Air Strike Ships to Churchill Downs for Ack Ack Stakes

Air Strike broke though in graded company in late May with a head victory in the Triple Bend Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita Park, but the 4-year-old Street Sense  colt has not been able to recreate that effort in two grade 1 tests since with troubled starts.

Madaket Stables, Slam Dunk Racing, and Michael Nentwig's runner will receive some class relief Sept. 28 when he ships from Phil D'Amato's West Coast base to Churchill Downs for the $150,000 Ack Ack Stakes (G3), a one-mile event on the main track for 3-year-olds and up.

Air Strike has a win and a second from four starts at the Ack Ack distance. His Triple Bend victory was seven furlongs before he shortened up to six and placed fourth in the Bing Crosby Stakes (G1) at Del Mar following crowding at the break. Then he was back at seven to again finish fourth in the Forego Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course after an awkward start. He comes into the Ack Ack off two speedy five-furlong works at Santa Anita: a 1:00 3/5 drill Sept. 22 (ranked eighth of 97 at the distance) and :59 4/5 Sept. 16 (the fastest of 69).

Jockey Florent Geroux will ride the 125-pound highweight from post 2 in the nine-horse field.

Stakes winners Mr Freeze and C Z Rocket are both making their second start off seven-month layoffs.

Mr Freeze, trained by Dale Romans for Jim Bakke and Gerald Isbister, was beaten three-quarters of a length by Mr Darcy in a one-mile allowance Aug. 11 at Ellis Park. That effort followed the To Honor and Serve colt's 4-year-old debut in January when he tried turf at Gulfstream Park, finishing seventh in the Tropical Turf Stakes (G3T). Mr Freeze was an eight-length winner in August 2018 when he led every step of the West Virginia Derby (G3) at Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack & Resort.

Frank Fletcher Racing Operations' C Z Rocket, a 5-year-old son of City Zip trained by Al Stall Jr., got up for third on return Sept. 13 in a six-furlong allowance from the seven-path at Churchill. His last victory came in late June 2018 at the Louisville track, when he was a four-length winner of the seven-furlong Kelly's Landing Stakes.

Two Dimes Stables' Mr Darcy was second behind Recruiting Ready in that Sept. 13 race, one start after defeating Mr Freeze. Trainer Angel O. Montano Sr. has entered the 5-year-old Harlan's Holiday gelding for his stakes debut in the Ack Ack.

Making his first start since December is Woodford Racing's Timeline, winner of the 2017 Peter Pan Stakes (G3) and betfair.com Pegasus Stakes (G3) when he trained by Chad Brown. The son of Hard Spun  last ran seventh in the Dec. 1 Cigar Mile Handicap Presented by NYRA Bets (G1) at Aqueduct Racetrack and will make his 5-year-old debut Saturday with trainer Steve Asmussen.

Asmussen also trains Frederick Hertrich III and Norma McKathan's Unmatchable, who has made four lifetime starts. The 4-year-old Uncle Mo  colt won a one-mile allowance at Ellis by 3 3/4 lengths Aug. 25.

Completing the field is Mr. Jagermeister, a multiple stakes winner bred in Minnesota and a winner of his last three starts; multiple graded stakes-placed Thirstforlife, who stumbled at the start of his last race July 13 at Indiana Grand in the Michael G. Schaefer Memorial Stakes and lost his rider; and 3-year-old Olympic Village, who won a claiming race at Saratoga Aug. 16 and was picked up for a $75,000 tag.

Entries: Ack Ack S. (G3)

Churchill Downs, Saturday, September 28, 2019, Race 7

• Grade III
• 1m
• Dirt
• $150,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 9:05 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Olympic Village (FL)	David Cohen	118	Robert B. Hess, Jr.	20/1
2	2Air Strike (KY)	Florent Geroux	125	Philip D'Amato	7/2
3	3C Z Rocket (FL)	Calvin H. Borel	121	Albert M. Stall, Jr.	8/1
4	4Thirstforlife (KY)	Miguel Mena	121	Wesley E. Hawley	3/1
5	5Mr Darcy (KY)	Jesus Lopez Castanon	121	Angel O. Montano, Sr.	10/1
6	6Mr. Jagermeister (MN)	Leandro D. Goncalves	121	Valorie Lund	6/1
7	7Mr Freeze (KY)	Martin Chuan	121	Dale L. Romans	8/1
8	8Timeline (KY)	Ricardo Santana, Jr.	121	Steven M. Asmussen	3/1
9	9Unmatchable (KY)	Tyler Baze	121	Steven M. Asmussen	15/1