Ack Ack, Jefferson Cup add to very betable card

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Downs After Dark fans don’t have to rely solely on the Bourbon and Beats theme to enjoy themselves Saturday night at Churchill Downs. There’s also terrific racing in store.

Besides the featured Lukas Classic, an 11-race card that starts at 6 p.m. Eastern also will include the Grade 3, $150,000 Ack Ack (race 7) and the $125,000 Jefferson Cup (race 8), as well as two allowances (races 3 and 5). Big fields are in evidence for much of the evening.

Ack Ack

This one-mile race had been targeted as a comeback spot for Omaha Beach before those plans were canceled. No worries. An interesting lineup has filled that void, with the speedy Minnesota shipper Mr. Jagermeister virtually ensuring a rapid pace after exiting front-running victories in shorter races.

With that, closers such as Thirstforlife and the California shipper Air Strike could see the playing field tilted in their favor. Both earned career-high Beyer Speed Figures in May, with Thirstforlife getting a 99 from an allowance win on the Kentucky Derby undercard and Air Strike a 94 in winning the Triple Bend at Santa Anita.

Several others deserve serious consideration, too, including Mr Darcy and C Z Rocket, the respective two-three finishers in a key recent allowance, and Mr. Freeze, a close-up runner-up behind Mr Darcy last month in an Ellis Park allowance.

Nine older horses are entered, but no more than eight will start. Olympic Village will be scratched in favor of the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park.

Jefferson Cup

Not one of the eight 3-year-olds entered is listed higher than 10-1 on the Churchill program. That alone tells you plenty about this 1 1/8-mile turf race.

Tracksmith, a creditable fourth last month in the Virginia Derby for trainer Joe Sharp, is a lukewarm 3-1 morning-line choice, but he’s merely one of a handful of legitimate options. Rijeka, in from California for Richard Baltas, also will attract his share of tote action, as will Spectacular Gem and Corruze, one-two under the wire (prior to a disqualification) in the Caesars earlier this month at Indiana Grand.

The early pace figures to be set by Mick’s Star, who will be stretching out from a front-running victory in a 6 1/2-furlong allowance four weeks ago at Kentucky Downs, with perhaps Spectacular Gem and Clint Maroon in closest attendance. Crunch time could see the emergence of Tracksmith, whose Virginia Derby was preceded by back-to-back turf wins at Churchill and Monmouth Park, or Corruze, an Into Mischief colt who was “kissed in” by the Indiana stewards, lifting his career mark for Chris Hartman to 3 for 6.