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Undefeated Beau Liam Steps Up In Ack Ack

Stonestreet Stables' undefeated homebred colt Beau Liam will attempt to notch his fourth-consecutive win against 10 rivals that entered Saturday's 29th running of the $300,000 Ack Ack (Grade 3) at Churchill Downs.

The one-mile Ack Ack, which serves as a prep for the $1 million Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) at Del Mar on Nov. 6, was carded as Race 10 with a post time of 5:26 p.m. First post is 12:45 p.m. The Ack Ack is part of a stakes doubleheader Saturday along with the $400,000 Lukas Classic (G3) headlined by the nation's top older horse Knicks Go.

Beau Liam began his career May 29 at Churchill Downs where he cruised to a maiden-breaking win by 7 ½ lengths in the six furlong dash. The son of Liam's Map shipped north to Saratoga where he narrowly defeated first-level allowance company by a scant nose in a swift seven furlongs on July 17. Most recently, the bay colt easily defeated second-level allowance foes by six lengths in a second-level allowance at Saratoga. Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, Beau Liam will be ridden by Brian Hernandez Jr. from post No. 10.

Among Beau Liam's competition that entered the Ack Ack are several well-traveled graded stakes winners including Guest Suite, Mo Mosa, Mr Dumas, Plainsman, and Rushie.

The Ack Ack field from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):

Exculpatory (Carol Cedeno, Mark Reid)
Mo Mosa (Jose Lezcano, Mike Maker)
Guest Suite (Emmanuel Esquivel, Cipriano Contreras)
Ebben (Francisco Arrieta, Steve Margolis)
Mr Dumas (Reylu Gutierrez, John Ortiz)
Aloha West (Corey Lanerie, Wayne Catalano)
Plainsman (Joel Rosario, Brad Cox)
Atoka (Rafael Bejarano, D. Wayne Lukas)
South Bend (James Graham, Bill Mott)
Beau Liam (Hernandez, Asmussen)
Rushie (Javier Castellano, Michael McCarthy)

The Ack Ack is named in honor of the 1971 Horse of the Year, Ack Ack. The multiple champion sprinter won the 1969 Derby Trial when he covered one-mile in 1:34.40, which broke the track record at that time.

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Saturday’s Cross Country Pick 5 Pays $3,774 To Winners

Saturday's Cross Country Pick 5 featuring action from four tracks paid $3,774.50 for selecting all five winners for the 50-cent wager. The total pool was $53,291 for the sequence that included races from Monmouth Park, Woodbine Racetrack, Ellis Park, and historic Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Monmouth, located in Oceanport, New Jersey, kicked things off when Dream About Me defeated favorite Endless Front by a half-length in a 1 1/16-mile maiden turf contest for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up in Race 8. Trainer by Jimmy Toner and ridden by Isaac Castillo, Dream About Me rallied from seventh to complete the course in a final time of 1:45.48. She paid $13.20 on a $2 win wager.

Woodbine's Race 7 saw Hazelbrook record a 1 3/4-length win under Jason Hoyte in a 6 1/2-furlong maiden claiming contest for fillies and mares 3-and-up on the all-weather track. Hazelbrook, conditioned by Lorne Richards, paid $5 as she posted a final time of 1:16.42 at the Rexdale, Ontario-based course.

Action switched back to Monmouth for the wager's biggest upset when Trilogy edged Strong Breeze by a head to win a 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint for 3-years-old and up at 18-1 odds for trainer Ronald Abrams. Trilogy, piloted by Nik Juarez, returned $39.40. The Northern Afleet gelding posted a final time of 1:05.73.

Ellis Park was the site of the lone favorite to post a victory when Amiche won by 1 1/2 lengths in a one-mile turf maiden race for fillies and mares 3-and-up in Race 8. Trained by Cherie DeVaux and ridden by Brian Hernandez, Jr., Amiche went gate-to-wire in clocking in at 1:35.06 at the track in Henderson, Kentucky. She paid $3.60.

Baby Yoda closed the sequence at the Spa with an impressive 4 1/4-length win in a 6 1/2 furlong main track allowance sprint in Race 10. Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, Baby Yoda, under Jose Ortiz, surged to the wire in 1:14.33, returning $14.40. Baby Yoda earned a 114 Beyer Speed Figure for the win.

The minimum bet for the multi-track, multi-race wager is 50 cents. Wagering on the Cross Country Pick 5 is also available on track, on ADW platforms, and at simulcast facilities across the country. Every week will feature a mandatory payout of the net pool.

The Cross Country Pick 5 will continue each Saturday throughout the year. For more information, visit NYRABets.com.

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Hernandez Seeks Winner’s Circle With New Roo, Carribean Caper At Ellis Park

Colby Hernandez already has blown past his win total of three at Ellis Park in Henderson, Ky., last summer, his first riding at the Pea Patch. With seven victories heading into Saturday's racing, the younger brother of Ellis Park-meet leading rider Brian Hernandez is making significant headway as a mainstay on the circuit his second year riding in Kentucky after 14 years in his native Louisiana.

