Exotics Plays for the Ack Ack Stakes

A very competitive field of eight will vie in Saturday’s $400,000 Ack Ack (G3) at Churchill Downs. The one-mile test, contested around one turn, features a full cast of accomplished stakes winners, including my top pick, 2025 Tampa Bay Derby (G3) victor #3 Owen Almighty (7-2). Trained by Brian Lynch, the bay colt tailed off following his big win in Tampa last season but has come back with fine form this season, led by two good runs in succession. 

Ack Ack Exotics

• $5 exacta key box 3 with 4,6 ($20)
• $3 trifecta key 3 with 4,6,8 ($18)
• $.50-cent superfecta box 3,4,6,8 ($12)

Owen Almighty closed well from off the pace to be a clear second in the Hanshins (G3) on this oval two back, which preceded a wire-to-wire score in the Cowboy Jones S. at Ellis Park in his latest venture. The four-year-old has finished first or second in each of his four career tries at the eight-furlong distance, and he has arguably never been better in advance of this race. Francisco Arrieta will ride the versatile top pick. 

Morning-line choice #4 Bishops Bay (9-5) has a fantastic 17-10-5-0 career mark for trainer Brad Cox and is a must-use in the heat. The six-year-old son of Uncle Mo is a multiple graded-stakes hero and a distance specialist with a 6-4-2-0 mark at one mile in his lifetime. Purchased for $1.3 million in November, the bay is consistently very good and a fine fit at the level for his Churchill Downs debut. Tyler Gaffalione inherits the mount. 

#6 Coal Battle (8-1) is winless since eclipsing the 2025 Rebel (G2), but he has run some big ones in the interim and could get an ideal voyage in the contest. The Lonnie Briley pupil has been pretty good in his last two performances, and the late runner could get a fine voyage in a field with plenty of early speed in the mix. Juan Vargas will take the reins and have this one making one run late. 

Jimmy DiVito’s #8 Nu What’s New (3-1) bagged the Hanshin on the course in his latest performance and comes in fresh for the contest. The Munnings gelding has shown major improvement since moving out from sprint distances and has what could be an ideal outside post slot to aid his running style with the pace to his inside. The Kentucky-bred bay will force the action from the break with Luis Saez in the irons.