Ack Ack- Grade III
1 mile Dirt Stake Purse $400.000 Three-Year-Olds And Upward. At CD
Ack Ack was introduced in 2005 as a $100.000 race and fluctuated to today’s $400.000. The first edition was won by 5 A Racing’s The Eleven which didn’t have a brilliant racing career but did go on to a lengthy career at stud. That first year was run at 7 1/2 furlongs and a couple of years it was run at 1 1/16 miles, otherwise, always a mile. Of the players, only one has multiple wins, that is Nakamura Stables who has won three times. In today’s running, I like it as a rematch of the Iselin Stakes between Schopenhauer and Distant Breeze where Schopenhauer won by a length. Today I’m predicting Distant Breeze will turn the tables and redeem his loss as favourite. But there are plenty of others with a say, including last year’s BC Dirt Mile winner Lunar Victory. So, let’s take a look:
Horse Owner Odds SRF
Distant Breeze The Sidley Stud 3-1 103
Schopenhauer Maxmillion Farm *2-1 101
Black Swan Event Team 7 Illusions 4-1 97
Capiche Robeth 6-1 103
Themefrom Antarctica Ajm Stables 5-1 97
Excogitator Family Racing 8-1 102
Lunar Victory Mb Stables 6-1 95
1 Black Swan Event Team 7 Illusions 87
As a nonbeliever in gelding, I could almost have my beliefs changed by these performances since Black Swan Event’s gelding, but we shall see, maybe it was the Lasix. In any event, that one-length victory in the $300.000 ELP Derby puts this lightly raced three-year-old right in the middle of this fray. With sharp works and a weight allowance, I have him in the top three.
2 Distant Breeze The Sidley Stud 103
Second in the grade one WO Mile on turf last out and winner of the $300.000 Hanshin at a mile and the grade three Sexton Mile and nearly unbeatable recent form, I just have to put this horse on top of my handicap. He may not be the favourite here, but he sure will be the one to beat on any surface at a mile.
3 Lunar Victory Mb Stables 95
Now, what we have here is the winner of last year’s BC Dirt Mile, and as recently as March he won a mile stakes in the grade two GP Mile. But recently he’s been off on longer hunts and his last two have gone rather badly. So, the question is, how is he doing today? Is he March 1st Lunar Victory or March 29th Lunar Victory?
4 Themefrom Antarctica Ajm Stables 97
Deep closing third in the Hanshin makes Themefrom Antarctica a factor here and he was just behind Distant Breeze in the grade three Iselin Stakes, so he’s doing pretty well for his fairly new home. I was surprised to see him go up for claim so soon after winning a grade three stakes, and I reckon he’s well on his way to paying back his claim price if not done already. A chance to add on here.
5 Schopenhauer Maxmillion Farm 101
Although he’s been tackling longer lately, Schopenhauer looks to be the favourite here based on his victory over Distant Breeze in the Iselin Stakes in his last start. Now that he has reached the graded level, he has been making his presence known and has won two of his last three. His savvy trainer has him burning up the mornings for this breezing numbers others are being pushed to.
6 Excogitator Family Racing 102
Family Racing claimed this gelding from Jerry Garcia Racing for $20.000 and almost immediately headed into stakes races with him sprinting. Three races after purchase, they ran second in the grade three True North at SAR and followed that with victories in the $150.000 Hall Memorial Stakes at ELP and the grade two OBrien Stakes at DMR. Now, all this sprinting; can he take this caliber on at a mile?
7 Capiche Robeth 103 As a three-year-old Capiche spent all his time routing. Then Fractious auctioned him off for $100.010, and he went back to sprinting. So, here we are. He sprinted his way up to this race and won the grade one Forego with an impressive come from behind win. Does he have that kind of run in him for a mile? He could. History shows he runs on the lead or off pace, whatever is needed. One thing I know, he’s not going to see those big odds again today.
Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES