Bishops Bay withstands Coal Battle in Ack Ack; Dragoon Guard back to form in Lukas Classic

KAS Stables’ Bishops Bay made his final prep for the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) a winning one in Saturday’s $399,000 Ack Ack (G3) at Churchill Downs, repelling the late-charging Coal Battle by a head.

Winner of last fall’s Cigar Mile (G2), Bishops Bay recorded his sixth graded stakes victory and pushed his earnings past $2.85 million. Tyler Gaffalione, who won six races on the program, picked up the mount aboard the son of Uncle Mo and Brad Cox trains.

“We’re really proud of that effort today,” Cox said. “He had to dig down and really fight. He’s a very talented horse, and he showed every bit of that today getting the job done.”

Bishops Bay, exiting a win in the Philip H. Iselin (G3) at Monmouth Park on Aug. 15, left the Ack Ack starting gate as 2.84-1 third choice among seven runners. 

After showing the way during the opening stages, Bishops Bay conceded the advantage to Macho Music. He tracked an up-close second until being given his cue on the far turn, powering into the stretch with a clear lead, but Coal Battle came rallying into the frame and drew even in deep stretch. However, Bishops Bay kept finding more, finishing the one-turn mile in 1:34.51.

“I didn’t plan on being in front, but he broke so alertly that I just had to try and get along with him from there,” Gaffalione said. “He had a lot of challengers come up to him but fought back each one. It just showed how classy he is.”

Coal Battle wound up a length clear of Owen Almighty in third. 

“He ran such a big race, and we’re very proud of him,” trainer Lonnie Briley said of the runner-up. “He had his nose down right before the wire and just after. He ran his heart out.”

East Avenue came next in fifth, followed by 2-1 favorite Nu What’s New, Prince of Power, and Macho Music.

Bred in Kentucky by WinStar Farm, Bishops Bay sold to KAS Stables (Talal al Shuraym) for $1.3 million at last November’s Keeneland November sale and remained under the care of Cox. His career ledger reads 18-11-5-0.

One race after the Ack Ack, Juddmonte Farms’ homebred Dragoon Guard provided Cox a sweep of the graded stakes on Saturday’s program, drawing off to a 3 1/4-length victory in the $498,000 Lukas Classic (G2). Gaffalione was up on the gray five-year-old horse.

Dragoon Guard reeled off four consecutive wins in 2024, including the Indiana Derby (G3) and West Virginia Derby (G3), but the Lukas Classic marked his first win since the latter. The son of Arrogate stalked an up-close third along the backstretch and made his move to the lead on the far turn, entering the stretch with a widening advantage, and Dragoon Guard went on to complete 1 1/8 miles in 1:48.35.

“It had been a while since he’d won a graded stakes after what he accomplished (as a three-year-old),” Cox said. “He didn’t accomplish quite what we hoped at 4, and it had been somewhat of the same story this year. But he paired two strong figures in his last two races…He came into today in good form, had trained well, and we felt like we were going to get a good run out of him. I thought it was very impressive.”

Only five went to the starting gate after a pair of scratches, and Dragoon Guard was off as the 3.47-1 third choice. Chunk of Gold, who set the pace on a short lead, held second, a length better than This Is Uscar in third. Tiztastic, the 9-5 favorite, and Banishing completed the order.

Dragoon Guard has now earned nearly $1.3 million from a 17-7-5-2 record.

Gaffalione became the 13th jockey to win six races in a day at Churchill Downs, missing the record by one win. He rode Dragoon Guard for the first time Saturday.

“It’s been a really special day winning six races and two stakes,” Gaffalione said. “(The Lukas Classic) is always very special, and I’m thankful to the connections for letting me ride (Dragoon Guard). He made a big run for me.”