The Road to the 2024 Breeders’ Cup makes one final stop under the Twin Spires Saturday evening for the Ack Ack Stakes, a “Win and You’re In” Challenge Series qualifier for the Big Ass Fans Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile Nov. 2 at Del Mar.

Named after the Hall of Famer who excelled during the late 1960s and early 1970s, the Grade 3 Ack Ack is held around a one-turn mile at Churchill Downs. This year’s event could very well be run on a wet track, as heavy rain is expected to deluge the commonwealth for most of the weekend caused by remnants of Hurricane Helene making the way northward.

1. Tumbarumba (6-1 morning-line odds): Returns to the track after a three-month break, last seen finishing a game second behind Cagliostro in the listed Hanshin Stakes June 30 at this track and distance. Has been working well at Churchill, a track on which he’s 2-for-4 lifetime with one second and one third. Expect a big effort at appealing odds.

JOCKEY: Luis Saez; TRAINER: Brian Lynch

2. Stage Raider (15-1): Emerged around this time last year with a pair of strong races, an easy win in the listed R.A. Cowboy Jones Stakes at Ellis Park and then a good runner-up effort behind Zozos in the Ack Ack. Since then, though, he’s failed to hit the board in five straight starts and finished last of eight, defeated by 21 ¾ lengths, in his most recent race at Monmouth Park going a mile and an eighth. Would be a big surprise. 

JOCKEY: Brian Hernandez Jr.; TRAINER: Cherie DeVaux

3. Cagliostro (7-2): Rising star trainer Cherie DeVaux has a much better chance with this contender than with Stage Raider, as he’s won two of four starts this year, including the one-turn-mile Hanshin Stakes here in late June over Tumbarumba. He subsequently finished fourth in the Grade 1 Forego Stakes going seven furlongs at Saratoga. He stumbled at the start of the Forego and was well out of it early before making up some ground in the stretch. A win contender if he rebounds.

JOCKEY: Jose Ortiz; TRAINER: Cherie DeVaux

4. Mufasa (4-1): Chilean-bred dominated his opponents through 10 starts in his home country, winning eight of them, and then shook off a sixth-place debut at Churchill June 30 by posting an impressive 3 ¾-length victory in a seven-furlong allowance optional-claiming race on dirt at Colonial Downs Aug. 12. Has returned to Kentucky to train, but he’s cross-entered in the Vosburgh Stakes Saturday in New York (a “Win and You’re In” race for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint) and might ship north. Figure he’s got a better chance to stay home and run here, where he’s a win threat if he can handle the class hike.

JOCKEY: Tyler Gaffalione; TRAINER: Ignacio Correas IV

Saudi Crown (Coady Media)

5. Three Technique (15-1): Workmanlike runner hasn’t shown much in four starts this year at age 7, although he was making up some late ground last out in the R.A. Cowboy Jones Stakes at Ellis to check in fifth, 4 ¼ lengths behind Saudi Crown. A grinding type who tries hard and finished third in last year’s Ack Ack. That’s once again his ceiling against this group.

JOCKEY: Rafael Bejarano; TRAINER: Jason Cook

6. Big Blue Line (20-1): Maryland-bred gelding was claimed by William Walden after a second-place finish in a 1 1/16-mile allowance optional-claiming race June 29 at Churchill. In his first start in a new barn, he rallied late to defeat graded stakes winner Rocket Can by a neck going one mile at Saratoga on Aug. 23. He had assembled a decent career prior to the claim competing mainly in allowance races and posting a runner-up finish to Stage Raider last year in the R.A. Cowboy Jones Stakes. He’s in better form than that rival, but still an outsider. Big Blue Line is supplemented to this race and is also cross-entered in Saturday’s California Crown John Henry Turf Championship Stakes Presented by 1/ST BET at Santa Anita Park, a 1 ¼-mile turf event.

JOCKEY: Luan Machado; TRAINER: William Walden

7. Saudi Crown (4-5): Heavy morning-line favorite based on a front-running win last out in the one-mile Aug. 11 R.A. Cowboy Jones Stakes at Ellis Park. He also was a very good third earlier this year in the 1 1/8-mile, $20 million Saudi Cup half a world away, where he nearly held on before yielding to Senor Buscador and Ushba Tesoro. He’s got a big class edge against this group but is far from invincible. Would benefit if pace-pressing Mufasa is withdrawn, and also has the best wet-track form in this field, having won the Pennsylvania Derby and finished second by a nose in the Jim Dandy Stakes Presented by DK Horse last year on sloppy tracks.

JOCKEY: Florent Geroux; TRAINER: Brad Cox

THE PICK: Cagliostro

LIVE LONGSHOT: Tumbarumba

SUPERFECTA: 3-7-1-5