Trainer Ian Wilkes and jockey Brian Hernandez got their Breeders’ Cup weekend
off to a good start Friday, but at Churchill Downs rather than Santa Anita.
The combo, who will be represented by Fort Larned in Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup
Classic, celebrated following the Grade 3, $110,400
Ack Ack
Handicap when the three-year-old Neck ‘n Neck rallied from off the pace to
win the one-mile prep for the Grade 1 Clark Handicap on November 23.
Settled near the back of the seven-horse field as Fort Loudon and Dominus
traded leads through splits of :23, :46 4/5 and 1:11 4/5, Neck ‘n Neck made a
wide bid for the lead at the top of the stretch and drew off to score by 2 1/4
lengths in a time of 1:36 1/5 over the fast main track. He returned $5.40, $3
and $2.60 as the 8-5 second choice.
“He’s really turning into a great horse,” Hernandez said. “I actually took
him a little further back going into the turn just so I could get outside. He
was always there for me and when I called on him at the top of the lane he kind
of spurted away from them. He seems to be getting better with each start.”
Fort Loudon held second by a head in a four-way photo over Stealcase, with
Seruni another neck behind in fourth, and 7-5 favorite Dominus another neck back
in fifth. Zimmer and Grand Berry completed the order of finish, while Good Lord
was scratched in favor of Saturday’s Mountaineer Mile.
Bred by owner A. Steven Miles Jr. in Kentucky, Neck ‘n Neck preceded this win
with victories in the Grade 2 Indiana Derby and Grade 3 Matt Winn. He also ran
second in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy in July. His record now stands at 14-5-2-0,
$676,856.
Neck ‘ Neck is the first foal out of the winning Storm Boot mare Bootery, a
close relative to stakes winners Bendecida, Pleasantly Blessed and Fedra Gulch.
Bet Horseracing Free Online at TwinSpires.com