Lukas Classic | Horse Racing Free Tips

Knicks Go Has Home-Field Advantage In Saturday’s Lukas Classic

Korea Racing Authority's Knicks Go, the top-ranked horse in the NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll after convincing wins in this year's Pegasus World Cup (G1) at Gulfstream Park and Whitney (G1) at Saratoga, was made the overwhelming 2-5 morning line favorite in Saturday's $400,000 Lukas Classic (Grade 3) at Churchill Downs – his final test before tackling the $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) on Nov. 6 at Del Mar.

“He's a horse that puts a lot into his training and he's done that leading into Saturday's race,” trainer Brad Cox said. “He's accomplished a lot this year and we believe the Lukas Classic is a good race to compete in prior to the Breeders' Cup. This race doesn't require him to ship and he can run out of his own stall.”

Knicks Go (22-8-3-1—$5,368,995) had a strong 1 ½-mile gallop early Thursday morning prior to schooling in the paddock at 10 a.m. The Maryland-bred competed four times at Churchill Downs while under the care of trainer Ben Colebrook but has not recorded victory beneath the Twin Spires.

Knicks Go is scheduled to face five rivals in the 1 1/8-mile Lukas Classic including Juddmonte's multiple graded stakes winning homebred Tacitus. The gray son of Tapit arrived to trainer Bill Mott's Churchill Downs base earlier in the week from Saratoga. Saturday's race will be the first time Tacitus has competed since finishing seventh in the $20 million Saudi Cup (GI) in February.

The Lukas Classic is carded as the eighth race on Saturday's 11-race program. First post is 12:45 p.m. (all times Eastern) and the Lukas Classic will go at 4:22 p.m. Named after Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, the race shares the Saturday spotlight with the $300,000 Ack Ack (GIII), which goes as Race 10 at 5:26 p.m.

The complete field for the Lukas Classic from the rail out (with jockey, trainer and morning line odds): New Orleans Classic (G2) winner Chess Chief (James Graham, Dallas Stewart, 20-1); Knicks Go (Joel Rosario, Cox, 2-5); $3.7 million earner Tacitus (Jose Lezcano, Mott, 5-2); multiple stakes winner Shared Sense (Brian Hernandez Jr., Cox, 15-1); Pegasus World Cup third Independence Hall (Javier Castellano, Michael McCarthy, 10-1); and West Virginia Governor's (G3) winner Sprawl (Joe Talamo, Tommy Drury Jr., 12-1).

Wagering is available on www.TwinSpires.com, the official ADW of Churchill Downs Incorporated and its family of racetracks.

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Top-Rated Knicks Go Leads Field Of Six In Saturday’s Lukas Classic

Korea Racing Authority's Knicks Go, the top-rated horse for this year's Breeders' Cup Classic (Grade 1), headlines a compact field of six accomplished older horses that entered Saturday's $400,000 Lukas Classic (G3) at Churchill Downs – the marquee race on closing weekend of the September Meet.

The Lukas Classic, which could serve as a final prep prior to the $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic on Nov. 6 at Del Mar, was carded as the eighth race on Saturday's 11-race program. First post is 12:45 p.m. (all times Eastern) and the Lukas Classic will go at 4:22 p.m. Named after Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, the 1 1/8-mile race shares the Saturday spotlight with the $300,000 Ack Ack (G3), which goes as Race 10 at 5:26 p.m.

Trained by Brad Cox, Knicks Go won last year's $1 million Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) to close his 4-year-old campaign. The now 5-year-old son of Paynter started the year with a 2 ¾-length victory in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup (G1) at Gulfstream Park and will enter the Lukas Classic following his dominating 4 ½-length score in the $1 million Whitney (G1) at Saratoga.

Knicks Go has competed four times at Churchill Downs but has yet to record a win beneath the historic Twin Spires. The speedy Maryland-bred's career record is comprised of 22 starts with eight wins, three seconds and one third with purse earnings of $5,368,995. Jockey Joel Rosario, who has ridden Knicks Go in his last eight starts, will have the call Saturday from post No. 2.

Chief among Knicks Go's competition in the Lukas Classic is multiple Grade 2 winner Tacitus. The Juddmonte homebred is scheduled to make his first start since his seventh-place effort in the $20 million Saudi Cup (G1) on Feb. 20. Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, the 5-year-old son of Tapit has recorded graded stakes triumphs in the Tampa Bay Derby (G2), Wood Memorial (G2) and Suburban (G2). New York-based jockey Jose Lezcano will travel to Churchill Downs Saturday for the mount from post 3.

