The Player auditions for Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile in Ack Ack

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Fifty-three trainers have won two or more Breeders’ Cup races, and Buff Bradley is one of them. Bradley scored in 2012 and 2013 at Santa Anita with Groupie Doll in the BC Filly and Mare Sprint, pulling him even with Hall of Famers such as Charlie Whittingham, Leroy Jolley, and Nick Zito.

Such comparisons are not necessarily meaningful, sure, but that isn’t keeping Bradley from wanting to return to California this year with a Breeders’ Cup horse or two.

The 54-year-old native of Frankfort, Ky., will have to wait an extra week to see whether Divisidero can earn a westward trip for the BC Mile when the millionaire grass specialist runs Oct. 7 in the Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland. But Bradley’s first chance of coming up with a Breeders’ Cup runner will come on Saturday at Churchill Downs, where The Player rates as a top contender in the Grade 3, $100,000 Ack Ack.

Bradley said a big effort in the Ack Ack, a one-turn mile, would be enough to catapult the 4-year-old chestnut colt into the Nov. 3 BC Dirt Mile at Del Mar.

“We’re back to the flat mile at Churchill, which we know he likes,” said Bradley. “He’s trained very well going into this race, and we’re excited to run him.”

The Player has been one of the more promising horses on this circuit since May 2016, mostly because of flashy back-to-back Churchill wins followed by a runner-up finish behind Cupid in the Indiana Derby. He exited that race in July 2016 with a small knee chip that required surgery, and in three starts following a layoff of nearly a year, The Player has hinted that he’s ready to resume his ascendancy.

The Player worked a half-mile on Saturday at Churchill Downs.

“Soundness-wise, he’s been great because we gave him as much time as he needed,” said Bradley, who co-owns The Player with longtime business partner Carl Hurst. “He’s sure got a lot of ability, and I believe he’s back on track now. His work was exceptional, and now he’s got a real good foundation with these last three races. I feel like he’s probably better than he’s ever been right now.”

Off an easy victory in an Aug. 27 allowance at Ellis Park, The Player will have Awesome Slew and Warrior’s Club as his chief opposition in the Ack Ack.

Awesome Slew also will be looking to show that he belongs in the BC Dirt Mile with a strong performance Saturday, said trainer Mark Casse. The Ack Ack will be the seventh start that the 4-year-old Florida-bred has made for Casse, with all of them coming around one turn. Awesome Slew made his first nine starts for trainer Eddie Plesa Jr.

“He ran a lot of two-turn races before we got him, so I don’t think that’s an issue,” Casse said. “Ultimately, we think a mile is his game, whether it’s one turn or two.”

After finishing second to Mind Your Biscuits in the Grade 2 Belmont Sprint Championship and to Drefong in the Grade 1 Forego, Awesome Slew surely will be favored when he stretches out slightly in the Ack Ack. But he won’t have nearly as large a cheering section as that of Warrior’s Club, whose 200-member ownership group, the Churchill Downs Racing Club, will be in attendance by the dozens.

“This could be the biggest weekend ever for us,” said Gary Palmisano, who manages the syndicate. “We’re also entering Party Club in a maiden special, and we’re hoping to have Card Club in on Sunday.”

The Ack Ack is one of three stakes set for the penultimate card of the 11-day September meet, along with the Grade 3, $200,000 Lukas Classic and the $100,000 Jefferson Cup. Honorable Duty is expected to be a heavy favorite in the 1 1/8-mile Lukas Classic. Entries for Saturday were drawn Wednesday. Sunday is closing day, with mandatory jackpot payouts. Keeneland opens its 17-day fall meet Oct. 6.

Bradley to Fair Grounds

Like many trainers with large stables, Bradley constantly has irons in the fire. He has decided to forgo his winter base of the last six years, Gulfstream Park, and migrate instead to Fair Grounds with his main string in late November while still maintaining a string at Tampa Bay Downs.

“I had some owners who wanted to go to New Orleans, so that’s where we’re going,” he said.

One Bradley runner of note headed in that direction is the 2-year-old filly Upset Brewing, fifth in the Sept. 16 Pocahontas at Churchill.

“We had to give her a break,” he said. “She’ll probably rejoin us when we leave for the winter.”