The younger Hernandez has two shots in Sunday's five stakes to make a productive meet even better. He is the regular rider of 3-for-3 Carribean Caper, the tepid 9-5 favorite in the $100,000 Audubon Oaks over 2-1 Magic Quest. Both 3-year-old fillies come into the seven-furlong race off impressive allowance victories over the track. Brian Hernandez rides Magic Quest.

Hernandez also rides New Roo, who is 10-1 in the $125,000 RUNHAPPY Groupie Doll for fillies and mares at a mile. Hernandez rode New Roo for the first time last year at Ellis Park when she won an allowance race by 12 lengths, followed by a runner-up finish in the Groupie Doll won by Lady Kate, who also is back in the stakes.

Carribean Caper, trained by Al Stall, has won her three starts by a combined 17 lengths.

“She does it impressive every time,” Hernandez said. “I think every race she gets better and better. Hopefully, everything works out Sunday and we get a good trip and get the money.”

Though she made it look easy with a 4 1/2-length victory over older fillies and mares last time, Carribean Caper didn't have the smoothest of trips until she drew off.

“She had an awkward break, and the outside horses kind of wiped us about a little bit,” Hernandez said. “I had to check her. But after that, I was able to get her in stride. Middle of the turn, all I did was lean forward on her and she gave me whatever she had. It was push-button from there.

“I think she's a really, really nice horse. I don't think we've opened her up yet all the way. Hopefully, she turns into a great mare.”

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New Roo faces a capacity field of 12 in the Groupie Doll. Trainer Tommy Drury, seeking a confidence-builder in her 5-year-old debut after ending 2020 with a couple of disappointing efforts, dropped New Roo in for the $62,500 claiming option in an allowance race at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. She won and wasn't claimed.

“She ran a good race that day,” Hernandez said. “I think at the end she got a little tired because she'd been off. But I think we're in a good spot here. She ran second in the same race last year. Hopefully we can get the money this time. I think she likes this track big-time.

“I feel great about both horses.”

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Improving Sprawl Faces Tough Competition In Saturday’s Blame Stakes

Claiborne Farm and Adele Dilschneider are hoping their improving homebred Sprawl can score his first stakes victory in Saturday's $150,000 Blame Stakes at Churchill Downs, a race named in honor of his owners' prized stallion Blame.

“I'm very thankful to train a horse like this who has such a high quality pedigree and is owned and bred by one of the most historic farms in the world,” trainer Tom Drury Jr. said.

Sprawl, a 4-year-old son of City Zip, was made the 3-1 co-second choice on the morning line in Saturday's 1 1/8-mile Blame Stakes. He'll be making his 14th-career start and fourth start since being transferred from trainer Bill Mott to Drury.

“We were very impressed with how well he won in his last start,” Drury said. “The timing from that allowance race set up perfectly to try him in stakes company again. Hopefully he can repeat his allowance win on Saturday.”

Sprawl recorded his third career victory May 9 at Churchill Downs with a front-running 7 ¼-length win in a 1 1/16-mile conditioned allowance event. The chestnut colt tried stakes company four times while in the care of Mott and recently finished fourth by three-quarters of a length in the $150,000 Ben Ali (Grade 3) at Keeneland where he was defeated by fellow Blame rivals Silver Dust and Night Ops.

Saturday's Blame Stakes, which will go as Race 6 with a post time of 3:18 p.m., is a prep for the $600,000 Stephen Foster (G2) on June 26 at Churchill Downs. The Stephen Foster is a “Win and You're In” race for the Nov. 6 Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) at Del Mar.

The Blame is one of seven stakes events on Saturday's stellar 11-race card. The others are the $150,000 Audubon (Race 5), $150,000 Shawnee (Race 7), $150,000 Regret (G3) (Race 8), $150,000 Matt Winn (G3) (Race 9), $150,000 Aristides (Listed) (Race 10) and $110,000 Douglas Park Overnight Stakes (Race 11). The program gets underway at 12:45 p.m.

The field for the Blame (from the rail out with jockey, trainer and morning line odds):

Mighty Heart (James Graham, Josie Carroll, 12-1)
Sprawl (Brian Hernandez Jr., Drury, 3-1)
Night Ops (Florent Geroux, Brad Cox, 5-2)
Guest Suite (Manny Esquivel, Cipriano Contreras, 12-1)
American Dubai (David Cohen, Robertino Diodoro, 6-1)
South Bend (Tyler Gaffalione, Bill Mott. 6-1)
Silver Dust (Adam Beschizza, Bret Calhoun, 3-1).

Saturday's National Weather Service forecast in Louisville calls for unseasonably mild temperatures with a high near 63 degrees and mostly cloudy skies.

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