News Release _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Contact: Kevin Kerstein Publicity Manager Churchill Downs Racetrack (610) 420-6971 (mobile) (502) 635-4712 (office)
[email protected] BARN FAVORITE THE PLAYER SEEKS FIRST STAKES VICTORY IN SATURDAY’S GRADE III, $100,000 ACK ACK AT CHURCHILL DOWNS LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Thursday, Sept. 28, 2017) – Some horses hold favoritism over others around the barn and those sentiments are echoed nearly every day in trainer William “Buff” Bradley ’s shedrow with 4-year-old colt The Player , the 5-1 co-third choice in Saturday’s 25 th running of the $100,000 Ack Ack (Grade III) at Churchill Downs. “He’s such a funny horse around the barn,” Bradley said. “He literally acts like a dog sometimes. He sits in his stall, which you don’t see a horse do. As he’s grown up, he’s always had quite the personality. One of the funny things he does is lie down in his stall with his head sticking out below the webbing to make sure he isn’t missing anything walking by him.” Owned and bred by Bradley in partnership with Carl Hurst and Buff’s late father Fred , the 4-year-old son of Street Hero comes from a deep-rooted home-grown pedigree. The Player is out of the broodmare Hour Queen , whose mother, Town Queen , was Bradley’s first stakes winner. “I’ve had a lot of horses with this type of pedigree,” Bradley said. “Town Queen’s mother ( Regal Export ) produced King of Speed and Chief Export . All three are black-type horses.