Noble Bird, Bradester tangle in Lukas Classic

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Ack Ack isn’t the only race Saturday at Churchill Downs that could have an impact on the Breeders’ Cup.

The fourth running of the $175,000 Lukas Classic also could produce a starter or two for the Nov. 4-5 championships at Santa Anita, with the last two winners of the Grade 1 Stephen Foster at Churchill – Noble Bird (2015) and Bradester (2016) – drawn alongside each other in posts 6 and 7 among nine older horses.

While the highlight of an 11-race Saturday card undoubtedly is Runhappy squeezing in a needed prep for the Nov. 4 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile in the Grade 3 Ack Ack, the Lukas Classic will be critical in determining whether trainer Eddie Kenneally will head to the Dirt Mile with Bradester.

“We earned a Win and You’re In for the Breeders’ Cup Classic with him this summer when he won the Foster,” Kenneally said. “Obviously, he likes Churchill and we’d like to see him run well Saturday. We’re looking at the Dirt Mile, but we’ll leave all options open until we see how he runs. We’re hoping he runs big.”

Bradester tends to do his best on the front end, but so does Noble Bird, winner of the Grade 3 Pimlico Special in May – so the possibility of them entering into a ruinous pace duel in the 1 1/8-mile Lukas Classic clearly exists. Corey Lanerie rides Bradester and Julien Leparoux rides Noble Bird.

“We’ll leave everything up to Corey,” Kenneally said. “He won a couple of graded stakes on the horse last year and rides him with confidence. A lot depends on the break, but we’re going in with no real strategy.”

Noble Bird has been something of an all-or-nothing performer over the last 18 months and enters off back-to-back disappointments in the Met Mile and Whitney in New York.

“Our horse doesn’t have to be on the lead,” trainer Mark Casse said. “He just wants a nice pace. If there’s no pace, it’s hard to stop him from going on out there, but with Bradester in there, I’d guess we’ll probably be sitting off it.”

From the rail, this is the field for the Lukas Classic: Natchez, Honorable Duty, Breaking Lucky, Hawaakom, Rocket Time, Noble Bird, Bradester, Fear the Cowboy, and Bullards Alley.

Meanwhile, Runhappy will have no more than five opponents when making his first start in nine months in the $100,000 Ack Ack, a one-mile race in which he will be a huge favorite with Edgar Prado in from Maryland to ride. From the rail, the field is: Iron Fist, The Truth Or Else, Tom’s Ready, Mr. Z, Runhappy, and Schivarelli.

Tom’s Ready, winner of the Grade 2 Woody Stephens in June, looks like the top challenger, although trainer Dallas Stewart has not ruled out the possibility of scratching him in favor of running a week later in the $350,000 Kelso Mile at Belmont Park.

“We’re looking at the opposition,” Stewart said after entries were drawn Wednesday.

First post Saturday is 12:45 p.m. Eastern, with the Ack Ack (race 9) going at 4:49 and the Lukas Classic race 10 at 5:20. The $100,000 Jefferson Cup for 3-year-olds on turf is race 7 (3:47).