Grade 2 winners Dominus and Neck ‘n Neck highlight an eight-horse field in
Friday’s Grade 3, $100,000
Ack Ack
Handicap at Churchill Downs. The one-mile event also
features the U.S. debut of Group 1 Argentinean hero Grand Berry.
Dominus will return to dirt for Todd Pletcher following a pair of turf
efforts, including a front-running score in the Grade 2 Bernard Baruch at
Saratoga. The speedy four-year-old captured Grade 2 Dwyer on dirt last season
and figures to be forwardly-placed with jockey Shaun Bridgmohan.
Neck ‘n Neck returns to Churchill Downs, where he posted runaway victories in
the Grade 3 Matt Winn Stakes and an allowance event this sprint, off a very
encouraging score in the Grade 2 Indiana Derby. His connections were considering
the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Santa Anita for the Ian Wilkes-trained sophomore,
but elected to use the Ack Ack as a prep for the Grade 1 Clark Handicap under
the Twin Spires November 23. Brian Hernandez retains the mount.
Grand Berry will make his first North American appearance for Hall of Fame
conditioner Bill Mott. He easily captured the Group 1 Argentine Two Thousand
Guineas and finished second to Breeders’ Cup Mile entrant Suggestive Boy in the
Group 1 Gran Premio Jockey Club last year, and opened his four-year-old season
with a solid Group 2 win. Grand Berry exits a seventh to Expressive Halo in the
Grand Premio Republica Argentina on May 1.
Other runners include multiple stakes victor Good Lord, second in the recent
Michael G. Schaefer Memorial Mile at Hoosier Park; Grade 3 winner Fort Loudon;
Grade 2-placed stakes winner Seruni; and Stealcase, a Grade 1-placed stakes
winner.
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