Hit Show put himself into the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) mix with a victory in Saturday evening’s $500,000 Lukas Classic (G2), rallying determinedly to prevail by a neck in the 1 1/8-mile feature over a Churchill Downs’ sloppy track. Now a winner in three of four starts this season, including the Aug. 4 West Virginia Governor’s (G3), the gray four-year-old colt pushed his earnings past the $1 million mark with his third career stakes triumph.
“That was a huge effort,” Florent Geroux said. “He had to battle late and really dug in to get his head in front. We were in a great spot early, and I got to save a lot of ground. He has a lot of class. I think he’s improving a lot this year.”
Cooke Creek showed speed from the gate, showing the way through :23.62, :47.50, and 1:11.97 on a short lead, but the complexion of the race changed when Hit Show launched a bold wide rally off the far turn, drawing alongside Cooke Creek with a furlong remaining. The pacesetter dug in, battling gamely through the final stages, but Hit Show edged past late to score, completing 1 1/8 miles in 1:50.44.
Brad Cox trains the son of Candy Ride for Sheikh Tamin bin Hamad Al Thani’s Wathnan Racing, who purchased Hit Show from Gary and Mary West following his win in the West Virginia Governor’s.
“He ran great (Saturday night),” Cox said. “Florent gave him a perfect trip and he was able to save ground in the first turn and come home running. Once he tipped out, he really came with a huge run. We’ll talk about next steps with the owners and make a plan. Whether it be the Breeders’ Cup or races here locally is still up in the air.”
If Hit Show doesn’t ship to Del Mar for the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 2, the Clark (G2) at Churchill on Nov. 29 will be a target, with the Oct. 26 Fayette (G2) at Keeneland as a possible setup.
Hit Show was the 3.28-1 second choice and improved his career record to 13-6-1-0.
Cooke Creek, a juvenile stakes winner who dropped into the claiming ranks earlier this season and had won three straight since being claimed by Mike Maker, ran well in defeat, holding second by 3 1/2 lengths over late-running Rattle N Roll. It was another neck to 1.98-1 favorite Disarm in fourth, and Warrior Johny, Bolzy, Stilleto Boy, and Happy American completed the order.
Churchill also offered the $365,000 Ack Ack (G3), a “Win & You’re In” for the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1), and Three Technique closed last to first in a scratch-depleted field, winning by 1 1/2 lengths. The seven-year-old horse notched his third career stakes, earning his first graded tally in last year’s John Nerud (G2), and Rafael Bejarano was up for Jason Cook.
Morning-line favorite Saudi Crown was withdrawn due to a foot issue, and Mufasa (winner of Saturday’s Vosburgh [G2] at Aqueduct) and Big Blue Line scratched out for other stakes.
Three Technique turned the one-turn mile distance in 1:36.77. After a third in last year’s Ack Ack (G3), the Kentucky-bred cut back to six furlongs and finished eighth in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) instead of traveling two turns in the Dirt Mile at Santa Anita. The Dirt Mile will again be contested around two turns at Del Mar this fall.
“This is unbelievable, and I wanted to win this race for a very long time,” said Cook, who had finished third in the last two editions of the Ack Ack with Three Technique. “We’ll sit down and talk about the plan after tonight. We are just enjoying every bit of this and honored to win this race. Two turns is never really in his ballgame, but neither was the mud until tonight.”
Off as the 5.29-1 third choice, Three Technique rallied to overhaul pacesetter Tumbarumba with about a sixteenth of a mile remaining. Odds-on favorite Cagliostro tried to challenge leaving the far turn but weakened through the stretch to be third, and Stage Raider trailed.
“It’s been a great run this week, winning my 4,500th race,” Bejarano said. “They were battling on the lead in front of me. My horse doesn’t show a lot of speed, but I let the horses in front of me go and he settled really well. I could tell my horse started finding his best stride in midstretch, and the leaders started getting tired. He was all heart and never stopped trying.”
Campaigned by Eric Grindley, David Miller, Howard Preuss, and John Werner, Three Technique increased his bankroll to $1,186,237 from a 39-7-6-8 record.
