It’s a little difficult to believe the Sept. 30 Ack Ack Stakes (G3) was the first graded stakes win for Barry and Joni Butzow’s Zozos . The 4-year-old was a contender in the 2022 Kentucky Derby (G1) and had won six of his ten starts, including two stakes, leading into the Ack Ack.
Trainer Brad Cox echoed the sentiment.
“He was a very accomplished horse to not have a won a graded stakes so this was a big breakthrough for him today.”
Seizing command only a few strides from the gate, as is typical for the frontrunning son of Munnings , Zozos, flanked throughout the first six furlongs by Caddo River , zipped through early fractions of :23.69, :47.10 , and 1:11.41. Turning for home, Caddo River gave way as Zozos surged into a fresh gear, opening up two lengths down the lane and fending off the late challenges of Stage Raider and Three Technique to score by a length.
Under regular pilot Florent Geroux, Zozos ($3.54) stopped the timer in 1:35.32.
- In his graded stakes debut, John Gunther’s Stage Raider finished second by a length over Three Technique.
- Zozos earned an automatic berth to the Nov. 4 Breeder’s Cup Dirt Mile (G1) at Santa Anita Park by virtue of his win in the Ack Ack, which is part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series: Win and You’re In.
- The Butzows’ homebred was exiting a fourth-place finish in the Iselin Stakes (G3) at Monmouth Park.
What They Said
“I was concerned with him after the Monmouth race because I was watching him train in Saratoga and I loved how he was training. We were hoping to finally make him a graded stakes winner but it wasn’t to be that day. We brought him back here and looked him over and he was fine. We marched forward. I liked what I saw from him, I liked what I saw from his works.
He’s a good horse and we’ll see how he bounces out of this and if he wants to be on a plane to California” -Brad Cox
More Than Looks Mows Down Rivals in Jefferson Cup
Victory Racing Partners’ More Than Looks rebounded from a third-place finish in the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes (G2T) with a commanding score in the Sept. 30 $200,000 Jefferson Cup Stakes at Churchill Downs.
More Than Looks rallies late to take the Jefferson Cup Stakes at Churchill Downs
The 3-year-old son of More Than Ready bided his time near the back of the pack early as Gaslight Dancer streaked through opening splitss of :23.77 and :47.73. Smokey Mandate , second throughout, was the first to strike and he collared the pacesetter down the lane before a revved-up More Than Looks, swinging six-wide around the turn, barreled by that foe in the final furlong. Under steady encouragement from jockey Cristian Torres, the colt kicked clear by 2 3/4 lengths.
More Than Looks ($5.26) raced the 1 1/8 miles on a firm turf course in 1:36.55. Runner-up Smokey Mandate was 3 1/2 lengths clear of Worthington in third.
Trained by Cherie DeVaux, the colt recorded his second stakes victory after taking Belmont Park‘s Manila Stakes (G3T) July 7.
Video: Ack Ack S. (G3)
Video: Jefferson Cup S. (BT)
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