Sadler's Gladding,'09 Winner Demarcation Head Ack Ack 'Cap

Oct 31, 2011 Gary Yunt

C R K Stable’s Gladding, winner of the Grade II San Antonio Handicap at Santa Anita in February, will carry top weight of 117 pounds and concede from 1-2 pounds to six rivals Friday in the 19^th running of the $100,000-added Ack Ack Handicap (GIII).

The Ack Ack, run at 1 1/16 miles on the main track for 3-year-olds and up, will be the third race on Friday’s 10-race card that features six Breeders’ Cup World Championship races. The Ack Ack is scheduled for 3 p.m. EDT with first post time on the card at 2 p.m.

Trained by John Sadler, Gladding has not started since finishing second in the Texas Mile (GIII) at Lone Star Park in April. The 4-year-old son of 2002 Belmont Stakes (GI) winner Sarava, Gladding has put in a steady stream of works at Santa Anita with the most recent being Saturday, a seven-furlong move in 1:25.60.

Rafael Bejarano has the call on Gladding, who will break from post position three.

Among the horses carrying 116 pounds is Amerman Racing Stables’ Demarcation, winner of the 2009 Ack Ack and runner-up in last year’s race to Apart. Joel Rosario has the mount on Demarcation, who will break from post position six.

The field for the Ack Ack, from the rail out, is as follows: Nacho Friend (Garrett Gomez, 115 pounds), Alma d’Oro (John Velazquez, 116), Gladding (Bejarano, 117), Mister Marti Gras (Julien Leparoux, 116), Glenwood Canyon (Robby Albarado, 116), Demarcation (Rosario, 116) and Equestrio (Corey Nakatani, 115).

The race after the Ack Ack will be the second running of the $85,000-added The Jimmy V “Don’t Give Up … Don’t Ever Give Up” overnight stakes for 3-year-olds going six furlongs on the main track. Post time is 3:30 p.m.

Kirk and Judy Robison’s Wine Police, winner of the Distorted Humor in September at Saratoga and third in the Hopeful (GI) last year, heads a field of 11. Julien Leparoux has the mount on Wine Police, who will break from post position 11.

The field for the Jimmy V, from the rail out, is as follows: Will’s Wildcat (Calvin Borel, 118 pounds), Uncle Brent (Kent Desormeaux, 118), Matthewsburg (Mike Smith, 123), Cornpiper (Corey Nakatani, 118), Southern Dude (Jesus Castanon, 118), Free Entry (Rafael Bejarano, 118), Derivative (Jon Court, 118), Artefacto (Fernando Jara, 118), Doinmysongndance (Jamie Theriot, 118), Fast Bullet (Martin Garcia, 118) and Wine Police (Leparoux, 118).