Also entered is Claiborne Farm and Adele B. Dilschneider's $200,000 West Virginia Governor's Cup (G3) winner Sprawl. Trained by Tommy Drury Jr., Sprawl gamely prevailed by 1 ¾ lengths in the Aug. 7 West Virginia Governor's Cup under jockey Joe Talamo. The chestnut colt by City Zip will have Talamo in the irons for Saturday's affair from post 6.

The complete field for the Lukas Classic from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):

New Orleans Classic (GII) winner Chess Chief (James Graham, Dallas Stewart)
Knicks Go (Rosario, Cox)
Tacitus (Lezcano, Mott)
multiple stakes winner Shared Sense (Brian Hernandez Jr., Cox)
Pegasus World Cup third Independence Hall (Javier Castellano, Michael McCarthy)
Sprawl (Talamo, Drury)

Fans who are unable to make it to Churchill Downs for the races can download and watch all the action on the Churchill Downs LIVE app. The Churchill Downs LIVE app is available free of charge on Amazon, Apple TV and Roku and features full access to the HD live stream of the Churchill Downs simulcast signal and three additional angles including the Saddling Paddock.

Action from Saturday's card at Churchill Downs is also scheduled to air from 12:30-6:30 p.m. on Fox Sports 2 as part of “America's Day at the Races.”

Wagering is available on www.TwinSpires.com, the official ADW of Churchill Downs Incorporated and its family of racetracks.

The final Twilight Thursday presented by Blue Moon of the calendar year will kick off closing week of the September Meet. Thursday's eight-race card has a first post of 5 p.m. and features $1 Blue Moon and select domestic beer, local food trucks and live music from Roadie. Racing on Friday-Sunday will have a first post of 12:45 p.m. Tickets and more information for racing this week can be found at www.ChurchillDowns.com/tickets.

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Cox Plans To Train Essential Quality Up To Breeders’ Cup Classic

Trainer Brad Cox will not start juvenile champion Essential Quality again before the Breeders' Cup Classic, reports the Daily Racing Form. Instead, the 3-year-old son of Tapit will train up to the race at his home base of Churchill Downs.

“The plan is to have all his works here,” Cox told DRF. “He'll pretty much work every Saturday from here on in until we leave for Del Mar. It's 10 weeks from the Travers to the Classic, and that's just fine.”

This year, Essential Quality has racked up wins in the G3 Southwest, G2 Blue Grass, G1 Belmont, G2 Jim Dandy, and G1 Travers Stakes. His only loss came in the Kentucky Derby, in which the colt finished fourth, beaten one length at the wire.

Conversely, the champion's stablemate Knicks Go will have his final Breeders' Cup prep in the Lukas Classic on Oct. 2 at Churchill.

Knicks Go Remains Atop NTRA Poll As Connections Weigh Final Breeders’ Cup Preps

Korea Racing Authority's 5-year-old Knicks Go retained his No. 1 rating in the NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll for the sixth straight week as there were no changes in the overall Top 10.

Trained by Brad Cox, Knicks Go received 20 first-place votes (one more top vote than last week) and 333 points. Knicks Go is expected to make his final start prior to the Nov. 5-6 Breeders' Cup World Championships in the $400,000 Lukas Classic at Churchill Downs on Oct. 2.

St. George Stable's 5-year-old mare Letruska is in second place with six first-place votes and 312 points. Letruska has won five races this year for trainer Fausto Gutierrez, including the Grade 1 Personal Ensign at Saratoga and the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps at Belmont Park.

Godolphin's 3-year-old Essential Quality, who won the Runhappy Travers Stakes at Saratoga on August 28, remained in third place with 10 first-place votes and 304 points. Also trained by Cox, Essential Quality was last year's Eclipse Award winner as Champion Two-Year-Old Male.

Michael Lund Petersen's 4-year-old filly Gamine, winner of the Grade 1 Ketel One Ballerina Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 28, remained in fourth place for the third consecutive week with 164 points.

Godolphin's 4-year-old Maxfield, winner of the Grade 2 Stephen Foster Stakes at Churchill Downs and second in the Whitney, is in fifth place with 152 points.

Rounding out the top 10 is George Hall's Max Player (132 points), Klaravich Stable's Domestic Spending (114), Kirk and Judy Robison's Jackie's Warrior (106), Shadwell Stable's Malathaat (90) and Winchell Thoroughbred's and Willis Horton Racing's Silver State (55).

Click here for this week's complete poll results.

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