Mister Marti Gras scores in Ack Ack

In pre-Breeders' Cup action at Churchill Downs on Friday, Lothenbach

Stables' Mister Marti Gras arrived late on the scene to capture the

Grade 3, $109,700

Ack Ack Handicap by a half-length over Alma d'Oro. The 5-2 second

choice in a field of seven older horses, Mister Marti Gras overcame a

slow pace on a drying-out track listed as muddy to prevail under Julien

Leparoux. He repaid his supporters with mutuels of $7.80, $4 and $2.80.

The pace of the Ack Ack was set by 5-2 favorite Gladding, who raced

several paths off the rail and produced pokey splits of :25 2/5, :51 and

1:15. However, the California invader was under pressure through the

stretch run and perhaps ultimately felt the effects of returning from a

six-month layoff. Content to chase that one in mid-pack until the final

furlong were the eventual top three finishers. Alma d'Oro moved strongly

to grab a short lead inside the sixteenth pole, came out a bit on Mister

Marti Gras in an effort to fend him off, but had to settle for second as

Mister Marti Gras pulled away to win by a half-length in a time of 1:45

3/5 for 1 1/16 miles.

Bred in Kentucky by his owners and trained by Chris Block, Mister

Marti Gras had previously enjoyed his greatest success on grass and

synthetic surfaces. At three last season, Mister Marti Gras won the

Oliver Stakes on turf at Indiana Downs and also placed in the Grade 2

American Derby and Grade 3 Hawthorne Derby. This year, Mister Marti Gras

captured the Grade 3 Washington Park Handicap on Polytrack and placed in

the Grade 3 Ben Ali Stakes and Grade 3 Arlington Handicap. He preceded

his Ack Ack victory with a fine fourth in the Grade 2 Hawthorne Gold Cup

over 1 1/4 miles on dirt. His record now stands at 19-6-5-1, $508,651.

"He

(Mister Marti Gras) ran really well," Block said. "I was a little

concerned about the track because he's never run over a surface like

this (muddy), but he's handled every track he's been on. I was also

worried about the slow fractions and didn't know if he'd be able to

close into that. With the way the race set up it was a big effort.

Assuming he comes out of the race well, we'll think about going to the

(Grade 1) Clark (Handicap at Churchill Downs on November 25)."