kenny McPeek-trained son of Connect sports victories in the Ben Ali (GIII), Pimlico Special (GIII) and Blame (GIII). Rattle N Roll will break from post No. 4 in the Lukas Classic under regular rider Brian Hernandez Jr.
Among Rattle N Roll’s competition in the Lukas Classic is Lothenbach Stables’ Stephen Foster third-place finisher Happy American; RRR Racing’s Grade III winner Clapton and Elttaes Stable’s Longacres Mile winner Five Star General.
Here is the complete field for the Lukas Classic from the rail out (with jockey and trainer): Happy American (James Graham, Neil Pessin); Clapton (Cristian Torres, Chad Summers); Warrant (Florent Geroux, Brad Cox); Rattle N Roll (Hernandez, McPeek); Trademark (Martin Garcia, Vicki Oliver); Blue Devil (Ricardo Santana Jr., Jeff Hiles); Whelen Springs (Jose Ferrer, Lindsay Schultz); Five Star General (Corey Lanerie, Grant Forster); and Americanrevolution (Tyler Gaffalione, Todd Pletcher).
Fans can wager on all the action from Churchill Downs on www.TwinSpires.com, the official wagering provider of Churchill Downs Incorporated. The Lukas Classic, along with every race from Churchill Downs, will be broadcast on FanDuel TV or the FanDuel TV+ app.
THREE TECHNIQUE AIMS FOR SPOT IN BREEDERS’ CUP DIRT MILE IN $400,000 ACK ACK – 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 (with jockey and trainer): Seize the Night (Jon Court, Jade Cunningham); O Besos (Tyler Gaffalione, Greg Foley); Three Technique (Bejarano, Cook); Stage Raider (Brian Hernandez Jr., Cherie DeVaux); Zozos (Florent Geroux, Brad Cox); Skyro (James Graham, Brian Lynch); and 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.
GRADE III WINNER MORE THAN LOOKS TOPS JEFFERSON CUP – Victory Racing Partners’ Grade III winner More Than Looks leads a field of 10 3-year-olds that entered Saturday’s 43rd running of the $200,000 Jefferson Cup at Churchill Downs.
Run at one-mile on turf, the Jefferson Cup will go as Race 8 of 11 at 4:22 p.m. (all times Eastern). Along with the Jefferson Cup, the Saturday card from Churchill Downs also will include the $500,000 Lukas Classic (GII) and $400,000 Ack Ack (GIII).
More Than Looks, a lightly-raced son of More Than Ready, is set to make his seventh-career start in the Jefferson Cup. Trained by Cherie DeVaux, More Than Looks won the Manila (GIII) two starts ago and, last time out, closed from seven lengths off the early pace to finish third to Carl Spackler and Appraise in the Hall of Fame (GII) at Saratoga. Jockey Cristian Torres will have the call in the Jefferson Cup from post No. 7.
Top turf trainer Mike Maker entered a trio of horses: Paradise Farm Corp., David Staudacher, Skychai Racing and Angelo Carlesimo’s Palisides Turf winner Gaslight Dancer; Freddie Lewis Jr.’s Gun Runner third-place finisher Smokey Mandate; and Watters Edge’s stakes-placed Worthington.
Here is the complete Jefferson Cup field from the rail out (with jockey and trainer): Ocean Pointe (Joe Ramos, Richard Estvanko); Tiverton (GB) (Declan Cannon, Connor Murphy); Worthington (Julien Leparoux, Maker); Noises Off (Tyler Gaffalione, Paulo Lobo); Midnight West (Orlando Mojica, Tomas Medina); Smokey Mandate (James Graham, Maker); More Than Looks (Torres, DeVaux); Desert Duke (Florent Geroux, Chris Hartman); Ocean Vision (Rey Gutierrez, Gustavo Delgado); Endpoint (Gerardo Corrales, Lobo); and Gaslight Dancer (Jaime Torres, Maker).
Fans can wager on all the action from Churchill Downs on www.TwinSpires.com, the official wagering provider of Churchill Downs Incorporated. The Jefferson Cup, along with every race from Churchill Downs, will be broadcast on FanDuel TV or the FanDuel TV+ app
