Churchill Downs: Lukas Classic contenders train on sloppy track

Mystik Dan, winner of the 2024 Kentucky Derby, and Hit Show, defending winner of the Grade 2 Lukas Classic, continued their preparations for Saturday’s $500,000 Lukas Classic by training over a sloppy, sealed surface Wednesday morning at Churchill Downs.

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Mystik Dan was out shortly after 6 a.m. EDT with retired jockey Robby Albarado in the irons and galloped in the rain for trainer Kenny McPeek. Regular jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. sustained seven broken ribs, a punctured lung and a lacerated liver Sunday when his mount Sgt. Garcia had a catastrophic injury in the third race at Churchill Downs.

Hernandez underwent surgery Tuesday to stabilize his ribs and is expected to return home from University of Louisville Hospital Trauma Center in the coming days. As of Wednesday morning, a replacement rider for Mystik Dan in the Lukas Classic was not confirmed.

Mystik Dan is the 5-2 morning-line favorite in Saturday’s race and will break from post 5

Hit Show, who captured last year’s Lukas Classic and the $12 million Dubai World Cup (G1) earlier this spring, also made an appearance early Wednesday and galloped for trainer Brad Cox.

“He’s always been a horse who gets a lot out of his training and works well over this surface,” Cox said. “His works into this race have been very good. He moves well over this track, and he gets to run out of his own stall on Saturday. Our long-term goal is to try to get him back to Dubai. We’re not exactly sure what path it will take this year, but Saturday’s race is a good steppingstone to start him on that road again.”

The Lukas Classic, the centerpiece of Churchill Downs’ September meet, will be run Saturday as race 10 of 11 at 5:29 p.m. First post is 12:45 p.m.

In the Lukas Classic field, Charles Town Classic (G2) runner-up Willy D’s was cross-entered in Saturday’s Woodward Stakes (G2) at Belmont At the Big A. Trainer Mike Maker reported Wednesday that the 4-year-old gelding will run Saturday at Churchill Downs.