The Player seeks first stakes victory in Ack Ack

Some horses hold favoritism over others around the barn and those sentiments are echoed nearly every day in trainer William “Buff” Bradley’s shedrow with 4-year-old colt The Player, the 5-1 co-third choice in Saturday’s 25th running of the $100,000 Ack Ack (Grade III) at Churchill Downs.

“He’s such a funny horse around the barn,” Bradley said. “He literally acts like a dog sometimes. He sits in his stall, which you don’t see a horse do. As he’s grown up, he’s always had quite the personality. One of the funny things he does is lie down in his stall with his head sticking out below the webbing to make sure he isn’t missing anything walking by him.”

Owned and bred by Bradley in partnership with Carl Hurst and Buff’s late father Fred, the 4-year-old son of Street Hero comes from a deep-rooted home-grown pedigree. The Player is out of the broodmare Hour Queen, whose mother, Town Queen, was Bradley’s first stakes winner.

“I’ve had a lot of horses with this type of pedigree,” Bradley said. “Town Queen’s mother (Regal Export) produced King of Speed and Chief Export. All three are black-type horses. The family matures late so we’re hoping that is the case with (The Player).”

The Player first tested stakes company in the 2016 Indiana Derby (GII) and was narrowly defeated by the Bob Baffert-trained Cupid. Almost a year on the sidelines thereafter, The Player finished third in the $70,000 Kelly’s Landing on closing night of the Spring Meet at Churchill Downs. After a disappointing sixth-place effort in the $200,000 West Virginia Governor’s Stakes, the colt received a confidence-booster on Aug. 27 in a one-mile allowance race at Ellis Park and comfortably defeated a field of seven by two lengths in 1:35.16, finishing less than a second off the track record of 1:34.41.

“He’s really been training great since that race,” Bradley said. “I think the outside post will actually help us Saturday so I’m pretty pleased with that. If he runs like he’s training I think he’s sitting on a big effort.”

Jockey Calvin Borel, who has a record four victories in the Ack Ack, has the call on The Player.

The race for 3-year-olds and up over the track’s one-turn mile distance is one of three stakes events scheduled on the penultimate racing program of the 11-day September Meet. Also on the Saturday schedule are the fifth running of the $200,000 Lukas Classic (GIII), a 1 1/8-mile race for 3-year-olds and up, and the $100,000 Jefferson Cup (Listed), a 1 1/8 mile event for 3-year-olds on the Matt Winn Turf Course. The Ack Ack is scheduled as the 10th of 11 races on the program that begins at 12:45 p.m. (all times Eastern). Post time for the Ack Ack is scheduled for 5:20 p.m.