In the past four season of this event with the exception of 2017 in which Sanny Village took four year old Edwin Drood to the winner’s enclosure with the event record time of 1:47.68, Mb Stables has won three of those titles, all with three year olds. Dan will send out two more sophomores this season to try and reclaim this event.

• Lucas Classic ( Grade III ) P3- Purse $250.000
• Churchill Downs- For Three years old and Up.
• One Mile and one eighth- Main Track
• Sept. 28th, 2019

Weights- Three years old- 121 Older – 124

Changes- None

Eight entries will go postward here at Churchill on Saturday, with two entries coming from Mb Stables, and another two from Maxmillion Farm. As previously mentioned in the outline of this event, the only two sophomores will once again be sent out from Mb Stables, taking advantage of the three pound allowance. Glitter Deity and No Doubting You will break next to each other from posts six and seven respectively. Glitter Deity has won three of his seven starts this season, two being Graded company events. The slop was not agreeable in his bid for the Derby, but he rebounded from that affair to post a 100 SRF figure in his win of the Gr. III Dominion Day Stakes up at WO. Is the top money winner this season against this group and that should definitely give merit to his ability to do well here. His stablemate No Doubting You has just three starts in his career being unraced as a juvenile, but has two wins and a respectable third for his efforts. Should be one to be mixing things up here early keeping the pace honest, and that may set things up for his entry mate to come cleaning up late down the stretch.

Maxmillion Farm will be sending out the duo of Xmas Snow and K T Warrior from posts two and three. Xmas Snow is a four year old bay who has remained winless since February when he took home the Gr. III TAM Stakes. He has been a turf regular and all of his top three efforts have come over that footing. We have to look back to May 2017 to his maiden opener for his only dirt event in which he was claimed. Last four morning works have come over the dirt and they have been respectful. I am undecided at this point. His stablemate K T Warrior has started in just three events this season with his last two coming back on the main track. He would finish sixth in both of those events, one being the Gr. II Suburban Hdcp. in which he did make a closing effort going a mile and a quarter.His most recent he tried to steal the event on the front end, but gave way to late closers. Instructions will be the key for this affair, but he may just finish on the edges once again.

From the rail will be Nakamura Stables Eclipse My Knowledge. This four year old is coming off a victory in the $85 Brubaker Stakes over at DelMar. Has two wins and two runner-up efforts in his six starts this season and has done well closing at the mile distance. The added eighth here should work well for him and Santana does like to run on late as a rider.

From post four will be Diablo Diablo’s Crush Spebrate. Another four year old in this group who had some success over the grass surface in two affairs this season, then placed fourth last time out in the Gr. III Seagrams Cup missing by just three quarters of a length by the wire in that mile and a sixteenth affair. Another who should appreciate the slightly longer distance to put in an effective late charge once again.

The elder of this group will be Smokey Stover’s five year old horse State Police. Since winning the Gr. I Pegasus World Cup in his opener of the season, this wily veteran has not dropped out of the top two graded level races since. Stepping down to this Gr. III level may come as a welcome change for him, and his past two events over this track surface has earned him a 100 and a 102 SRF rating in those races, the most recent being the Gr. II Alysheba missing by a neck. Definitely has the class to make a difference here.

From outside post number eight will break Royal Eclipse from Chili King Stables. He is winless in six starts this season after placing in the money 80 percent of the time last season. Three starts ago over this very track as an 84-1 longshot he was able to place second by only a head in the Gr. II Foster Hdcp. while earning a 101 SRF rating to boot. Did close smartly four weeks ago in the Gr. I Woodward at today’s distance, and he will need some form of placing here to get back on track. Outsider.

Duffer’s Picks – 6-5-4

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES