Ack Ack & Lukas Classic ’24 | Tony Calo

One of my favorite races of the year, I think an underrated

thing. Tony, by the way, and thank you

for doing this on what is a spectacular weather day here.

The I love the names of the stakes races in horse racing

just sort of in general like that.

There's one still called the dinner party in Maryland that

the unzip me is being run at Santa Anita tomorrow.

And of course, the old Akak. What a great name for a horse

race, no? Yeah, Akak.

Yeah, I don't really remember Akak too much.

He was a little bit before my time.

My father used to talk about him quite a bit.

I remember in the late 70s and early 80s.

Do you like this? Do you like when the what's your

preference? Like the dinner, the dinner

party sort of name or like more named after horses or people.

You know, I'm, I'm, I'm kind of like the old school.

Yeah, a little bit of both. But it's always nice to see some

of those old school names and you, it gets you to remember

maybe some of your enjoyable youthful days.

I do have those moments. Especially for me, especially

for me, you know, my father passed away when I was a, I'm

getting old. I just had a birthday again this

week. And, you know, my father passed

away when I was like 18. So whenever I see horse names

that I know that would be special to him, it just gives me

a, you know, an extra glow. Yeah.

OK. So birthday, I mean, is there a,

is there a protocol here you like I'm going out to a

restaurant or is it just hey, leave me alone for a day?

You know what? This week was no good.

I had a cat that was sick and had to go to the vet and then I

ended up being sick. So it was like, hey, just leave

me alone. Well, happy birthday, how about

that? He's Tony.

Kayla will be on the desk over there at Churchill Downs this

weekend. A couple of races here, the

ACTAC obviously a win an in for the Breeders Cup mile we have

seen you know especially the California tracks, it's the two

turn mile thing out West, a bit different than the shoot here at

Churchill. Do you, do you consider turns in

your handicapping? So is A1 turn mile different to

you than A2 turn mile? Absolutely, absolutely.

I think some horses specialize in one turn races and some excel

at both and I would definitely suggest that when we do get to

the point of the Breeders Cup that we make sure that some of

these horses that have been performing well in the one turn,

one mile here at Churchill also excel around two turns.

So he is Tony Calo be on the desk there at Churchill Downs

today, tomorrow, Sunday, of course, all the days when he is

not calling races at Ellis or at Turfway Park.

Let's talk about that. AC AC.

By the way, Sandra Bouscador, winner of this race a couple

years ago, will be in the California crown tomorrow at

Santa Anita Mile on the dirt course there.

I am anticipating as much slop as we have had since the 2018

Derby. We'll get to we'll get to the

the the Lucas in a minute because I think it sets up well

for one of the favorites because of the weather.

But look, Saudi crowns in here and he ran in the wettest

Pennsylvania Derby ever last year and he was just fine.

How much do you look at past, you know, slop form when you're

handicapping this kind of race? I definitely I would have to

suggest it. I mean, we're getting so much

weather right now. We're all set to go on this

Friday and I just trekked in and boy, it's starting to get a

little ugly out there. And most definitely, you know, I

mean, if there was just a little bit of moisture, but we're we

are definitely going to have a a major sealed sloppy race track.

So I think it's it's important to look and see which horses

have excelled over those race tracks and probably to your

benefit to go watch the replay. You know, certain, certain

labels are different than others.

Sometimes they can be a little deceiving.

So it's always it's always good to get the visual.

In this field, we have horses that have won on a sloppy track,

like a stage Raider at 15 to one.

Is that the kind of horse that if we were going to try to make

some money in this race that we're going to go against Saudi

Crown? Is that the kind of horse you'd

look at? I wouldn't be on stage Raider

myself. I know he does have that nice

one for one record. I think you also have to go look

and make sure to see where it was again.

So I'm looking at it right now and well, that's tumba rumba

hang on my bed. It was at Keeneland and it was

in his second career start. It was a 7 furlong race.

So hey, you never know. I mean that's his it's one of

his Co best speed figures of his career and he he won by nearly

11 length. I hadn't given him much

consideration, to be honest. I thought there were a couple

others in here that that that I needed to key on a little bit

more. You know what?

Well, Kyostro is a horse that I'm really, really fond of.

You know, I I loved him when he defeated Tamba Ramba in the hand

chin. He was one of my best bets that

particular day and he ran up to it.

I was completely impressed with him in the blame a mile and 1/8

was just maybe a little bit too far than he wanted to go.

And Highland Falls was just a an absolute beast.

He's a grinder that is just going to wear you down and

Kyostro look like he was going to the winner circle in the

blame. And Highland Falls with that big

stride of his, just was able to reel them in in the final, final

50-60 yards. You know, the Saratoga Race from

the four go. I just watched the replay last

night, just just dismissed it. He stumbled so badly he had no

chance. He was actually still trying to

come on and get third. He, I don't know if he would

have beat Mulliken, but I know he would have been right there

with him. I think Mulliken's a horse on

the rise and, and Kyostro, he is.

I think he's fairly legit. I really do.

And from a pay standpoint, somebody's got to stay close to

Saudi crown. And why can't it be him?

My understanding is that Big Blue Line is on the ground in

California. Are you hearing the same?

I have not heard yet, you know, I just arrived here.

I do know that Mufasa is on the grounds in New York to run in

the Vosburgh. So this race could be really

scratched down. In fact, the more you mention

it, I I do remember Kevin Kerstein sending us some type of

text saying that Big Blue Line probably was not going to be in

the race. So it was looking like our our

field could be diminished down to five or something.

In this late sequence, is it Saudi crown that you have to

beat to get a big score here? I would assume so.

I mean, anytime you're going to have an odds on horse, that's

how that's your best way to get a big score.

I'm not going to, I haven't really dived into Saturday's

card yet. I I had a bunch of stuff I had

to do last night to get ready for today and I'm still trying

to finalize today. But you know, you told me we're

going to talk about these stakes races.

So but yeah, most definitely, you know, anytime you can beat

an odds on horse Louie, you know, that's how that's your,

that's your best chance to get inflated payouts.

You go back and you look at some of these things and you're like,

how did it pay so much? Well, you know, you might have

only brought in an 8 or a nine dollar horse or a $7.00 horse,

but you beat A2 to five or three to five.

And that just makes that that that 2 to one, that five to two,

that three to one even double or triple in price.

Tony Kalo with us at Tony Kalo, 5C ALO, Tony Kalo 5 on Twitter.

We'll find him there. Lucas Classic is tomorrow.

Another winning in for the Breeders Cup.

It's interesting that we're having these three races.

The Woodward, obviously this would hear the California crowd.

It's almost like there's regional qualifiers for the

Breeders Cup. Going a mile and an eighth on

the dirt there. We'll see, allegedly the return

of Rattle and roll here. Do you think Kenny Mcpeak will

run this horse despite the conditions?

That is something I I would not know.

I I don't know what the horse's physical, what what's going on,

why he's been away for some for such a such a long time.

The last time the horse did run over a sealed, sloppy racetrack,

he finished second. What are your thoughts on that?

Yeah, I, I wonder if it's because I imagine they're trying

to set him up for a run either in the Clark or at the Breeders

Cup, Right. So you need to get him out

there. If it were any other trainer

east of the Rockies, I might say no.

But this is Kenny Mcpeak. And if his horses are healthy,

they're going out on the track, right?

I mean, it's just his nature. I mean, he doesn't train into

shape. He runs into shape, right?

And so I do wonder with him if this isn't a spot for him to

say, you know what, I don't really care about the sloppy

conditions. His horse has gone in the slop

three times in his career, so he's not obviously opposed to

doing it. So I, I don't know.

I, I wonder if it'll just be a little bit too much to try to

get the mile in an eighth in the slop the first time back after

not having raced since September of last year.

Literally this race. But it's Kenny Big Peak, so I

wouldn't put a basket. That's why I asked you the

question. Yeah, You know, I'm, you know,

I'm still fairly new around here.

I've never really, I've never met Kenny myself.

I wouldn't know how to, I wouldn't know how to answer that

question. I think a lot would probably

have to do with how today turns out.

I think trainers will be watching this race track pretty

pretty closely and see what, you know, how their horses maybe are

coming back and just what, what the feedback is from jockeys and

other trainers. But you know that you never

know. I've I always proceed on the on

the line of caution when it comes to wet race tracks with,

with race horses. But you know, that's a lot of

money on the lines and you know, some horses just absolutely love

it. You know, I remember growing up

as a kid, there were horses that you could just make some money

off of that when it got really, really wet that it's just

amazing how they would step their game up on on the fast

racetrack. They might backpedal at the 8th

pole every time, but then all of a sudden in the swap they just

skip over it like they love it. You know a horse like Hit Show,

He's one for three at Churchill. We see him in the governor's

race last out at West Virginia Mountaineer.

He's one of these horses. I think we're we're waiting for

that, that moment from him, right, Whatever that is.

I don't, you know, other than the Withers as a 2 year old,

this kind of stuff. But like, you know, as, excuse

me, as an early 3 year old, I, I just what is it, you know, is

this a spot where he could take a step forward or has he hit his

ceiling? Do you have a sense what hit

show what he's where he's at in his progression?

You know, I really don't. I thought he looked great on the

comeback on the 11th of May. You know, he had run well in the

Withers. I thought he was valiant in

defeat in the wood, although he probably should have won that

race. A tough, tough post.

He ran. He ran a better than looks on

paper in the Derby where he, you know, had that disadvantageous

rail draw and was in contention at the top of the lane.

A decent enough Belmont against Archangelo.

Like I said, he didn't beat much on the 11th of May, although the

runner up by kind of like Alexander Helios.

I'm not sure what's happened to him since that affair, but I

don't really have any excuses for him in the Cornhusker.

You know, I mean, I'm seeing that he didn't get to race with

LASIK that particular day. That could be a little

concerning considering the the Lucas Classic as a race.

You know, for non LASIK, I would have to think he's he's he's got

to be ready to run a good one. He's got to be one of the major

contenders in this spot. Yeah, Disarm is in here as well

for Steve Asmussen, who apparently just wants to win all

of the races right now. And so Steve's got him in here.

Tyler rides. Last time he was in the mud at

Saratoga was in the Whitney. I don't think of this field as

being at the same level of croopy and post time and

Arthur's riding all those guys. Disarm you think?

Got a real shot here tomorrow. Yeah, they are taking the

blinkers off, They're taking Joelle Rosario off and you

getting Tyler up. That could be a good move.

Tyler has a as a tendency to get his horses a little bit more

into races than Joelle, who likes to let him kind of relax.

I really am so confused with Disarm.

He's had some excuses. He say he raced with bar shoes.

I believe he had a bar shoe on in the Stephen Foster.

He might have still had that bar shoe on in the Whitney.

I believe it was removed for the Jockey Club.

But I just do not know what to make of this horse.

He he was a horse I was very fond of.

I thought it's runner up effort in Louisiana Derby against Kings

Barnes was against the flow of the racetrack.

I love them going forward. He disappointed me in the

Lexington. I completely gave gave him no

shot in the Derby and he completes the Super and I loved

him in the Stephen Foster before I realized he had a bar, a bar

shoe. I do not know what to make of

Disarm I I know the minute I jump off him, he's probably

going to step up and run the race of his life.

That sounds right. Yeah.

No, that's that's usually how this works.

Yeah, no. Usually what they do to us, you

know, we, we, we show loyalty. We show loyalty every start.

And then the minute we completely abandoned them, it's

like they know it and they just want to show it to you.

It's like, it's like a it's like a scolded ex who just wants to

prove you prove you wrong. Totally right.

My favorite thing about a horse like Disarmed, by the way, is

that we're like, yeah, I don't really know what he is.

And he's made over $1,000,000 in his life, right?

You know, yeah, that is true. 1.2 + 1,000,000 You know, I do

know what one problem this arm has going on is he is just he's

he's too studded. I don't know if you have seen

him in paddocks before races, but he is just letting everybody

know what he's all about and perhaps he just has his mind on

other things. I don't know.

But he seems to do it every race.

It's like, come on, show off. A horse that comes in three

straight wins is Cook Creek. The four here.

Louis Size gets them out here from Mike Maker.

This is an interesting one to me only because the horse is on an

absolute and in fact continued it last time at the distance in

the slop at Saratoga. Yeah, you know he has a victory

and four starts on wet race tracks.

He runs a good third in the Jerome when he was young.

You know, his last three have been awesome.

Mike Maker once again with the Maker magic off flame.

I loved him on the 29th of June. I went back and I remember I was

like, I was talking him up pretty good that particular day

in the Churchill Downs Today show saying hey, this horse is

only a neck behind. First mission back in October at

Keeneland and, and Mike thought enough to claim them.

You know, he looks like he's going to be forward.

He looks like he has a pace advantage.

You know, here's the thing that we have to ask ourselves is how

will he respond without Lasik's? The couple of races on paper

without Lasik's at least the last two were no good.

And you date back to even a couple before that in the

Withers and the Peter Pan. It's you just wonder.

You wouldn't, you know, you wouldn't think just removing,

taking horses off of Lasik's would really negate all their,

their good form. But it's amazing sometimes how

they just don't respond. The last race is a maiden over

six furlongs and Tony Calo's with us from the desk over there

at Churchill Downs restricted race for you know, the old sold

for 50 or less because we this is Churchill Downs and now 50 or

less is a is a lesser horse than a special here.

Besides 11. How many of these horses would

you include in a longer ticket? Yeah, you know, now you got me

glancing at this thing. Boy, that's, that's, and it's so

difficult, you know, handicapping and, and luckily

these are three-year olds. Try it with the two year olds

who haven't even run. I mean, I, I've been leaning on

Bruno Di Giulio's workouts on that thoroughbred association

site. That's, that's whenever you can

get a chance to, to, to see what some of these two year olds are

doing. Like Kenny Mcpeak had one, I

believe in the opener yesterday. And I think it was, I can't

remember the horse's name, but he or she ran extremely well, a

little green and had a lot to learn, But I had liked what I'd

seen from the workout. I've also been able to dismiss a

lot of horses off the workout. So, you know, Mcpeak's got one

that's coming back that I find a little intriguing.

While Steve, I believe that you know, that we'll learn the

pronunciation a little bit more as we get closer to tomorrow.

But I always I always respect and and give a little bit more

account to Saratoga 2 year olds and this one had a couple of

starts and was 4 to one in the debut, missing by a neck and

then missed by a length and 1/4 as the nine to five favorite has

been gelded gets Lasix. I also look for quick gate

drills with two year olds and that one just initially looking

at this. That one I find a little

intriguing at 9:00 to 2:00. Your favorite?

It's it's supposed to be. We'll see how it goes.

Oktoberfest theme tomorrow night out there.

What is your favorite of the tubed meats?

It's it's. I'm sorry.

It's Oktoberfest out of your place tomorrow night right as as

part of the theme. Yes, Sir, yes.

All right, so of the of the meats in tube form, which is

your favorite? Are you a hot dog guy, a sausage

guy? What is Tony Calo's favorite

tubed meat? Oh.

My goodness. Well, I guess that would

probably be an Italian sauce. Yeah, there you go.

Yeah, nothing like Italian sausage sometimes, you know, I

like them on the BBQ. I'll also put them with the

olive oil, chop them up with bell Peppers and onions and, and

then then you put them on the hoagie and you got to get and

maybe a little marinara sauce or or some butter and Parmesan

cheese. You can do all sorts of good

stuff, but you can't go wrong with a nice Italian sausage.

I discovered my kids love pork sausage on our smoker, and now

we have a once a week like I just, you know, OK.

You like this? Great.

This is what we're doing. This is great.

Great. That's fantastic.

Good. Good job, kids.

Yeah. There you go.

Oh, man. All right.

At least Tony Kalo. You'll see him in later.

Hosen tomorrow night on the track feed at Churchill Downs.

Tony, we appreciate you, buddy. We'll talk to you next time.

All right, Louis, you kind of get through me for a little loop

there with the tube sauce, the tubes, tubes, meat.

I was like, what? What was that?

What was that kind of that's that's, that's the first

brother. That's the first.

There you go. All right.

I'm glad to be your first. There you go.

All right, Tony. Kalo, get him money.

I like it. All right, Louis.

See you, buddy. There you go.

Brother, stay. Oh God, you and me both man.

How about that Tony Kalo boy?