Bradester Pointing to Lukas Classic

Joseph Sutton's Bradester, upset winner of the $500,000 Stephen Foster Handicap (gr. I) in June, will be looking for another victory over the Churchill Downs main track when he makes his next start in the $175,000 Lukas Classic on Saturday, Oct. 1. 

The 6-year-old son of Lion Heart, who breezed a half-mile in :48.67 at Saratoga Race Course on Sept. 23, will be making his first Churchill start since his Stephen Foster triumph, where he earned an automatic berth into the $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) Nov. 5 at Santa Anita  Park as a part of the Breeders' Cup "Win & You're In Classic Division" Challenge. Whether or not he takes advantage of said berth depends on his performance on Oct. 1, says trainer Eddie Kenneally. 

"We may do that but we're not sure yet," Kenneally said. "We'll just see how he runs. He came out of the race at Saratoga real good and he's been doing great up there so we went ahead and kept him up there."

Bradester will come into the Lukas Classic off a well-beaten eighth behind Shaman Ghost in the $600,000 Woodward (gr. I) Sept. 3 at Saratoga. However, he's found the winner's circle in his three other starts this year. Aside from his Stephen Foster triumph, he scored a pair of stakes wins at Monmouth Park in May's $77,500 Majestic Light Stakes and July's $200,000 Monmouth Cup (gr. II).