Churchill Downs News Updates: Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026

Sep 23, 2026

Terry Stephens’ Grade III winner Chunk of Gold will attempt to become racing’s newest millionaire Saturday as the 2-1 favorite in the $500,000 Lukas Classic (Grade II) at Churchill Downs.

Trained by Ethan West, Chunk of Gold has earned $951,511 with three wins, seven runner-up finishes and one third from 13 starts. The 4-year-old son of Preservationist needs just $48,489 to surpass $1 million.

“When you buy a horse for $2,500, you’re hoping he can win some races and give you some fun,” West said. “You don’t expect him to take you to the Kentucky Derby, win a graded stakes and get this close to earning $1 million. What he’s done for Terry and everyone in our barn has been remarkable.”

Initially purchased by Chris Melton at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale, Chunk of Gold caught the attention of Stephens, who acquired half-interest before the colt’s debut and purchased the remaining interest after he won his first start.

“There wasn’t anything about him that screamed he was going to become this type of horse,” West said. “He was athletic, moved well and looked like he could develop with some time. From there, he kept improving and gave us more every time we raised the bar.”

Following a seven-month layoff to start his 4-year-old year, Chunk of Gold returned June 28 at Churchill Downs and finished second to fellow Lukas Classic entrant This Is Uscar in a 1 1/16-mile allowance race.

He improved in his next start when narrowly defeated by multiple graded stakes winner Bishops Bay in the Aug. 15 Philip H. Iselin (GIII) at Monmouth Park.

“I thought he ran well enough to win at Monmouth,” West said. “He was involved from the start, put his head in front and kept fighting when Bishops Bay challenged him. It was a tough result but the way he competed gave us a lot of confidence moving forward.”

Chunk of Gold had been slated to run in last week’s Jockey Club Gold Cup (GI) in New York before plans shifted to the Lukas Classic.

Saturday’s race will be Chunk of Gold’s fifth start at Churchill Downs, where he has hit the board on three occasions.

“He’s been able to stay in his normal routine at Turfway and Churchill is an easy trip for him,” West said. “He knows the surroundings and has run some of his best races there. We’re happy with how he’s coming into Saturday.”

Chunk of Gold will break from post No. 7 under Jaime Torres as the 2-1 favorite.

“The outside post should give Jaime a chance to see how the race develops and put him in a comfortable position,” West said. “Chunk can be forward without needing the lead and he’s shown he belongs against horses at this level. Now we need him to go out there and run his race.”

Run at 1 1/8 miles, the Lukas Classic shares the afternoon spotlight with the $400,000 Ack Ack (GIII) and $300,000 Bourbon Flight. First post for the 11-race program is 12:45 p.m. (all times Eastern) with the Lukas Classic going as Race 10 at 5:29 p.m.

The field for the Lukas Classic in order of post position (with jockey, trainer and morning line odds):

This Is Uscar (Edgar Morales, Jordan Blair, 8-1)
Dragoon Guard (Tyler Gaffalione, Brad Cox, 9-2)
Tiztastic (Brian Hernandez Jr., Steve Asmussen, 4-1)
Banishing (Francisco Arrieta, David Jacobson, 6-1)
Original Sin (Ben Curtis, Brendan Walsh, 3-1)
McAfee (Luis Saez, George Weaver, 15-1)
Chunk of Gold (Torres, Ethan West, 2-1)
As first reported by Daily Racing Form’s Marcus Hersh, McAfee and Original Sin are scheduled to scratch from the Lukas Classic and instead run in the $300,000 Goodwood Cup (GI) the same day at Santa Anita in Southern California.

BISHOPS BAY SLATED AS 9-5 FAVORITE IN $400,000 ACK ACK; STIMULATE 9-5 CHOICE IN $300,000 BOURBON FLIGHT – Spendthrift Farm, Steve Landers, Martin Schwartz, Michael Dubb, Ten Strike Racing, Jim Bakke, Titletown Racing, Kueber Racing, Big Easy Racing, Rick Kanter, Michael Caruso and WinStar Farm’s multiple graded stakes winner Bishops Bay was tabbed as the 9-5 favorite against seven rivals in Saturday’s 34th running of the $400,000 Ack Ack (Grade III) at Churchill Downs. One race earlier, Claiborne Farm and Adele Dilschneider’s Stimulate was made the 9-5 favorite in the sixth running of the $300,000 Bourbon Flight at Churchill Downs.

Bishops Bay, trained by Brad Cox, enters the Ack Ack following a narrow victory in the Aug. 15 Philip H. Iselin Stakes (GIII) at Monmouth Park. The 6-year-old son of Uncle Mo defeated Chunk of Gold by a neck in the Iselin after missing by a nose to fellow Ack Ack entrant East Avenue in the June 13 Salvator Mile (GIII). Last year, Bishops Bay won the Cigar Mile (GII), Forty Niner Stakes (GIII), Salvator Mile and Westchester Stakes (GIII). He’ll be ridden in the Ack Ack by Tyler Gaffalione and break from post No. 4.

Stimulate is one of two horses in the Bourbon Flight for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, along with Barrett Bernard and Terry Stpehens’ Steel. A 3-year-old son of Tapit, Steel won a first-level allowance contest one month ago at Saratoga as the even-money favorite. He’ll break from post 5 under Luis Saez.

The complete lineup for the Ack Ack from the rail out, which goes as Race 9 at 4:58 p.m. (with jockey, trainer and morning line odds):

Macho Music (Jareth Loveberry, Rohan Crichton, 20-1)
Arrowthegreat (Brian Hernandez Jr., Dan Blacker, 15-1)
Owen Almighty (Francisco Arrieta, Brian Lynch, 7-2)
Bishops Bay (Gaffalione, Cox, 9-5)
Prince of Power (TBA, Jacobson, 30-1)
Coal Battle (Juan Vargas, Lonnie Briley, 8-1)
East Avenue (Cristian Torres, Walsh, 4-1)
Nu What’s New (Luis Saez, DiVito, 3-1)
The complete field for the Bourbon Flight from the rail out, which goes as Race 8 at 4:26 p.m. (with jockey, trainer and morning line odds):

Plutarch (Francisco Arrieta, Bob Baffert, 5-2)
Blackout Time (Brian Hernandez Jr., Kenny McPeek, 6-1)
Steel (Tyler Gaffalione, Mott, 8-1)
Infiltrate (Cristian Torres, Brendan Walsh, 12-1)
Stimulate (Saez, Mott, 9-5)
Local Knowledge (Jaime Torres, Todd Pletcher, 3-1)
DOWN THE STRETCH – Live racing resumed Wednesday for the final five days of the September Meet. First post for the nine-race card was 12:45 p.m. The card featured a $67,965 carryover in the 20-cent Derby City 6 Jackpot and a $7,527 carryover in the $1 Super Hi 5. … The $1 Jackpot 8 with a $383,176 carryover is tabled for Wednesday’s finale because of late scratches and will return Thursday. … Thursday’s final Twilight Thursday of the calendar year will feature $2 domestic beer at all concession stands, local food options from Lotsa Pasta and Big Nita’s Cheesecake and live music by Kevin Jaggers. College students can sign up at the information booth on the second-floor Paddock Terrace for a chance to win $6,000, courtesy of the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association and Kentucky HBPA. First post is 5 p.m. … The temporary rail on the Matt Winn Turf Course will be set in Lane 3, 24 feet from the inside, Wednesday through Friday. It will move to Lane 1 on Saturday and Sunday. … For the latest information about the Churchill Downs September Meet, visit www.churchilldowns.com.